Just like MG and Rover, Morris is back thanks to Chinese money. Morris Commercial, based in the U.K. but funded by a Chinese startup, wants to bring back the Morris J-Type commercial van as an electric vehicle. The original was produced from 1948 till 1961, before Morris took a deeper dive into passenger cars.

"Long referred to as the ultimate, classic and iconic van from the 1950s, the Morris J-type is making a triumphant comeback as the Morris JE," the company says. "The new fully electric Morris JE will utilize advanced battery technology with a lightweight platform. Combining classically inspired design with the heritage of the original J-type, the new JE will be built using beautiful British craftsmanship."

We last remember Morris as one of myriad brands owned by British Leyland, which in its last decades of operation tended to sell badge-engineered machines under the Riley, Wolseley, Austin, MG and Vanden Plas badges. (We're probably forgetting a couple of brands here). Morris, for, example, even kicked off production of the Mini, offered as the Morris Mini-Minor in 1959, along with its Austin Mini twin. That's right: The very first Minis were Morrises and Austins.

Morris faded from the British Leyland lineup in the early 1980s, but not because British Leyland was having trouble keeping track of which of its brands were producing which cars and wanted to simplify things. The marque took some damage with the sales of the Morris Marina throughout the 1970s, a car that was not held in high regard in the U.K. Morris bowed out of passenger car production after the Morris Ital, which was an update to the Marina, departed the British Leyland range in 1984.

Now, as an aspiring EV automaker, Morris says its new van will be based on a lightweight, modular chassis that is intended to be compatible with other models, and it will use lithium-ion batteries. The body, meanwhile, will be made out of carbon fiber, according to the company, which sounds kind of expensive for something intended to be mass-produced as a delivery vehicle. The JE van will be powered by lithium-ion batteries, but the company did not specify their capacity or the expected range.

The new company appears to be placing a large stake on the Morris Commercial brand, and the memory of the original J-Type van, which was exported to 22 countries. Octogenarians in the U.K. will certainly remember the J-Type van, but the new automaker will have to win over customers who will be hearing the Morris name for the first time.

"The original Morris J-type has long been referred to as the ultimate, iconic British van," the company said. "First introduced in 1948 at Earls Court, London, the J-Type was the archetypal ‘big’ little van, featuring charming styling with a groundbreaking load capacity-to-footprint ratio – an achievement that remains unsurpassed by any light commercial vehicle. Aside from its practicality and reliability, the J-type was extensively used for promotional and advertising purposes thanks to its distinctive and appealing styling."

The automaker hasn't mentioned where it intends to build and sell the JE van, but China is a good bet, especially when it comes to electric delivery vans. If all goes according to plan, Morris Commercial will join old British Leyland siblings MG and Roewe in China, along with Borgward, which was the most recent European marque to be awoken from a block of carbonite after decades of sleep and put to work making SUVs after suffering some hibernation sickness.

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