The Lighthouse in Oxford the railway station at Frideswide Square gradually eroded away much of the canal trade. In 1913 William Morris (later Lord Nuffield), without licence, started his own bus service to compete with the city's cumbersome tram network. In 1951, Lord Nuffield further forced change when he acquired the Oxford Canal Basin and proceeded to fill it. Nuffield College and Worcester Street car park now stand where once lay the Basin. This was the death knell of the canal system as a competitive mode of transport in Oxford as technology replaced human labour. An apt example can be found in the reconstruction
Morris Cowley 1.5 L (1489 cc) engine and the exterior styling amended in line with the Morris Oxford Series III. The Morris ½-ton series III was a commercial vehicle variant of the Morris Oxford series III. It was introduced in 1956, replacing the Morris Cowley MCV and was offered in van, pick-up and chassis-cab body styles. The series III was replaced by a Morris version of the Austin A55 van in 1962. The commercials never had the series III bonnet and headlamp cowels. Again the Cowley name never appeared on the vehicles and it is very likely that no more left the