Morris Minor 1000 Two-door Saloon

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The new post-war range of Morris cars was announced in 1948 and included models from the Minor MM to the six-cylinder MO.

The star however, was undoubtedly the Minor, a radical replacement for the pre-war series 'E'. Apart from the side-valve engine, everything else was new and the Issigonis-designed Minor MM became an instant success.

In 1953 the Series II came along with an OHV 803cc engine borrowed from its cousin the Austin A30. Further improvements followed in 1962 with the introduction of the 1000 which included an increase in capacity to 1098cc and a better breathing Weslake head, boosting power, torque and top speed to 77mph. During its remarkable 23 year production run, 1.3 million were produced and thanks to the fantastic supply of available parts, thousands have survived making them a common sight on the roads of Britain after all this time.

This lovely Peat Brown two-door saloon has had just two owners in its 47 years to date, being bought new in September 1968 by a headmistress in Cardiff, Ms Alexander, who liked to buy a new Moggie every few years. When BMC stopped making Minors in 1970 she hung on to this one for the next 25 years.

In 1993 ownership transferred to another lady who used it privately until 2006 at which point she and her husband moved to Aberystwyth to run a small hotel and restaurant. The Morris was then put into the name of the business and was parked out front during the day as an attraction.

Mechanically the car is said to be very good, having had the original engine reconditioned a few years ago, and the gearbox is said to be “simply lovely” while “the brakes work well with a good firm pedal”. The bodywork was restored and resprayed 7 years ago but there is some rust bubbling below the rear screen that will need attention in the future.

The car is showing 101,880 miles (having just gone round the clock) and comes with a good history file, including many old MOTs back to the early 90s, and even retains the original purchase invoice for £688. MOTd until June, it is ready for a third owner to enjoy right away.