Morris Minor 1000 Two-door Saloon

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When the new Minor first appeared in 1948, it was just part of an all-new range of Morris cars. Engineered from the ground up, the only carry-over from its predecessor, the Series E,  was its side-valve engine - the new car became an instant success.

By 1953 the Series II had arrived with an OHV 803cc engine borrwed from its cousin, the Austin A30. By 1956 the capacity had increased to 948cc, the car changing its name to the Minor 1000. From 1962 yet more power was on tap thanks to a larger 1,098cc engine (although the car was still referred to as the Minor 1000) which had a more efficient Weslake head that boosted power, torque and top speed to 77mph.

Various body options were available alongside the two-door saloon, including a convertible and an estate known as the Traveller which featured an external structural ash frame for the rear bodywork, with two side-hinged rear doors. Commercial models, marketed as the Morris Quarter Ton Van and Pick-up, were added in May 1953.

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. Much of the success is down to the original design, which was so good in its day that even 68 years on they can still perform as practical everyday transport.

With light steering, miserly fuel consumption and perfectly adequate performance for most journeys, these have to be the ultimate ‘green machines’. Like its successor the Mini, also from the pen of Issigonis, the Minor has been described as typifying ‘Englishness’ being a ‘British icon’ and a true ‘design classic’ – who are we to disagree?

This 1969 Trafalgar blue two-door was purchased by the vendor at one of our own sales in 1994 when we were better known as Russell Baldwin & Bright. Its previous local owner had bought it new and at some time fitted a full-length sunroof. The new owner gave the Morris a spruce up, fitting new carpets, a near-side front wing and new trunnion bushes as well as a Morris Minor Services unleaded head.

It then reliably covered some 12,000 miles over the next nine years before being put away in a barn in 2003. Ten years on, the car was fired up and passed to a local Morris specialist to recommission. A bill from 2014 for £950 lists a huge number of items receiving attention including a new master cylinder, brake slave cylinders, water pump and four new tyres. For some unexplained reason, he decided he needed to register the car in his name during the recommissioning, so a further two owners grace the logbook, the vendor insisting quite rightly that it was put back into her name when the car was returned.

MOTd until November 2016, this relatively late-model Morris 1000 could do with some cosmetic attention to a few areas of paintwork, after which it will no doubt offer its third proper owner many more years of loyal service.