
One of the ramps at the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington looks at the popularity of British cars in the United States. The demand for British cars was originally created by American soldiers who had been stationed in the United Kingdom during World War II. The demand for British cars led to Britain being the world’s top car exporter by 1950. According to the museum’s display:
“Only a few of the iconic British brands are active today, and, with the exception of Morgan, none are owned by British companies. But passionate collectors keep the spirit of the British invasion alive.”
Photographs of some of the vehicles in this special display are shown below.
Morris:
Morris started as a bicycle manufacturer and in 1912 the Morris Motor Company was organized. The last Morris automobiles were produced in the early to mid-1980s. MG—Morris Garages—initially sold rebodied Morris automobiles and was acquired by Morris in 1935. The MG brand was abandoned in 1980. The MG brand was purchased by Nanjing Automobile Group in 2005 which produced the MG6 in 2011.



Shown above is a 1948 MG TC. The TC was a hastily modified version of the pre-war TB Midget which was introduced in 1945, just a few weeks after the end of the war. More than 1,500 TCs were produced in 1946 and more than a third of them were shipped to America. Americans had discovered the joy of the sports car. TC production ended in 1949 after 10,000 had been built and more than two-thirds were exported.


Shown above is a 1952 MG TD. This model offered modifications aimed at the U.S. market, such as left-hand drive, and 80% of the production was imported to the U.S. The TD was introduced in 1949 and was four inches wider than the earlier TC. The TD was the most popular MG ever produced.


Shown above is a 1969 MGC GT.
Mini:


Shown above is 1964 Morris Mini Traveller. The Mini was the most popular British car of all time and was manufactured by BMC (British Motor Corporation) from 1959 to 2000. They were originally sold under the Austin and Morris names until 1969 when Mini became a brand apart. BMW acquired the Mini marque when it acquired BMC in 1994.


Shown above is a 1974 Mini Clubman Estate.
Jaguar:
Jaguar was founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922, but changed the name after World War II as the initials SS had an unfavorable image. It became a part of BMC (British Motor Company) in 1968 and was purchased by Ford Motor Company in 1990. Jaguar is currently owned by Tata Motors of India.

Shown above is a 1959 Jaguar Mkl Saloon.

Shown above is a 1964 Jaguar MK X, 4-Door Sedan.


Shown above is a 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 2.
Triumph:
Triumph began as Triumph Cycle Company producing bicycles, then moved into motorcycles, and in 1921 began producing luxury automobiles. Triumph went bankrupt in 1939 and was purchased by Standard Motor Company. The last Triumph was produced in 1981 and BMW currently holds the trademark.



Shown above is a 1958 Triumph TR3A.


Shown above is a 1968 Triumph GT-6 Mark 1.
Lotus:


Shown above is a 1963 Lotus MK 7 Series 2.

Shown above is a 1966 Lotus Elan.


Shown above is a 1969 Lotus Europa S2 (Type 54).