Marina delays are increasing

With orders for the new Morris Marina estimated to have exceeded 60,000, while only between 12,000 and 14,000 have been made, British Leyland is already suffering some embarrassment over delivery dates. It has reached nothing Like the proportions of the problem experienced with the Triumph Stag and Jaguar XJ6, but some dealers are quoting two, three, or, in rare instances, four months.

The recent dispute at Cowley is said to have lost nearly 3,000 cars and set back by more than a fortnight the planned boost in production from 1,500 per week to 2,000. The launch stock of 7,000 cars was swallowed up almost immediately and the only saving factor has been that many of the sales were to fleet operators who neither require nor demand immediate delivery. Indeed, some have phased their acceptance of the cars over a period of-many months.