24/06/2019
We like to research the type of cars we plan to offer for both our purposes and also to provide our customers with a bit of the history of their chosen vehicle. This is our summary of the Morris Minor
Morris Minor
During the early 40s Morris as with many other British engineering companies had their focus directed away from private transport but it was at this time that the planning for a new small Morris began and a talented suspension designer called Alex Issigonis was asked to draw up a new design which was practical, economical and affordable although the latter point would compromise some of the original design.
This new design was called the Mosquito and Issigonis put together a design that delivered good roadholding and maximum space for the passengers. 14” wheels reduced unsprung mass and gave better comfort and stability especially when placed as far as possible into the corners of the car. The same was true of the engine, the use of independent suspension allowed it to be moved as far forward and as low as possible which left more space for passengers and a better overall balance.
However the engine was the first of the original design compromises, Issigonis had planned for a radical water cooled flat four in two different sizes, 800cc & 110cc with the only differences being the cylinder bores. Unfortunately most of the Morris senior management weren’t open to such radical ideas and the bean counters didn’t like that fact that no parts of the proposed engine were standard Morris parts and so the all new car got the old outdated sidevalve Morris Eight engine but more was to come.
The independent rear suspension was ditched in favour of a live rear axle and the low set headlamps integral with the grille were also changed. In Issigonis mind this ruined the overall view of the car it now looked long and thin and so he had a bizarre idea to cut the prototype in half lengthways and widen the shell by 4” this was almost the work of genius, the new wider car looked much more modern, there was even more interior space and handling was even better unfortunately this change was so late in design that most of the tooling had already been produced based on the narrower car so the early cars had this extra 4 inches stuck in, early bumpers still show the cut and weld, as does the roof and the extra fillet in the bonnet stayed with the Minor all its life.
The final change was the name, Lord Nuffield disliked the Mosquito name and at the last minute insisted it was changed, Minor was a name that was already planned for the next large Morris model so this was used. The Morris Minor was launched at Earls Court in October 1947 with both a 2 door saloon and a 2 door tourer for a starting price of £358.
The first version was known as the Minor MM and was in production from 1948-53. A four door model was added in 1950 to the other two models, initial for export, but the archaic engine remained for all the first generations life which slightly reduced some of the innovative benefits of the Minor design.
In 1952 the Series II was introduced and this was a substantial redesign, engine, gearbox, prop diff and axle were all replaced with components from the Austin range with the most significant being the 803cc A-Series which gave noticeable performance improvements. Also added in 52 was the estate, always know as the Traveller , a Morris naming tradition, it came with the structural timber ash frame we have all come to love. Later in 1953 the Series 2 range was extended with commercial options the quarter ton van and pickup.
The Series II was replaced with the Minor 1000, Series III, with additional trim options more colours and once again a better engine, this time the 948cc A-Series, added even more performance along with the new gearbox with taller ratios the Minor could now do 75MPH. During the this period the Minor got more and more upgrades from the BMC range, heaters, lights etc, although some of the quality and options were reduced especially colour & trim. Despite these changes the Minor was still selling strongly and by the end of 1960 the Minor had become the first British car to sell 1,000,000 units.
The final change came in 1962, still referred to a Minor 1000, the series V (the Minor IV name was assigned to the Morris Mini Minor). Once again a bigger A-Series was the main change, now 1098cc, but there were dashboard changes, gearbox changes and even a passenger glovebox door. This was the last major upgrade as the Minor now was showing its age, the convertible ceased production in 1969, with the saloons following by the end of 1970, the Traveller and commercial van & pickup went on to 1971. In the end 1.6 million Minors were made which is why so many still remain and why they are an ideal classic.
