In 1924 W.R. Morris took over E.G. Wrigley and Co. Ltd. (in liquidation). This was a Birmingham axle manufacturer and one of Morris' suppliers. Morris then established Morris Commercial Cars Limited which acquired Wrigley's factory at Soho in Birmingham and commenced production of commercial vehicles, usually in the payload range from 1 ton upwards, thus supplementing the light commercial vehicles made by Morris Motors Limited at Cowley. Later Morris Commercial took over the former Wolseley factory at Adderley Park in Birmingham. In 1936, Morris sold Morris Commercial Cars to Morris Motors Limited. In the British Motor Corporation (BMC) era after 1952, the importance of Morris Commercial as an operating subsidiary declined, although Adderley Park became BMC's main commercial vehicle plant, until the opening of the new factory at Bathgate in Scotland in the early 1960s. Subsequently, Adderley Park was used for the production of light commercials (as in the Light Commercial Vehicle Division of BMC). The factory was closed in 1971 and shortly afterwards demolished. The use of the Morris Commercial name on vehicles was discontinued in 1967-68.
Reference: Anders Ditlev Clausager, BMIHT Archivist
From the guide to the Papers of Morris Commercial Cars Ltd., 1924-1968, (Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick Library)
