The Morris J2 was the van that sat between the old-fashioned J-type and the later J4 in Morris Commercial’s range. Launched in 1956, it put the driver’s cab on top of the B-Series engine and was made in both Morris and Austin form until 1967.
Morris J2 at a glance
| Production | 1956–1967 |
|---|---|
| Maker | Morris Commercial |
| Layout | forward control, driver’s cab over the engine |
| Engine | BMC B-Series petrol, 1,489 cc |
| Later engine | 1,622 cc |
| Other names | Austin J2, Austin 152 |
| Sold alongside | Morris JB-type until 1961 |
| Stablemate | Morris J4 from 1960 |
| Notable use | The Beatles’ first trip to Hamburg, 1960 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the J2, which is short and gives no sales or body details.
History of the Morris J2
The J2 was launched by Morris Commercial in 1956 as a small, forward-control van, with the driver’s cab mounted directly over the engine. It used the familiar BMC B-Series petrol engine, at first in 1,489 cc form, which was subsequently enlarged to 1,622 cc. The layout followed the general architecture that Morris was already using and that the smaller J4 would take further from 1960.
Until 1961 the J2 was sold alongside the older and slightly smaller Morris JB-type, and from 1960 the company also offered the J4, which broadly followed the same overall architecture. The J2 was marketed under two names, as the Morris J2 and as the Austin J2 or Austin 152, a reminder of how closely the Austin and Morris commercial ranges were run together in the BMC years.
The Beatles’ van
The J2 has a small place in popular music history: in August 1960 the Beatles were driven to their first residency in Hamburg, Germany, in a Morris J2 owned by their then manager, Allan Williams.
Design and features
- Cab over engine: a short van with a big load area for its length.
- B-Series petrol engine: 1,489 cc at launch, 1,622 cc later.
- Two badges: sold as the Morris J2 and as the Austin J2 or Austin 152.
- Part of a family: a larger companion to the J-type and a larger brother to the J4.
Morris J2 versions
- Morris J2 (1956–1967): the Morris-badged van.
- Austin J2 / Austin 152: the same van under the Austin name.
- 1,622 cc cars: later vans with the enlarged B-Series engine.
The J2 was sold alongside the smaller J-type and the later J4, all described from the maker’s side on the Morris Commercial page. More vehicles are in the Morris collection.
Sources
- Morris Commercial J2, English Wikipedia: engines, production, names, the Beatles
