Morris 250 JU
Encyclopedia
The Morris 250 JU was a forward control light van
(driver's cab on top of the engine) launched by the Commercial vehicle
division of the British Motor Corporation
(BMC) in October 1967. It was offered with the familiar B series petrol engine in 1622cc form. Claimed power output was 49 bhp, with a compression ratio of 7.2:1.
The van was rated on a gross-weight basis rather than on the more familiar (for UK buyers at the time) load carrying capability. The number '250' in its name was intended to indicate a gross loaded weight of 2½ imperial (British) tons, implying a substantial carrying capacity of 22 cwt
.
When road tested by Britain's Autocar
magazine, a 250 JU vehicle converted into a 4,180 lb motor home achieved a maximum speed of 58 mph (93 km/h). The testers thought the van a big improvement over the J2 which it replaced, but found it remained "clumsy to drive" with the "need for constant expertise to overcome its faults": engine noise, especially above 40 mph (64 km/h) was a particular source of criticism.
Following the formation of the British Leyland Motor Corporation
in 1968, into which BMC, by then a subsidiary of British Motor Holdings
, had been absorbed, the van was branded as the BMC 250 JU. It was then rebadged again in 1970 as the 'Austin Morris 250 JU', finally ending production in the wake of the Leyland Sherpa, with which it shared some components, in 1974.
In addition to the standard panel vans, 250 JU chassis were also made available to specialist manufacturers for conversion into motor homes
Neither the development nor the marketing of the van appear to have been prioritized by its manufacturers. It was comfortably outsold even on its home market by competitor vehicles such as, primarily, the front engined Ford Transit
and the by now ageing Bedford CF
. It also fell short of the more modest market place performance of British Leyland's own slightly more compact Morris J4.
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
(driver's cab on top of the engine) launched by the Commercial vehicle
Morris Commercial Cars
Morris Commercial Cars Limited was a British manufacturer of commercial vehicles founded by William Morris, who was also the founder of the Morris Motor Company.-History:...
division of the British Motor Corporation
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
(BMC) in October 1967. It was offered with the familiar B series petrol engine in 1622cc form. Claimed power output was 49 bhp, with a compression ratio of 7.2:1.
The van was rated on a gross-weight basis rather than on the more familiar (for UK buyers at the time) load carrying capability. The number '250' in its name was intended to indicate a gross loaded weight of 2½ imperial (British) tons, implying a substantial carrying capacity of 22 cwt
CWT
CWT or cwt may refer to:* Continuous wavelet transform* Complex wavelet transform* Centum weight , or hundredweight, 100 pounds or 112 pounds * Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, a prominent law firm...
.
When road tested by Britain's Autocar
Autocar
Autocar is a weekly British automobile magazine published by Haymarket Motoring Publications Ltd. It refers to itself as "The World's oldest car magazine".-History:...
magazine, a 250 JU vehicle converted into a 4,180 lb motor home achieved a maximum speed of 58 mph (93 km/h). The testers thought the van a big improvement over the J2 which it replaced, but found it remained "clumsy to drive" with the "need for constant expertise to overcome its faults": engine noise, especially above 40 mph (64 km/h) was a particular source of criticism.
Following the formation of the British Leyland Motor Corporation
British Leyland Motor Corporation
British Leyland was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd . It was partly nationalised in 1975 with the government creating a new holding company called British Leyland Ltd which became BL Ltd in 1978...
in 1968, into which BMC, by then a subsidiary of British Motor Holdings
British Motor Holdings
British Motor Holdings Limited was a British motor company known until 14 December 1966 as British Motor Corporation Limited .-History:...
, had been absorbed, the van was branded as the BMC 250 JU. It was then rebadged again in 1970 as the 'Austin Morris 250 JU', finally ending production in the wake of the Leyland Sherpa, with which it shared some components, in 1974.
In addition to the standard panel vans, 250 JU chassis were also made available to specialist manufacturers for conversion into motor homes
Neither the development nor the marketing of the van appear to have been prioritized by its manufacturers. It was comfortably outsold even on its home market by competitor vehicles such as, primarily, the front engined Ford Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
and the by now ageing Bedford CF
Bedford CF
The Bedford CF was a model of light commercial vehicle produced by Bedford Vehicles for almost twenty years from the late 1960s.In Germany and certain other continental markets, the CF was sold through Opel dealers as the Opel Bedford Blitz from 1973 on....
. It also fell short of the more modest market place performance of British Leyland's own slightly more compact Morris J4.