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 Oxford Empire models 55 mph. The chassis alone costs £245, the five-seated tourer £325. The following summer this price was dropped £20. No change was made to Morris's catalogue of the 15.9 for the October 1927 Motor Show Morris's 17.7 hp Light Six was first shown at this 1927 Show. This Oxford 15.9 was replaced by another four cylinder Oxford, Oxford 16/40. source The website of the International Alliance of Morris owners explains that this car was designed by Morris-Commercial, the part of Morris's empire that made commercial vehicles and their engines and Morris gearboxes and back axles. This 15.9 hp Morris-Commercial engine