The 1931 Cowley revamp used aircraft-grade Duralumin alloy for its connecting rods, an unusually exotic material to find inside an affordable family saloon.
Lead trim: Cowley 11.9 1548 cc side-valve four
Morris Cowley 11.9 / 14/321931–1935
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Morris Cowley 11.9 / 14/32 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe 1931 Cowley revamp used aircraft-grade Duralumin alloy for its connecting rods, an unusually exotic material to find inside an affordable family saloon.
A considerably changed Cowley was announced on 29 August 1931: as with the rest of the Morris range the coachwork of the now six models was redesigned with a fashionable "eddy-free" leading edge to the roof of closed cars, petrol tanks at the rear of the chassis, chrome finish to all bright parts and Magna-type wire wheels as standard, with a new chassis frame giving a lower body, longer, more resilient springs, bigger brake drums actuated hydraulically (Lockheed), a new radiator, Duralumin connecting rods and a sports coupé body; no more four-seater tourers. Either the 11.9 (1548 cc) or the 14/32 (1802 cc) side-valve four was supplied to order for the same price. A revised, lower body with a new 11.9 hp engine behind a sloping radiator (still 1548 cc) was announced 28 August 1933 with a four-speed Twin-Top synchromesh gearbox, shorter stronger cruciform chassis, leather upholstery and a battery master switch; from late 1934 it was badged Morris Twelve Four. Related to the Morris Oxford and Twelve; 39,074 made; wheelbase 105 inches (2,667 mm), length 155 inches (3,937 mm), width 60.5 inches (1,537 mm).
Collectors Spotted in the Morris Cowley Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Morris Cowley yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowley 11.9 1548 cc side-valve four | 1931–1935 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Cowley 14/32 1802 cc side-valve four | 1931–1935 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Morris cut costs on the budget Cowley by swapping in plastic-covered felt where the posher Oxford had actual carpet.
Despite replacing the Morris Major as an all-new model in 1934, the Cowley Six kept its predecessor's exact 1938cc six-cylinder side-valve engine unchanged — only the chassis underneath was new.
The 1931 Cowley revamp used aircraft-grade Duralumin alloy for its connecting rods, an unusually exotic material to find inside an affordable family saloon.
The 1926-31 Flatnose Cowley shipped with brakes on the rear wheels only as standard — four-wheel brakes were already common elsewhere, but Morris charged extra for the front pair.
The Bullnose Cowley's centrally-mounted handbrake and gear lever gave away its American-sourced gearbox — and as a side effect, let the driver climb in without dragging a leg past cold exposed steel.
On the Continental-engined Cowley, just the electric lighting components cost 59% of the price of the imported engine itself — electric lights were a genuine luxury in 1915.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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