White and Poppe Engined Bullnose

In about 1910 W.R. Morris started to design a light car that he planned to sell in quantity. He was not an academic engineer, but as compensation he had first hand experience of the merits of different designs from his experience in the garage trade.

The W&P engined Morris Oxford of 1913 is a small two seater with a water-cooled, 1017.8 c.c. Four-cylinder engine in unit with a three-speed gearbox. The engine’s capacity for ‘revs’ soon gave the car a reputation for performing briskly. The clutch initially comprised 36 plates; alternatively of hardened steel and bronze, running in oil, but the number was soon reduced to 34 to reduce the tendency of the clutch to drag. The clutch drives through a fully enclosed universal joint, an expensive feature of which Morris was justly proud, via a torque tube to a worm driven rear axle, made by the famous firm of E.G. Wrigley.

The first W&P engined Oxford was despatched from the works at Cowley, near Oxford, in March 1913 and a further 352 had been sold by the end of the year. In October 1913, the original model of W&P Oxford was supplemented by a new variant called the Deluxe. The original model was called, retrospectively, the Standard. The main problem of the early cars was the poor steering, which resulted from having the drag link under the axle. The steering of the Deluxe was greatly improved by a wider track and having the drag link above the axle. There was a hybrid, marketed as the Popular, of a deluxe body on a Standard chassis.

Technical Details

Engine

• Manufactured by White & Poppe Ltd., Lockhurst Lane, Coventry
• 60 mm bore x 90 mm stroke
• 9 hp R.A.C. rating – 1017.8 cc
• 4 cylinders in line, cast en bloc with a fixed head and detachable valve caps
• Side valves in a T-head with cast iron pistons. Three white metal main bearings in bronze shells; main bearings lubricated by oil flung off the flywheel and fed through galleries, big-end bearings splash fed
• No. 25 W & P carburettor
• Bosch type ZF 4 magneto (occasionally Mea magnetos when Bosch no longer available after start of WW I)
• 3 white metal main bearings in bronze shells; main bearings lubricated by oil flung off the flywheel and fed through galleries; big-end bearings splash fed 16.4 b.h.p. at 2400 r.p.m

Cooling System

• Thermo-siphon
• No fan

Clutch and Gearbox

• Manufactured by White & Poppe

Clutch

• 36 plates
• Hardened steel alternating with ones of bronze
• Running in oil
• Later reduced to 34 plates

Gearbox

• 3 speeds and reverse in unit with clutch and engine
• Gate change with right-hand lever outside body
• Gears contained in a light cylindrical cage, carried in turn in a cylindrical extension of the clutch case.

Ratios

• Top direct 1:1
• 2nd 1.98:1
• Bottom 3.39:1

Transmission

• Universal joint: Totally enclosed bronze centrepiece with steel spiders. Enclosed in a housing carried on the gearbox back cover propeller shaft enclosed in the torque tube.

Front Axle

• Made by E. G. Wrigley & Co. Ltd.
• Reversed Elliott type

Rear Axle

• Made by E. G. Wrigley & Co. Ltd., Soho, Birmingham
• Welded single piece banjo
• Overhead Wrigley worm
• Splined halfshafts
• Final drive ratio 3.5 : 1 or 4.2 : 1

Chassis Frame

• Made by Rubery Owen
• Pressed steel

Springs

Front springs

• Half elliptic
• 32 inches long

Rear springs

• Three-quarter elliptic
• 40 inches long
• Slung above the rear axle

Wheels

• Pressed steel 3 stud Sankey detachable with 4 Dunlop plain 700 mm x 80 mm tyres
• No tyre on the spare wheel

Front Axle

• Made by E. G. Wrigley & Co. Ltd.
• Reversed Elliott type

Steering Gear

• Manufactured by E. G. Wrigley & Co. Ltd.
• Worm and wheel in an aluminium box mounted on the main frame
• 15′ diameter Xylonite covered steering wheel
• Drop arm below the axle

Brakes

• On rear wheels only
• Four, internal expanding, unlined shoes (metal-to-metal contact). The hand brake lever inside the body operates one pair of shoes per drum and the foot pedal operates the other pair
• Brake rods slung under the rear axle

Coachwork

Types available

• Standard model:  torpedo two seater.
• Commercial model:  torpedo two seater. Narrower than the Standard and of poorer finish, but otherwise the same.
• Popular model: Deluxe body on Standard chassis

Upholstery

• Pleated and buttoned leather, usually green but red on early models

Body colour

• Usually pearl grey

Equipment

• Bulb horn, two Powell and Hanmer.
• Acetylene headlamps with Mangin lens mirrors
• 2 oil side lamps and I oil rear lamp
• Auster windscreen
• No dynamo or self-starter
• Tool kit comprising pump, jack and oil can

Principal Dimensions

• Wheelbase: 7ft 0in
• Track: 3ft 4in increased to 3ft 6in on most chassis after number 245
• Chassis weight: 8 cwt
• Overall weight: 11 cwt

Deluxe Models

The Deluxe model differs from the Standard model in the following respects:

Cooling System

• Larger radiator
• Radiator shells for the last few cars of German silver instead of brass

Rear Axle

• Bolted-up three-piece banjo construction
• Final drive ratio: 4.6:1

Front Axle

• Elliott type

Rear Springs

Slung below the rear axle

Steering Gear

• Drop arm above the front axle

Coachwork

• De Luxe model torpedo two seater
• Mahogany panelled delivery van
• Cabriolet coupé
• Limousine coupé
• Sporting model coupés and delivery van
• Upholstery: Pleated and buttoned in green leather. Coupés in Bedford cord.
• Body colour: two seaters in dark green. Coupés and delivery vans to choice.

Principal Dimensions

• Wheelbase: 7ft 6in
• Track: 3ft 9in
• Chassis weight: 81 cwt
• Weight complete: 121 cwt

Production