1975 Austin Marina GT from North America - Comments

Leaks water into the front passenger area.

Leaks water into boot at times.

Had to replace original fuel pump, not working correctly.

This car actually rides comfortably on the highway.

Very roomy interior and boot.

Easy to work around when needed.

For some strange reason, women are attracted to the car.

The Marina Ital that I used to have was like a sponge, and was very rusty.

If you're in the USA, and have a NADA Marina, then it's a 73 or 74, as 75 NO CARS were imported due to emission regulations... being a former BL guy I know this for fact.

Michael Green; West Coast British www.offroadexperience.com/wcb.

"former BL guy" is wrong. They did sell 1975 Austin Marinas in the US - I used to own one. The SU carbs were replaced with a Solex carb for the 1975 model year due to emissions regulations.

I own the before mentioned North American Marina. I knew of this car since 2003 when it was taken from a collection and put up for sale with under 500 original miles. I found the purchaser and bought it from him in May,2008. I drove it from Wisconsin to Nova Scotia. Other than a fuel pump problem, it was a good roadtrip. See it on the gallery of "Home of rpMGroup".

It has been kept in dry storage and currently has 8,600 original miles. It will get a bit of a transformation. A little wolf in sheep's clothing. 1975 Austin Marina GT/TC. The TC may end up denoting TurboCharged instead of Twin Carb.

TC was a BL dealer install option for the North American Marina. All came stock with a single carb. I've owned a couple Canadian models when I was younger. Dukes of Hazzard was popular and I beat the poor little things. Went through front brake pads, but had a lot of fun though.

I wrote the 12/28/08 comment and the Marina I had (a GT model whose color my father described as "baby-poop tan") ended up in a SC junkyard after the engine died, so not sure what the writer of the above comment is talking about. Austin Marinas of any year were never very common in the US but that was because they never sold that well new and the ones that did sell did not hold up very well. Neither did the Plymouth Cricket or the Simca 1204 but no one is calling those collectors' items.

As a Austin Marina GT owner, I'm so sorry that a few on here haven't the appreciation of the little car. I owned a 73 in 1975 and have looked for one ever since 1979. I loved the car it was easy to work on and with. It NEVER let me down and was a blast to drive. I now have another 73 Gt and will enjoy it until I can't anymore. I think myself you will see the car gain a better understanding in the future.

" Just my thoughts "

Wyldeman.

The Marina was just a kind of dull sedan whose two-door version had little, beyond a tachometer, to deserve the "GT" suffix.

The Austin America that preceded it in the US, on the other hand, was much more technologically interesting and would draw much more attention on the road nowadays than a Marina.

I have owned both and I regret ever selling the America!

I bought a 1974 Austin Marina as my first new car. I owned the car through 1978 and put 45,000 miles on it - and never had a problem. I always followed the instructions in the manual - the Marinas over here were actually Morris Marinas in England and came with an MG engine. It was meant to be driven well and pushed close to the red line, and I did that.

Was fine when I sold it, a doctor's wife picked it up, puddled along at no revs and packed the engine in in four months.

It was a good car, both on the highway and in town. Mine was the two door in British racing green with side stripes. I loved hunting Mustang II's with it.

Anybody got one for sale in the Southeast US? I'd love to have one. I owned one briefly a few years ago but had to let it go.

As a former BL employee working as Parts Manager during the period that Marinas were sold in the US, I can verify that some '75 models were sold here during the first part of '75. They were equipped with the same power unit as the MGB with Stromberg carb. BL only certified one power unit for the sake of economy. We sold them through about April of '75 when the supply ran out. Other than some bad tires from Dunlop and a gearbox problem caused by failure to lube the shift lever pivot (causing the box to stay in the reverse-selectable position) we had few problems or complaints with the cars for the three model years we sold them.

I got the first Marina off the truck in this state, and I have been driving a Marina every single day since then. I bought it when I had put 12,000 miles on it. It had over 215,000 miles on it when I retired it. It will be restored.

Skip Harris, the MarinaMan.

We raced an Austin Marina gt at sebring in 1976.. finished 2nd in class, still running at the end of the race, we would have taken 1st, but the owner of the car kept hearing mysterious noises and would come in during the last hour to have the car checked...

The spectators loved it, as we would get it up on three wheels every lap in what I think was turn 5, a slow righthand-er, the would hoop and holler, I guess wanting us to roll over more than cheering us on...

It was burgundy with a # 3 painted on the side, would love to find a photo of it someday!