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PRINCESS REJUVENATED
Despite selling reasonably well since
it was launched, the Princess had gained a rather poor reputation for
reliability, though Austin-Morris believed that the concept of the Princess was
right and there was no need to make styling changes for changes sake. But if
there was one thing that Austin-Morris needed to do with the updated car it
was to convince buyers that the new Princess 2 would be reliable. To this end
BL spent most of 1977 and the early part of 1978 ensuring that the Princess 2
was durable, particularly its new O-Series engines. And, in a bid to improve
buyer confidence, the car was promoted as a product of Austin-Morris and not
of British Leyland. After an extensive engineering programme the Princess 2
range was launched in July 1978.
The new five-model Princess 2 line up. From an external point of view the
cosmetic changes were minimal, lazy even, and a new range of colours were the
only real visual improvement. However, 2 new engines were launched to replace the ageing
1800 B-Series: the four-cylinder O-Series 1700 and 2000. The 1700cc unit had
already been launched in the Morris Marina, but this was its first transverse
application, the 2000cc unit debuting in the Princess 2. The 2200cc E6 engine
continued unchanged. Other changes were mostly under the skin and production of the Princess was scrutinised to improve electrical reliability of components. This included a pre wired dashboard that was tested before installation with improved, industry standardised connections for easier assembly and longevity, and the wiring was concealed under the facia (previously, wires had been left to dangle down onto the lower parcel shelf!) Other improvement areas were a better paint finish and better door sealing. The Hydragas suspension also received some minor tweaks to improve ride compliance, and the new Triplex 10/20 laminated windscreen was fitted across the range.
Princess 2 was extensively tested for
durability. Despite the new engines however, the
single biggest improvement that could have changed the fortunes of the
Princess was still noticeable by its absence, a rear hatchback. Naively, BL
still regarded the Maxi as the 5-door in its range and saw no reason to
produce a bigger version in the Princess despite the success of the larger
executive Rover SD1. Though, there was concern within the group that a
hatchback 2200HLS Princess could steal sales from the lower spec Rover SD1
models. Some felt that the makeover didn’t go
far enough, and the shortcomings of the previous Princess models were left
wanting. Where the Princess had scored against the competition was that of
its accommodation allied to the quality of its ride. On those two counts
almost nothing could rival it. Unfortunately it takes a lot more than just a
good ride and lots of space to sell a car and in areas like performance and
driver enjoyment the Princess was - certainly in four-cylinder form – wanting
compared to its rivals. Motor magazine tested the new
Princess 2 2000HL in their 15th July 1978 edition and said, “In
short, there is still a good car in there trying to get out, but BL Cars will
have to give the new engine still better performance and refinement, improve
the gearchange, and redesign the interior before it finally succeeds.” It was
obvious that the 2 litre desperately needed a twin-carburettor option to be
more competitive in the 2 litre class. Austin-Morris also failed to address
other areas of the market with models such as a sporty Princess ‘S’ version, the likes of which a
majority of other manufacturers were offering their customers. The sales figures for the Princess 2
make stark reading; it never sold as well as the old 1800 and 2200. In fact
the 1980 figure of 14,732 was less than half of 1979’s 37,128 cars. Despite
mostly good press reports and a huge marketing push for the car, the earlier
Princesses reputation for poor quality had been well earned and it seemed
that no amount of new engines and boasts about improved reliability would
sway the car-buying public’s opinion.
Misguided advertising did nothing for the
Princesses image. And it’s worth mentioning that
Princess 2 sales were probably hampered by a ridiculous marketing campaign
that suggested it was ‘not
the car for Mr Average’. Indeed, Mr Average continued to buy the
average - almost mediocre - yet reliable Ford Cortina instead. Ultimately,
Austin-Morris failed to maximise the full potential of the Princess range. |
