A number of Morris Minors were on show at the Heritage Motor Centre on the 4th January, 2011 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Minor Million. The special event was organised in conjunction with the Morris Minor Owners Club.
The one millionth Morris Minor rolled off the production line on the 4th January, 1961 and was aptly named the Morris Minor 1,000,000 – the first time any British motor manufacturer had achieved such huge sales for the same basic design.
A number of the lilac Minor Million cars and the first production Morris Minor NWL 576 were on show to mark the occasion. Ray Newell, Co-Author of A Restoration of ‘One in a Million’ attended the event and his book was launched to coincide with the Anniversary. The book charts the restoration of a Million, a much-loved British car, in a remote location in the Australian Bush and will be on sale via the Heritage Motor Centre Shop shortly.
John Bishop, Car Clubs & Groups Co-ordinator at the Heritage Motor Centre, remarked: ‘We’re delighted to have played host to the 50th Anniversary of the launch of the Limited Edition Minor Million. The Morris Minor was undoubtedly one of Britain’s most successful and iconic cars. The sight of the lilac cars brought many a smile to the faces of our visitors on a cold January day!’
Is the Editor of the Parkers website and price guide, formerly editor of Classic Car Weekly, and launch editor/creator of Modern Classics magazine. Has contributed to various motoring titles including Octane, Practical Classics, Evo, Honest John, CAR magazine, Autocar, Pistonheads, Diesel Car, Practical Performance Car, Performance French Car, Car Mechanics, Jaguar World Monthly, MG Enthusiast, Modern MINI, Practical Classics, Fifth Gear Website, Radio 4, and the the Motoring Independent...
Likes 'conditionally challenged' motors and taking them on unfeasible adventures all across Europe.
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A good article… Would it be worth having a Morris Minor page in the AR Cars section of the website?
Yes, as long as I don’t have to write it :).
I once had a lodger who had a decrepit Traveller which had been shunted and so, in addition to the usual flatulent PARP on changing gear, it squeaked. He went down the road going parp, squeak, pause, parp, squeak… the Minor had a lot of character. Some good, some bad!
I hadn’t noticed that the Morris Minor wasn’t on the site.
I had one for 3 years – complete with fungus growing on the woodwork.
@Ken Strachan
Why do all Morris Minors make that flatulent PARP when changing gear? I’ve been in other BMC cars powered by the same engine, but none display the same verbal indignity as the Morris Minor. Nobody I have asked seems to know why, but is it the exhaust?
The sound my 1960 Austin Healey Sprite makes when going downhill with no throttle is wonderful.
@Keith Adams
How about an article on the 1980s Audi Quattro?
Have read of W.O. Bentley being involved as a consultant in the development of the Morris Minor yet am a bit confused as to his role, since it has been said that he developed an (allegedly high performance) air-cooled Flat-4 that was tested in a Morris Minor though not sure how different or related it is to Issigonis’s own Flat-4 engine.
Other sources meanwhile suggest that W.O. Bentley was only involved in the pre-war Morris Minor.
The Minor was designed for a flat four engine, Issigonis was denied funding and the Minor had a prewar sidevalve engine. ps My Father had a green 1948 lowlamp during the early 1960s and I was allowed to grind in the cylinder head valves in the traditional way, a stick with a rubber sucker and a tub or two of grinding paste
Grinding valves! Remember it well! Did the head gasket on my Triumph 1300 as a teenager with a neighbour. Correct me if I am wrong but a coarse paste and a finer one? (it was 40 years ago).
All went well apart from fitting the non-return valve on the fuel line the wrong way round, that took a bit of fault-finding before realised why it wouldn’t start!
Yes , start with the coarse and finish with the fine, final touch, marked the valve seat with a pencil lines and spin the valve to check for seating and seal of the valve to seat