Fab ‘four’
The British Motor Corporation B-series engine has powered everything from humble saloons to sports cars.
This ubiquitous, four-cylinder unit has also been produced to run on petrol and diesel, appeared in various capacities and with a range of outputs, and powered cars with both rear- and front-wheel drive.
In all, B-series production lasted 60 years.
Here’s our list of cars powered by this engine, listed in chronological order.
1. 1953 MG Magnette
A quirk of fate meant the MG ZA Magnette was the first car to go into production with the new B-series engine.
The Wolseley 4/44 launched the previous year was too close to going on sale to swap its Nuffield 1250cc motor, so the MG introduced the world to the new unit.
For the Magnette, the B-series arrived in 1489cc form with 60bhp, which was decent for a sporting saloon of its size and era. It was sufficient for 0-60mph in 22.6 secs and a 80mph top speed.
MG’s ZB Magnette arrived in 1956 with a 64bhp version of the B-series unit, which dropped the 0-60mph to 21.2 secs and upped the top speed to 86mph.
There was also the option of the Manumatic automated manual transmission in place of the standard four-speed manual gearbox.
2. 1954 Austin A40 Cambridge
BMC (British Motor Corporation) introduced its new B-series engine to the masses with the Austin A40 Cambridge.
It was part of a rationalisation programme to adopt a common unit across many models to reduce costs.
For the A40, the B-series was in its smallest size as a 1.2-litre motor with a very modest 42bhp.
Along with the new engine, the A40 also used BMC’s latest B-series four-speed manual gearbox, though there was still no synchromesh on first gear.
The Austin A40 provided an affordable way into a small, four-door, family car, but only 30,666 examples were sold, compared with 114,867 A50s with the larger, 1.5-litre engine.
3. 1954 Austin A50 Cambridge
Anyone who could afford the small premium to step up from the A40 to the A50 Cambridge would have been well advised to do so.
For the extra money, you got a 1489cc version of the B-series engine with 50bhp, plus a useful extra lug of torque at low revs.
Thanks to its greater power, the A50 also came with a higher final-drive ratio for improved, quieter cruising and it could reach a 74mph top speed.
The A50 was replaced by the A55 Cambridge in 1957 that brought a 51bhp engine with yet more torque – 81lb ft versus the A50’s 74lb ft.
Austin A55 buyers also now had the option of a floor-mounted gearchange, instead of the column-mounted shift for the four-speed manual gearbox.
4. 1954 Metropolitan
The Metropolitan, also badged as a Nash and a Hudson at points in its life, started with the old, 1.2-litre Nuffield engine, but it gained the B-series motor in mid-1954.
At first, its B-series offered 42bhp, so the Metropolitan was no ball of fire, but its looks gave it some appeal in its intended US market – this version was not offered to UK buyers.
For 1956, the Metropolitan gained the larger, 1489cc B-series engine, meaning marginally better performance.
Never badged as an Austin, it was offered in right-hand drive to British buyers from April 1957.
A total of 104,377 Metropolitans of both engine sizes were produced up to 1961.
5. 1954 Morris Oxford Series II
BMC was keen to streamline the engines used in its various brands, yet the Morris Oxford Series II had its own body-chassis unit and styling compared to its Austin counterpart.
This proved popular with Morris buyers, who wanted to feel their car was suitably different, even if the 1489cc B-series engine powering it was the same as an Austin’s.
With 50bhp, the Oxford was on a par with contemporary rivals for speed and economy.
The Series III gained a 55bhp version of the engine, plus there was the option of a two-pedal, Manumatic automated manual gearbox.
6. 1954 Morris Cowley
The Morris Cowley was to all intents and purposes identical to the Austin A40, including its 1200cc B-series engine.
The Cowley arrived a couple of months after the Oxford, and the main distinction between the pair was that the Cowley used the smaller B-series, whereas the Oxford enjoyed the 1.5-litre unit.
With a mere 42bhp on hand, the Cowley could offer a top speed of 65mph and 0-60mph in a lazy 37.5 secs.
To address this, a Cowley 1500 with a 1.5-litre B-series engine replaced the 1.2-litre car in 1956, but sales never really took off for either model.
When the Cowley 1500 was replaced by the Farina-style models in 1959, a paltry 4623 cars had been sold in addition to 17,413 of the 1.2-litre version.
7. 1955 MGA
Rationalisation within BMC dictated the MGA would have to use the B-series engine, even if some in MG were not keen, so the MGA arrived in 1955 with a 68bhp version of the 1489cc unit and a four-speed manual gearbox.
With its light weight and better aerodynamics than the TF it replaced, this was still sufficient to see it to 100mph and cover 0-60mph in 15 secs.
The improved MGA 1600 arrived in 1959 with a 1588cc B-series engine delivering 79bhp, making it the most powerful version up to that point.
Performance increased moderately with a top speed of 101mph and 0-60mph in 14.2 secs.
The Mk2 received more power and could do 0-60mph in 13.7 secs, but its top speed was no higher.
8. 1956 Wolseley 15/50
Take an understatedly handsome Wolseley 4/44 saloon, fit the new B-series engine to it and, hey presto, you have the 15/50.
Out went the old Nuffield motor of the 4/44 in favour of the 1489cc B-series with 55bhp. At a stroke, top speed increased by 5mph to 78mph and 6 secs were slashed from the 0-60mph time.
The only way to tell the 15/50 from its 4/44 predecessor was that the new model had a chrome side flash tapering downwards, whereas the earlier car’s trim was straight.
Wolseley ended production in 1958 after 12,352 were made.
9. 1957 Riley One-Point-Five
After a convoluted path to production, the Riley One-Point-Five turned out to be a rather nifty, small, sporting saloon.
Power came from a twin-carb version of the 1489cc B-series engine, with help from a higher compression ratio and a different camshaft to its Wolseley sibling.
With suspension and steering shared with the Morris Minor, the Riley was an agile handler.
A pair of One-Point-Fives helped decide the inaugural British Saloon Car Championship with two head-to-head races between title rivals Jack Sears and Tommy Sopwith, who were tied on points. Sears emerged victorious after the pair raced the Rileys in the wet.
While it was quicker than the Wolseley 1500, the Riley One-Point-Five sold 40,577 cars, while the Wolseley sold 100,832.
10. 1957 Wolseley 1500
Intended as a replacement for the Morris Minor, the Wolseley 1500 evolved into an altogether more upmarket machine, launched in 1957 with a 1.5-litre, B-series motor.
While it shared much of its base with the Riley One-Point-Five, the Wolseley’s focus was on refinement and comfort, so it had an engine in a lower state of tune, offering 43bhp. This remained the same through three distinct versions of the 1500.
For the Wolseley, the unit came with a single SU carburettor, a lower compression ratio and a different camshaft.
There were also 110 Wolseleys made with the 1200 B-series engine for the Republic of Ireland market.
All in, 100,832 1500s were built, outselling its Riley stablemate more than two to one, as we said earlier.
11. 1958 Austin Lancer/Morris Major
The Austin Lancer and Morris Major were just as closely related as the Riley One-Point-Five and Wolseley 1500.
Indeed, this Australian-market duo used the Riley/Wolseley as their base, albeit with bespoke styling and a large proportion of locally produced materials used.
Both the Austin and Morris models used a 1489cc B-series engine, while the Morris Major Elite of 1962 gained the 1622cc unit used in the Austin A60.
BMC’s Australian division also made Wolseley 1500s alongside the Lancer and Major at its Victoria Park factory in Sydney.
12. 1958 MGA Twin Cam
MG had been using twin-cam engines in its racing cars for a few years by the time it offered a production car with this configuration as the MGA Twin Cam.
The building block for the new 1588cc unit was the trusty B-series, though the final production motor was significantly different.
Twin overhead camshafts operated valves with an opposed angle of 80 degrees, for 109bhp and 104lb ft of torque.
Even more dramatically, the Twin Cam could sprint from 0-60mph in 9.1 secs and head on to 113mph.
MGA Twin Cam buyers could choose roadster or fixed-head-coupé bodywork, all with Dunlop disc brakes and centre-lock wheels.
In all, 2111 MGA Twin Cams were made.
13. 1958 Wolseley 15/60
Just as with MG and Riley, Wolseley had its own take on the Austin A55 Farina and its 15/60 model was the first of this group to arrive when it was launched in late 1958.
The 1489cc B-series engine came with 52bhp in the Wolseley, giving a top speed of 77mph.
It had less power than its Riley and MG counterparts largely due to having a single carburettor in place of the twin carbs of the others.
In 1961, BMC improved the spec of the Wolseley in line with other Farina saloons, when the 16/60 arrived with a 1622cc, B-series unit and 61bhp.
There was also now the option of a three-speed automatic transmission as an alternative to the standard four-speed manual.
14. 1959 Austin A55 Mk2/Morris Oxford Series V
It was all change on the styling front for the Austin A55 Mk2 and its badge-engineered Morris Oxford counterpart in 1959 with the arrival of Farina looks.
If the exterior was a bold departure, the B-series engine that powered these models was more familiar.
It retained its 1489cc capacity, but there was now a ‘Nuffield’ type of SU carburettor.
BMC finally gave up on the Manumatic automated manual gearbox with this car, so the only choice for buyers was a four-speed manual, with the shifter either on the column or a floor-mounted change.
From early 1960, the A55/Oxford range was expanded with the addition of a handsome and roomy estate.
15. 1959 Hindustan Ambassador
Indian car maker Hindustan had already bought tooling for the Morris Oxford Series I and II to create its own models, so the Oxford Series III was ripe for the same treatment.
Called the Ambassador, this car went on to become a staple of Indian buyers all the way through to 2014.
The Ambassador first went on sale in 1957 with a 1476cc, sidevalve unit, but this was replaced by a 1489cc B-series motor in 1959.
This 55bhp engine was ideal for use in India thanks to its rugged, simple design, plus a low state of tune meant it could run on poor-quality fuel when required.
A diesel version of the B-series was an option for the Ambassador until 2010, while the 1489cc petrol B-series lasted until 2013.
16. 1959 MG Magnette MkIII
MG adopted the Farina-styled fintail body common to its Austin and Morris cousins to create the Magnette MkIII.
Sharp, modern looks and a classy interior with a wooden dashboard gave it showroom appeal, but on the road it made do with the same 64bhp B-series from the previous ZB model. However, performance was moderately improved to offer 0-60mph in 20.6 secs.
The MkIV Magnette stuck with the same body but received the slightly more powerful B-series engine. Finally, the Magnette could accelerate from 0-60mph in less than 20 secs, taking a claimed 19.5 secs, but this was the last of the line for this model when production ceased in 1968.
17. 1959 Riley 4/68
Taking the same idea as the Riley One-Point-Five and using the new Farina saloon as it base, the Riley 4/68 offered an affordable route into sporting-saloon ownership.
Using a 64bhp version of the 1489cc B-series engine, the 4/68 was good for 0-60mph in 20.6 secs and 84mph.
The later 4/72 (pictured) from 1961 had 68bhp to make it capable of 0-60mph a whole second faster.
The latter car was also offered with a three-speed automatic transmission – 14,151 of these were sold, as well as 10,940 examples of the 4/68.
18. 1961 Austin A60/Morris Oxford Series VI
When BMC facelifted the model to become the A60, and Morris Oxford Series VI, in the autumn of 1961, the engine grew to 1622cc and 60bhp.
Customers could still choose between a column- or floor-mounted shift for the four-speed manual gearbox, and there was now a proper automatic transmission option using a Borg-Warner Type 35 ’box.
Overall gearing was slightly altered to account for the increase in power and the A60/Oxford could now reach 81mph.
The Austin A60 ended production in 1969, but the Morris Oxford Series VI soldiered on right up until 1971 and the arrival of the Marina.
19. 1961 Austin A60 Diesel
When BMC revised the Austin A55 into the A60, it also quietly introduced a diesel version of the B-series engine to the range.
Initially only intended for export markets where diesel was more commonly used in passenger cars at the time, it was then offered from 1962 to UK buyers.
The 1489cc diesel could muster 40bhp and 64lb ft of torque, but its performance was stultifyingly slow – 0-60mph took 39.4 secs and flat out it managed 66mph.
Little wonder, then, that sales were as sluggish as the performance, although it remained on sale until 1969 to cater for taxi drivers who appreciated its 37mpg fuel economy.
20. 1962 MGB
One of the cars most closely associated with the B-series engine, the MGB’s name was a simple continuation of the theme from the MGA, rather than making a nod to what lay under the bonnet.
For the MGB, the B-series motor was expanded to 1798cc, which produced 95bhp to drive the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission.
Against the clock, the MGB was good for 0-60mph in 12.9 secs and topped out at 103mph. A five-bearing crankshaft became standard from late 1964.
When it arrived in 1962, the MGB was only available as a roadster, with the GT coupé joining the range in 1965.
The MGB went through various updates, but the B-series engine remained much the same all the way to the end of the B’s life in 1980.
21. 1964 Austin 1800
With front-wheel drive becoming the norm for BMC’s mainstream family models, the Austin 1800 and its Morris-badged sibling adopted the same layout. Even so, the B-series engine was still at the heart of these cars.
The 1800’s B-series was very similar in spec to the MGB’s with a five-bearing crankshaft. However, power was kept slightly lower than the MGB’s.
More importantly, though, the 1800 was the first B-series-powered car, and the first BMC model, to have an all-synchromesh gearbox.
A 86bhp MkII was introduced in 1968, while the S model of 1969 produced 96bhp thanks to its MGB-spec motor with twin SU carburettors and a three-branch exhaust manifold to give a 100mph top speed.
22. 1967 Wolseley 18/85
Given there were Wolseley versions of most other mainstream BMC models, it was no surprise when the 18/85 landed in 1967.
Using the same basics as the Austin 1800, the Wolseley came with an 85bhp version of the 1798cc B-series engine.
This powered the front wheels through an all-synchromesh, four-speed, manual gearbox, or there was the option of a three-speed automatic.
A Mk2 arrived in 1969 with slightly more power, while the S model of 1969 upped that further to 96bhp.
When the Wolseley 18/85 was withdrawn from sale in 1972, a total of 35,597 had been produced.
23. 1971 Morris Marina
While the Morris 1800 pointed towards the future of family cars with its front-wheel-drive design, the Marina was a resolutely conventional, rear-wheel-drive model, which suited the 1.8-litre model with its B-series engine.
To add a little sporting spice to the mix, Morris also offered the Marina in 1.8TC form as a coupé or saloon. It used the twin-carburettor unit from the MGB, for more power and a 100mph top speed.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Austin also fitted its lethargic, 1489cc, B-series diesel engine to the Marina – this model was only offered in selected export markets and just 3870 diesel Marinas were built.
24. 1975 Austin 18-22/Princess
Taking over from the 1800 as the mainstay family car of the range, the Austin 18-22 used the B-series motor, though buyers could also choose a six-cylinder, 2.2-litre model.
For 1976, the car was renamed Princess, and the Wolseley and Morris versions were dropped.
In 1978, British Leyland replaced the B-series with the 1.7- and 2-litre O-series range of engines, leaving the MGB as the sole-surviving model with the B-series unit in its line-up.