In fact it is British Leyland Motor Corporation Limited’s birthday; the name ‘British Leyland’ (and subsequently ‘BL’) was not used until several years later.

The background to this anniversary is fascinating, but complex, and it is impossible to explain it thoroughly in a few short lines.  Suffice it to say that 1968 was a year that saw the merging of two British motor manufacturing giants:  British Motor Holdings Limited and Leyland Motor Corporation Limited (the former already owning the Jaguar marque and the latter Rover and Land Rover).

During the course of this year we will look at a number of motorcars in our collection and consider their histories, qualities (or otherwise) and, more to the point, the relationship they had with ‘British Leyland’.