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PRINCESS 1800 & 2200
By September 1975, BLMC was now reduced to a smaller, more streamlined
company - British Leyland. After just six months from launch, the 7-car line
up of the Austin, Morris and Wolseley 18-22 Series were replaced by a 4-car
line up and renamed Princess. Identification between models was now a lot
simpler; 1800 versions were fitted with a four-headlamp arrangement, and
2200’s got the trapezoidal units. A new 2200 HLS version replaced the Wolseley.
These Princess models saw the best sales figures of all versions;
47955 were sold in 1977, (it was sold in 42 countries) its best year ever. Princess 1800 1800HL 2200HL 2200HLS
In order to reintroduce the Princess
brand, Princess script badges were added to the rear C posts and the front
grille, along with a crown at the centre forward of the bonnet. The Princess
also received chrome trims at the top of the sills below the doors, which
helped reduce stone damage to the paintwork.
Below is an 1800HL.
The interior was carried over from the
18-22 Series, L and HL models were fitted with a matt silver finish dashboard
insert with a new Leyland logo in the centre of the steering wheel pad. Note
the large clock on the left of the dials; a rev counter would have been more
useful. Yet another reminder that the Princess was not, in any way, a
performance car.
The seating also continued as before, but
now cloth adorned the seat facings - provided you paid extra for it. In the
transition from the 18-22 Series, early Princess HL models received plastic
seats; cloth was a cost option until April 1976, when it then became
standard.
This was the new model, the 2200HLS,
which replaced the Wolseley. The specification was identical except the
humped bonnet was replaced with the lower smoother version, along with the
trapezoidal headlights..
The HLS interior, space and comfort in
the Princess was unrivalled by all the competition, and some cars costing
twice as much couldn’t better it.
These Princesses are probably the most
common as they were in production from 1975 to 1978, and received no trim or
detail modifications throughout their life. |
