Morris first used the Isis name on one of its six-cylinder cars from 1929 until 1935, but it wasn’t until well after the Second World War that the moniker resurfaced. After the demise of the Pinocchio-nosed Minor-on-pies lookalike that was the Morris Six in 1954, BMC performed a similar trick with the Oxford; lengthening its bonnet and wheelbase so that the six-cylinder Austin A90 engine could be snugly fitted inside to create the Isis. The result was the best-performing Morris yet, although that did only mean a top speed of 90mph from the 90bhp the car eventually ended up with.

The Series 1 incarnation ran from 1955 to 1956, only notching up 8500 sales. In many ways, it was too similar to the Austin Westminster, which did far better for BMC sales-wise. The Series 2 revamp in 1956 – incorporating the updates used on the Oxford – did little to boost interest; despite rear wings now displaying fins plus the option of an automatic transmission or overdrive on the manual cars. Only 3614 managed to find homes before Morris gave up and dropped the Isis altogether. A six-cylinder Morris wouldn’t return to the catalogues until the Landcrab-based 2200 of 1972…

Probably the most attractive iant of the Isis was the wood-panelled Traveller estate, built in very small numbers. Nowadays though, any Isis is a rare survivor.