Brilliantly served by clubs and specialists, instantly recognisable, plentiful in number and still affordable, the Morris Minor has long been a definitive classic car. And its launch at the 1948 Earl’s Court Motor Show was just as significant for its maker, the company finally having an exciting new family saloon with which to boost its early post-war sales. It was Morris’ way of shaking off its outmoded prewar image, gained via hastily reintroduced models like the Eight Series E, while at the same time offering Britain’s crucial export markets something genuinely fresh in terms of design.
From the earliest sidevalve-engined Series MM of 1948, through the 803cc A-Series updates and on to the eventual 1000 models, the humble Morris Minor was developed steadily throughout its career. Aside from the bestselling two- and four-door saloon versions, we were offered convertible (Tourer), estate (Traveller), van and pick-up models over the years, ensuring there was a Minor derivative to suit most buyers’ needs. And it was this versatility that helped it to enjoy an extremely long run, with the saloon bowing out in 1970 and the Traveller the following year.
EARLY DEVELOPMENT
The beginnings of the Morris Minor can be traced back to 1942, in the midst of the Second World War, with the first prototype appearing in the experimental workshops at
