Is the Morris Ital a hard sell? Perhaps on the surface.

Yet as a car created for a conservative fleet market, it actually offered a lot more than its reputation suggests.

Often described as a facelifted Marina with a different front and rear end, the Ital is also roomy, practical and cheap to maintain.

With its proven mechanics, the car is also reliable and obtaining mechanical parts is a straight forward task, backed up by a passionate and helpful owners' club.

It’s clear that the Ital is not going to be a distraction for those looking at the high achieving sports saloons of the era, but as a part of a fascinating story of the British car industry, it’s novelty rarity factor is going to turn more heads than a similarly aged MGB! Fitted with the smooth OHC 2-litre engine, only the top of the line HLS models were fitted with them and just sold in automatic form, making this 1982 car a rather rare example.

This example also benefits from the revised interior, with improved seat fabr...