The Morris Ital was launched in June 1980. It took its name from Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign studio, who had been employed by British Leyland (BL) to manage the re-engineering of Morris Marina which had been produced since 1971. Although the redesigned car was named Ital, it was actually Harris Mann who created the car's new look. BL did little to play down the connection with the Italian styling house, reportedly to the irritation of Giugiaro.
The Ital had distinctly different exterior detailing to the Marina, but retained its 1.3 and 1.7 petrol engines and rear wheel drive chassis which could be traced back to the 1948 Morris Minor. The coupé version was discontinued, but the four-door saloon, five-door estate and pick-up and van versions were carried over from the Marina range.
The Ital sold reasonably well in Britain during the early 1980s, offering a competitive asking price and low running costs. Going against the appeal were the car's outdated centre section, which was at odds with the newer front and rear styling. The Ital's technology was also behind the leading pack, such as the Opel Ascona/(Vauxhall Cavalier), as well as Renault 18 and Talbot Alpine, which were front wheel drive. Apart from Ford's Cortina and later Sierra the Ital was the only mass-produced car in its sector to maintain rear-wheel drive after the introduction of the Opel Ascona C/Vauxhall Cavalier Mark II in August 1981.
From 1981, an automatic version of the Ital was available with the 2.0-litre O-Series power unit. However, by this time, there was no longer disguising the aged engineering under the skin.
The Ital was the last production car to wear the Morris badge (though there was a van version of the Metro which wore the Morris badge, until 1984). Production of the saloon ceased in February 1984, but the estate and van continued (at Longbridge rather than Cowley) for another six months until they too were axed. The Morris marque was finally canned after 72 years when the Ital ended production.
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