British Saloon Cars 1950s

British saloon cars 1950s included great names such as Triumph Mayflower, Morris and Hillman.

Freed at last from the economic shortages and rationing of the 1940s war years aftermath, the British were able to resume their love of the motor car.

Car ownership in Great Britain doubled during the 1950s.

The British car manufacturers responded to this demand and produced a series of popular saloon cars.

And with sterling massively devalued in the late 1940's, the scene was set for an increase of British saloon cars exports to the United States.

One car which was designed for the American market was the Triumph Mayflower, launched at a price of a little over £470.

The Triumph Mayflower appealed to the motor press of the day, who lauded it as a “family man's chariot.”Launched in 1950, with production finally ending three years later, the Mayflower was built to be stylish. It combined a traditional handmade body with more modern deign features such as submerged headlights, and a rounded aerodynamic look.

Other British car manufacturers were also making their mark as Ford, Hillman, Standard, Morris and Vauxhall became increasingly well known names for British saloon cars 1950s .

Morris added to the range of British Saloon Cars during the early 1950s with the introduction of the Morris MM range. These included two door and four door saloons, as well as a four seat convertible Tourer. Morris also added a larger saloon car to their range with the Morris Oxford.

Morris continued their development of British saloon cars during the 1950s by introducing the Minor 1000 range midway through the decade. The design saw the traditional split windscreen replaced by a curved one piece screen, while the rear window was enlarged.

The 1950s also saw the rise of Hillman who produced a series of medium sized salon cars under the Hillman Minx brand. The Minx had been on sale before the 1950's, but in 1953, following a redesign, the Hillman Minx Californian was launched.

A year later Hillman installed a ohv 1390 cc engine in their Mark VIII range. In 1957 Hillman launched a Series III deluxe Saloon model which incorporated a 1494cc engine and the car could reach a top speed of 77 miles per hour.

The British branch of the Ford Motor Company also made their contribution towards the production of the saloon car during the 1950s. In 1950 Ford launched the Ford Zephyr, a powerful saloon that was to be adapted over the next 20 years.

In 1955 a more up market version was built, the Zephyr Zodiac, which at the time was one of the largest British saloon cars 1950s produced by Ford in Britain.

Related Articles