This car is not only the last Ital to come off the production line but it is also the very last car to carry the Morris name after sixty years of distinguished history.

The Ital looked like a new car from British Leyland (BL) when it was launched in 1980 but it was actually a restyled and re-engineered Morris Marina (although the rear remained unchanged on Ital estates like this car on display).

The fresh name was chosen to link the car to Italdesign - a studio founded by Giorgetta Giugiaro who famously designed the Lotus Esprit. Chosen to ensure BL’s new car had a more fashionable European feel, Giugiaro’s company were asked to manage the engineering and styling of the new Marina, but the majority of the styling ended up being carried out in-house by Harris Mann.

Initially meant to be called the Morris Marina Ital, BL boss Michael Edwardes insisted the Marina name was dropped, encouraging the assumption that Italdesign were completely responsible for the new car - this tactic helped the Ital sell reasonably well! The Ital was discontinued in 1983 to make way for the new Austin Montego after over 170,000 Itals were produced.