Story by Alan Cesar
You’ve done the sports car thing. You’ve relived the glory days of your youth by restoring that two-seat roadster, and you’ve gained a lot in the process: a knack for repairing rust, a wealth of knowledge about British cars, a love for car shows and the classic car scene.
Now you want to share those events with your family–and hey, wouldn’t the grandkids love to come along? How do you get everyone to the car show?
In a Morris Minor, of course. This charming little car offers tons of space but will never be glossed over as just another MGB. It’s properly unique and an icon of British automotive history: the Royal Mail has just issued stamps commemorating great cars from the nation’s history, and a Morris Minor van is among them.
Though they were common workhorses on the other side of the pond–they’re sometimes called the English VW Beetle–Minors are rather eye-catching in the States. Their charming looks attract crowds, sometimes bigger ones than the high-end Italian machinery can muster.
There’s plenty of variety in the whole Morris Minor lineup, so take your pick: two doors, four doors, convertibles, wood-paneled wagons, or even commercial-grade vans and pickups. The convertible is the second most valuable after the wagon–dubbed the Morris Traveller. They use wood as part of the structure, so these woody wagons have an excellent beach-goer look.
Mechanically, they’ll be very familiar if you’ve had experience with other BMC products from the era. Starting in 1952, the 918cc side-valve Morris engine was replaced by a smaller, A-series engine. A 948cc variant of the A engine came later, and the car’s name became the Morris Minor 1000. Acceleration for any variant is leisurely at best, but they’ll accept all the same upgrades you’d normally bolt on Sprites and Midgets.
Owning one isn’t an exercise in frustration. Parts availability is excellent–maybe even better now than when these cars were still new. Reproduction body panels, patch pieces and interiors are all a phone call or mouse click away.
Prices are easy on the wallet, too, but always buy the nicest one you can afford. You could get rusty disasters for just a few hundred bucks, while well-kept, rust-free drivers range from $5000 to $10,000. Travellers and convertibles fetch more, of course, but it’s still not absurd: The best one in the world would be up near $30,000.
Ditch that roadster and get the fun, family-friendly car that’ll do everything. Start driving a Morris Minor.
Things to Know
For these tips, we spoke with Joe Curto, an SU carb expert and Morris Minor enthusiast, as well as Morris Minor collector Gary Booker.
Morris Minors have rust issues. Check the crossmember that the torsion bar springs attach to, the front chassis legs, and the rear spring shackles. Don’t be fooled by a sharp body topside: You could have good sheet metal and still see completely rotted chassis rails.
The commercial-grade pickup and van have full frames, so holes in their floor pans aren’t major issues. Metal repair panels are available for nearly every part of the Minor, so if you have the time, it can all be fixed. The van and pickup were rare in the U.S., though.
If you opt for a Traveller, be aware that all the stylish wood is not just tacked on. It’s structural. And like anything made of wood, it’s subject to rot. It’s built like a boat. New wood kits are available, so it can all be serviced, though at a price. Woodwork isn’t cheap.
These use the same brakes as the Sprite, but the Minor is 500 pounds heavier and has much more cargo capacity. A single stop from 50 mph is enough to fade them badly. Upgrading to front discs from a later Sprite is an absolute must for any Minor–even more so if you upgrade or swap the engine.
The anemic power of the original engine severely limits highway driving, but with a bigger motor and a different axle ratio, it’ll cruise comfortably at 70 mph. An A-series 1048cc or 1275cc engine will bolt right in. In the ’80s, some owners were installing Datsun 1200 and 1300 engines.
Its A-series engine is dead simple and available everywhere. You probably have a friend with a spare block stored under the porch. Upgrades are readily available and can take you as far as you want to go: hot cams, high-compression pistons, new aluminum heads–even a supercharger.
If you need interior materials, look to Newton Commercial. They’re an English company that can remake everything to the exact original specifications. They’ll even update or backdate your materials and stitching if you prefer a style from a certain year. It’s all very well made.
The Minor was the first British car model to hit a million dollars in sales. To celebrate this, BMC badged 350 examples in 1960 as the Morris Minor 1,000,000 instead of 1000.
The Morris Minor came with narrow, 14-inch wheels, but that limits available tire sizes. If you’d like more choices and more modern rubber, install 13-inchers from a Sprite.
Comments
Couple of mistakes: (1) Starting in 1962, the 1098cc (48hp) motor was used. (2) BMC sold over a million "cars", not dollars. Otherwise a good article.
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