Picture of old MG

[JaDub]

Yep.......... when you build cars using the Oragami method ( Japanese traditional paper folding ), water/ salt took its` toll on thin sheet metal.
I was never aware of the internal strife at British Leyland ( Triumph - MG ). I worked at an MG dealership in the early to mid `70s. I remember the MG Midgets coming in with 1500cc Triumph Spitfire engines. Once the MGs ( both Bs and Midgets ) started wearing one Zenith Stromberg carb (vs twin SUs ) and rubber bumpers, the marque was a dead indian over here. U.S. emissions became a real issue as well. When we were forced to sell Austin Marinas the end was in sight. The Marina, a very cheaply built  sedan ( single carbed MGB engine ) was a total turd. Everything broke and nothing was worth saving.

[Brithunter]

The Marina and later Ital was in fact based upon the Minor and used the same torsion bar front suspension. The 1300cc engine fitted to both Marina and Ital was a lively little unit and was in fact quicker than the 1800 cc version. The 1800 was dropped from the Ital which instead got the 1700 cc OHC unit which I beleive was the "O" series engine. I had a 1980 Ital estate (Station Wagon) with the 1.7L OHC engine and it was an OK car. Of course it was over 10 years old when I got it. Bright orange paint on it.

    The swallowing up of the car makers by British Leyland was the wrong thing to do but they ahd this idea that bigger was better however this was prooved to be false in time although they don't seem to have learnt.

    Have also wondered for a long time if it was not the emission equipment fitted for the US sales that caused issues as out home market cars didn't have them and did not seem to have the same problems that US cars did?