Editing Morris Motors (section)

===Early history===
WRM Motors Ltd began in 1912 when [[bicycle]] manufacturer [[William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield|William Morris]] moved on from the sale, hire, and repair of cars to car manufacturing. He planned a new light car assembled from bought-in components.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-01 |title=Brief History of Morris Motors |url=https://morrisregister.co.uk/brief-history-of-morris-motors/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Morris Register |language=en-GB}}</ref> In this way he was able to retain ownership by keeping within the bounds of his own capital resources.

A factory was opened in 1913 at former [[Oxford Military College]] at [[Cowley, Oxford]], [[United Kingdom]] where Morris's first car, the 2-seat [[Morris Oxford bullnose|Morris Oxford "Bullnose"]], was assembled.<ref name=Beaulieu>{{cite book |last=Georgano |first=N.  | author-link=G.N. Georgano |title=Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile |year=2000 |publisher=HMSO |location=London |isbn=1-57958-293-1}}</ref> Nearly all the major components were bought in.

In 1914 a coupé and van were added to the line-up, but the Bullnose chassis was too short and the 1018&nbsp;cc engine too small to make a much-needed 4-seat version of the car.  [[White and Poppe]], who made the engine, were unable to supply the volume of units that Morris required, so Morris turned to [[Continental Motors Company|Continental]] of [[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]] for the supply of a 1548&nbsp;cc engine.<ref name=Beaulieu/> [[Gearboxes]] and axles were also sourced in the US.

In spite of the outbreak of the First World War the orders were maintained and, from mid-1915 a new larger car, the 2-seat and 4-seat [[Morris Cowley]] was introduced.