It was a small car with a 1018 cc four-cylinder side-valve engine with fixed cylinder head from White & Poppe.

The car got its popular name, Bullnose, from its distinctive round-topped radiator at first called the bullet nose.

[2] The American engined Continental Cowley, with most other significant components US sourced, shown to the press in April 1915, was a 50 percent larger engined (1495 cc against 1018 cc), longer, wider and better equipped version of this Morris Oxford with the same "Bullnose" radiator.

[2] The 1919 Oxford (advertised as early as September 1918) was assembled from locally made components and now took on the rather more substantial aspect of 1915's Cowley.

[5] The new car's 11.9 fiscal horsepower 1548 cc engine was made under licence in Coventry for Morris by a British branch of Hotchkiss the French ordnance company.

1926 mid-year switch to flatnose A short-lived 17 hp six-cylinder variant, The F-Type Oxford Six, was displayed for the first time as a four seated cabriolet at the November 1922 Olympia Motor Show.

The 2320 cc engine proved unreliable, two intense vibration periods weakened and broke crankshafts and few were sold.

The radiator cooling surface was increased sixty per cent[9] The 2½-litre Oxford 15.9 Empire model was displayed as "a Colonial Chassis" at the Olympia Motor Show of October 1926.

A full 11 inches, 278 mm, is allowed at the forward running board bracket cross stay.

[8] The all-steel body was made over the road at Cowley by W R Morris's joint venture with American Edward G Budd, Pressed Steel Company.

In August 1930 a shorter chassis more expensive version was announced and named Morris Major Six,[13]

For other Morris Sixes: In September 1932, the gearbox gained a fourth speed and the engine grew to 2062 cc with the Q-series unit.

[14] Direction indicators, a set of three coloured lights on each side of the car visible from front and rear were fitted.

Controlled from a switch on the dashboard they permitted accurate indications of planned movements while the car's windows remain shut.

[16] Barely nine months later these cars were superseded by members of the Morris Big Six Series II range: Sixteen or Eighteen and Twenty-one or Twenty Five announced 2 July 1935.

A 2.6-litre six-cylinder 7-inches longer Morris Isis version was announced 12 July 1955 with a saloon or Traveller estate body.

The Oxford was updated for 1957 with a new fluted bonnet and small rear fins and an optional two-tone paint scheme all announced on 18 October 1956.

[23] A semi-automatic, two pedal, "Manumatic" transmission with centrifugal clutch with vacuum operation coupled to gear changes was optional.

The update also included a floor change gearbox and corresponding cut-out in the front bench seat to allow its operation.. [24] [25] For 1959, the Oxford, announced on Lady Day 25 March 1959,[26] was merged into the mid-sized Pininfarina-designed BMC Farina range along with a half-dozen other previously announced models, including the 1958 Wolseley 15/60 and 1959 Riley 4/68, Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II, and MG Magnette Mark III.

All five Farina cars were updated in October 1961[27] with a new 1.6-litre (1622 cc/98 in3) version of the B-Series engine, longer wheelbase and a new revised look.