The Morris Minor (Morrie) was an instant hit from the first day it was shown to the British public in 1948 at the London Motor Show.

Designed in the mid-1940s by Alec Issigonis, the Morris Minor boasted a contemporary unit constructed body, torsion bar front suspension, rack and pinion steering and a low centre of gravity achieved by using small 133mm size tires on 14-inch wheels. This innovative design was, at that time, state of the art for small car development and years ahead of the pre-war engineering that could be found under most of the European economy cars of the time.

Along with the four-seat convertible and saloon variants, an estate version was also introduced — known as the Traveller (a Morris naming tradition for estates, also seen on the Mini) — along with van and pick-up versions. Rear bodies of the van versions were all steel.

In 1962 the Morris Minor 1000 was upgraded with the more powerful 1098cc engine to provide better performance and more relaxed cruising. The final improvements were made in 1964 and were confined to a two-spoke steering wheel, revised seats and switchgear and the replacement of the ‘pull-start’ button with a combined starter/ ignition switch.

As an everyday car, the Morris Minor makes sense. Unlike most classic cars, you can keep these little vehicles running almost indefinitely due to the fact that every part you will ever need is inexpensive and readily accessible through numerous parts suppliers worldwide, which is probably why Minors are still so popular today.

Morris Minors and 1000s are amongst the most popular, family-sized classic cars around today and continues to rapidly gain popularity. The continuing affection for the ‘Moggie’ as it is warmly referred to in Britain, or ‘Morrie’ as it is often known in Australia and New Zealand, is reflected in the number of restored and improved Morris Minors currently on the road today, including our very own featured 1962 convertible, affectionately known as Monique.

Jeff’s Girls

Jeff Attwood’s passion for Morris Minors began back in the late 1950s when, at the tender age of just 16, he began an electrical apprenticeship. In order to commute to and from his new job, Jeff required reliable transport and thought a Morris Minor would make an ideal first car.

Didn’t we all? I remember my first Morrie, acquired when I was still going to college. I went on to own two more before moving up to something a bit bigger, and more powerful. All this reminiscing is making me feel old, so I’ll continue with Jeff’s wonderful story.

He eventually found his first Morris Minor in Mission Bay. It was a grey two-door 1950 low-light which he ended up keeping for six years. Jeff has fond memories of his first car because when he was out one Saturday night in his Morrie, he spied Doreen across the crowded dance floor and after many outings in the Morrie she became his wife.

After six faithful years the Morris was sold to make way for a van Jeff needed to start his own business. It was a sad occasion to see his faithful old Morrie go, as it would be many years before another one would find its way into the Attwood garage. In fact it wasn’t until Jeff and Doreen’s daughter came home from school one day exclaiming that she’d just spotted the perfect car for her to learn to drive at Archibald & Shorter’s in Greenlane.

Greenlane beckoned, and there in the window, taking pride of place alongside several impeccably presented Jaguars, was a green 1962 four-door Morris Minor. Jeff and his daughter immediately fell in love with the little Morrie, which fulfilled everyone’s wishes, and a Morrie was back in Jeff’s garage once again.

They named the little green car Monika, and Jeff joined the Auckland Morris Minor Enthusiasts Car Club, which has since amalgamated with the Auckland Morris Minor Car Club.

Monika served Jeff and Doreen well for many years of club outings and National Morris Minor Conventions. However Jeff felt Monika needed some company after the fifth Morris Minor Convention, held at Southwards Museum and hosted by the Wellington club. Jeff was in awe of the late Jim Carrick’s magnificently restored split-windscreen convertible, and became so besotted that he had to have a convertible of his own.

Upon their return to Auckland the hunt was on, as they scoured the papers for a Morrie convertible to park beside Monika. One Saturday morning in April 1995 Jeff found what he’d been searching for in the NZ Herald classifieds, a white 1962 Morris Minor convertible. Off he went to inspect the car, returning to announce that he’d found Monika a sister, which would arrive the following week.

Convertible Problems

Unfortunately Monique, the new convertible and sister to Monika, hadn’t stood the test of time too well, as her earlier years in Bermuda meant that rust had taken its unrelenting toll.

Monique was registered in Auckland on December 21, 1970, after her trip from Bermuda. Although there are no records to show when she actually arrived there, but Jeff suspects she was probably exported to Bermuda direct from England following dispatch from Nuffield Exports Limited. The car was manufactured on November 1, 1961, at the Morris factory in Cowley, England, and was dispatched for delivery on November 2, 1961, destined for export.

After no less than seven New Zealand owners and a failed warrant of fitness due to excessive rust, Jeff and Doreen decided to embark on a full restoration to bring Monique up to Monika’s fine standard.

Monique was completely stripped and the body shell acid dipped. The full extent of the rust was clearly evident after this process, which meant that many body panels including the complete floor, front and rear guards, bonnet, doors and the front and rear valance and chassis rails had to be replaced. Autobodies of New Lynn carried out this task with meticulous care and attention before applying the Old English White paint scheme, the car’s original colour. Jeff spent many hours at Autobodies helping out wherever he could, and is extremely grateful to the team there for allowing him the opportunity. Jeff reckons he learned so much watching the experts applying their magical skills on his Morrie.

Once she was painted, the red leather upholstery — again exactly as it was originally — was stitched together and installed along with the vinyl convertible top by John Bonner of Blockhouse Bay.

The engine that was in the car when Jeff purchased it was from a Morris Marina. Jeff decided he wanted Monique completely original, so he found the correct 948cc engine for her model. It was completely stripped and rebuilt to original specifications, and the standard four-speed gearbox has since been totally rebuilt.

Jeff re-assembled the entire car, piece-by-piece, box-by-box from assorted parts, each meticulously restored to perfect condition and/ or replaced with new items wherever necessary.

Celebrity Status

The restoration took six years to complete, and was finally finished in 2001. Although I have to say you’d swear this car was completed yesterday, the detailing and level of perfection is astounding.

For 10 years now, Jeff and Doreen have taken Monique the length and breadth of New Zealand, including Gisborne, Christchurch, Invercargill, Masterton, Nelson, Dunedin and New Plymouth on more than one occasion, attending many New Zealand Morris Minor Car Club conventions.

Monique has taken her fair share of beauty awards along the way, collecting several Best in Shows and Best Standard Restoration titles. She has also mixed it with New Zealand’s best, with an impressive second place in the Masters’ Class at the Ellerslie Intermarque Concours in 2002, as well as first place in the Meguiar’s Show and Shine at the same event the following year.

Monique has also become something of a celebrity as well, appearing in a Pumpkin Patch Summer Collection catalogue and making an appearance in a British television advertisement for Muller Light Yoghurt, which I believe is currently running in the UK.

One of the amazing things about Morries is that they seem to evoke so many memories for Kiwis, and become the centre of attention virtually wherever they go. Even on our photo-shoot people just had to stop and watch, some wanting to reminisce about their experiences with friends and family who owned Morries at some stage in their lives.

Monique has taken Jeff and Doreen on numerous happy adventures around New Zealand, meeting new people and making new friends along the way, and after 45 years the pair are still side-by-side in their Morrie Minor.

That, my friends, is what this wonderful hobby is all about.

1962 Morris Minor 1000 Tourer – Specifications

Engine    Morris in-line 4 cylinder
Capacity    948cc
Max power    27.6kW at 4,800rpm
Max torque    76Nm at 2500 rpm
Compression    8.3:1
Bore/ stroke    62.93×76.2 mm
Fuel system    SU carburetor
Transmission    Four-speed manual
Suspension    Front independent torsion bar, rear semi-elliptic leaf springs
Steering    Rack and pinion
Brakes    Front/ rear drum

Dimensions:
O/all length    3817mm
Width    1524mm
Height    1524mm
Wheelbase    2194mm
Kerb weight    939kg

Performance:
0-100kph    25.9 seconds
Standing ¼ mile    23.4 seconds
Max speed    121kph

This article is from Classic Car issue 238. Click here to check it out.

Tim gets all fired up and attends a ‘Minor’ call-out to experience a special little 1964 Morris Minor 1000 fire appliance

Here at NZ Classic Car I’ve covered a few old fire appliances over the last decade, ranging from a big Ahrens-Fox in an Australian museum to a working Land Rover fire engine in Haast, but I certainly wasn’t prepared to experience one so tiny as a Morrie Thou! What’s more, our featured fire appliance does actually get used by the Fire Brigade, albeit in an educational role.

I had spotted Terry Griffiths driving this Minor appliance during a Christmas parade a couple of years back, and have been quietly on his trail ever since. Recently, I caught up with the retired volunteer fireman at his home, not far from the little Oakura Fire Station, where we ‘shot’ the photos for this Minor story, before ‘burning’ them to disc!

Fire Desire

Terry Griffiths is a semi-retired oil industry consultant who has also been a volunteer fireman in Taranaki since late 1974, until recent retirement from that role. Born and bred in New Plymouth, Terry attended Vogeltown Primary School there, long before attending fires, but was always destined to end up behind the wheel of a big red machine. Over the years Terry has served on a range of now classic fire engines, built by Bedford, Commer-Karrier, Mitsubishi, Scania and even an open-cab ERF. Having used such big fire appliances in his past, I had wondered why Terry chose a comparatively diminutive 1964 Morris Minor 1000 on which to base his own wee version of a fire truck.

Lawson Hunter Motors

“I did my time on them”, Terry said. “Long before I was involved in the burgeoning Taranaki oil fields I was a mechanic, and I started out ‘doing my time’, as we used to say, at Lawson Hunter Motors and they were the BMC agent. I used to work on Morris vehicles all the time, along with Wolseleys, Rileys, and all that sort of thing. So, when it came time to build my own small fire engine for Fire Brigade promotion and fire safety education, I decided on a Morris Minor because I knew it would be so familiar to me to work on. The Morris Minor always takes me back to the days when things were simple and practical to work on.”

Once he had decided on a Morris Minor 1000, Terry kept his ears to the ground to see what would come up, preferably not too far from home. His ears must have been ‘burning’ because eventually a friend told him that he had heard of a Morris Minor ute sitting around in New Plymouth.

Terry investigated the old Morris and happily found that it wasn’t a flamin’ wreck, but fit for a minor transformation, and parked up with firewood loaded on the back. It had originally been a Morris Minor van, but later was professionally rebuilt as a well-side utility. Terry found to his pleasure that the old Morris ran well and even today, a few years since the fire engine make-over, Terry still hasn’t had to rebuild the engine. However, he did tell me that an engine overhaul is expected to occur someday and that he is more than prepared to do this, based on his early life experience with the aforementioned BMC products.

When Terry had decided upon the layout of his proposed Morris Minor fire appliance, he sent it to Wayne Gray Panel & Paint in the Waiwakaiho valley, and it was stripped, the doors and bonnet coming right off for close attention.

Educational Fire Safety Prop

Wayne Gray ordered the correct fire engine red paint for the little machine, managing to procure it at cost as the Morris was destined for use as an educational fire safety prop. The local Oakura Fire Brigade also donated $300 towards the project, for the same reason.

“I’ve been known as a bit of a bludger,” Terry said, “but when it came to the Morris Minor, everyone involved knew what it was for and how it could be useful, especially in schools, and so help was never far away. The ladder on the back came from a decommissioned fire appliance in Wellington that had been recently pensioned off. I also managed to get a completely new siren, with three different emergency tones.

“Apart from donations and the thorough work by Wayne Gray, I had good help from the late Trevor Kemsley and also from Jim Priest. Trevor was a whizz with the electrical work, wiring up all of the various things, such as the fire service light on the roof which plugs into a cigarette lighter type of connection, down behind the seats.”

I asked Terry how he had acquired that old 1958 brass fire extinguisher on the rear. “That’s from Australia!” he answered, “when I was working in the oil industry over there I was a member of a bowling club, and one day while we were having a working bee, and they were using my Toyota ute to cart stuff away, while cleaning out the shed — well, amongst what was being thrown out to go to the dump were two brass hand-held extinguishers so home they came! One’s down stairs all polished up and this one, now slightly tarnished again, is of course on the back of the Morris. As for the back end, where the extinguisher is mounted, that piece was all fabricated by Meco Engineering in New Plymouth, after I removed the old tailgate. The hoses on top fool a few people too, but they aren’t even fire hoses. They were once suction hoses from off the Maui oil rig platform that used to sit off the coast of Taranaki.”

Squirting the Disrespectful

Trevor also informed me that the helmets attached to the side of the Morris are old out-of-date fire service helmets that were, once again, donated. Despite appearances, the only water that this little fire appliance pumps out is through a little window washer nozzle, mounted on the side of the Morris, just behind the driver’s door.

“That’s in case I’m in a parade and someone is a bit cheeky or disrespectful, and so I give them a squirt from the nozzle as I pass by — or I might do it for fun on a hot day.” That would hose them off, I thought.

It was indeed a hot day when I met Terry, and went for a ‘burn’ in his bright red Morrie Thou. In fact, we were basically ‘trickling’ along, enjoying the simple pleasure that all Morris Minor owners seem to tell me about, where life moves at a quiet pace, without high pressure. The BMC A-series engine, long renowned for its longevity and trustworthiness, was easily up to the mark as Terry tootled through Oakura with your scribe on board, finding no cause at all to make any incendiary remarks about the little Morris and its performance.

The 48bhp (36kW) available is adequate for the little Morris to perform its duties admirably, with the 1098cc engine, with its single SU carburettor able to rev fully right up to 5100rpm if required.

It is more than well documented that Sir Alec Issigonis designed the Morris Minor 1000, originally as the side-valve 918.6cc low-light MM model released for sale way back in 1948.

One wonders what he would think of his original peoples’ car being turned into an educational safety device, in the guise of a miniature fire engine. He’d agree it’s a good idea, I would think!

Terry’s Morrie Fire Lorry is well received by youngsters at schools and along with adults at various civic parades around Taranaki. New Zealand still has a horrendous record of both children and adults meeting their deaths because of a lack of attention to basic fire safety, or failing to fit fire alarms. If Terry Griffiths and his humble but charming Morris Minor can make a difference and raise our level of fire safety awareness, then this classic vehicle is earning its keep effectively.

“Look out Bay Of Plenty,” advised Terry, in his parting words — “as soon as we sell our house here in Oakura, we’re off to live in the ‘Bay’ and I intend to have the Morris out on the job over there! I’m also going to build it an MG — a Morris Garage!”

Terry is all aflame for his shift to the other side of the North Island, where our BOP readers and their young progeny can enjoy the fun of a ‘Minor call-out’ at parades and carnivals.

Thank you Terry and helpers, for literally adding humour and colour to the serious issue of fire safety.

Words & Photos: Tim Chadwick

This article is from Classic Car issue 220. Click here to check it out.

The Morris 8 was the most successful of all the pre-war Morris cars, and the one which helped lift Morris Motors out of the depression years

In fact by July 1935, only nine months after its introduction over 50,000 Morris 8s of all body types had been sold. This success continued regardless of competition from other small car manufacturers, including the Ford 8hp saloon, which was reduced a whopping £10 at the Ford Motor Show in October 1935, with Ford boasting that it manufactured the only £100 saloon car in Great Britain. It carefully included the word ‘saloon’ in this statement, remembering that a Morris Minor two-seater had been available for the same price during 1931-’33, and Austin’s £100 two-seater, the Austin Seven Opal, was already on the market.

Morris produced a range of models during the 1930s, from the Minor (later the including roadsters, tourers, coupes and saloons — with and without sliding roofs and two or four-doors — sports cars, and a myriad of specials.

A completely new 918.6cc side-valve engine, type UB with a three-bearing crankshaft, had been designed for the Morris 8 and a proprietary Borg & Beck single dry-plate clutch was introduced for the first time. Subsequently there were other body builders, such as Australian manufacturers who constructed their own bodies on Morris running chassis.

The chassis frame design of the 8 was unconventional for Morris in that the side members were reversed, exposing the open portion outwards to the elements. Unfortunately, this was to prove a water trap and make the car prone to rusting, especially around the wheel arches. Despite this, the Morris 8 has survived in quite large numbers, with many fine examples of most models, possibly more than any other make/model, still being enjoyed by enthusiasts and classic car buffs around the world today.

During the 1930s all Morris cars were coach built, which meant that a wooden framed body with metal panels was attached and mounted on a separate chassis. ¨From its early inception, the designers of the Morris 8 took ergonomic factors into account using an adjustable skeleton body, which allowed them to experiment with seating positions and steering rake for average-size people. This approach of building a chassis to suit the body, rather than the reverse, eventually paid off for Morris.

The first unitary-constructed Morris was the 1938 Morris 10 Series M, which was constructed in a series of pressed steel panels, systematically welded together to form an integral one piece chassis and body combination not unlike contemporary cars. The Morris 8, which was introduced in 1935, updated in 1936 (series 1), 1937 (Series 2) and 1938 (series E) proved to be the most popular car prewar, which was probably due to the fact that it was fitted with superior Lockheed hydraulic brakes and other advanced features the competitors at the time failed to introduce until after the war.

Acquisition

Morris Motors gradually acquired Wolseley, Riley, MG and SU Carburettors.

By 1937 William Morris had become increasingly concerned about Germany and the potential for war, as were most other leaders, but he was continually fobbed off by inept bureaucracy. Acting on gut feeling, he did however choose to design and build a useful military tank, which was to prove a valuable asset during the war for Britain. He also took charge of a number of factories producing aircraft, tanks, guns, munitions, repairing aircraft, making aircraft engines, special vehicles and iron lungs.

There was even a Morris factory which designed its own style of ambulance body to fit the Morris chassis, resulting in large quantities of second-hand cars being purchased and their bodies replaced with the modified Morris ambulance body, thus reducing the acute shortage of ambulances and at the same time conserving resources.

Post War

It wasn’t until after the war — by which time William Morris was Viscount Nuffield — that he commenced production of the 8 Series E and 10 series M. Wolseley also produced very similar models to the Morris line-up, whilst MG and Riley produced their own unique car designs. In 1948 a strategic move to set up a factory in Sydney, Australia was initiated, to at first assemble vehicles and later manufacture cars, as Morris believed the small car market was a lucrative and viable area to start after the war. This is not to say that Australian coachbuilders had the monopoly of special bodies on the Morris 8 chassis. For example, in the UK, Stewart & Ardern offered a four-seater drophead coupe. This Cunard-bodied car was constructed using aluminium panels over an ash frame, with an extended rear portion forming the luggage space and recessed to carry the spare wheel. In addition, the Jensen Brothers produced a tourer, three of which are known to survive today, as well as one Danish-built variation. A roadster cabriolet with bodywork looking like an American creation, although stopping short of a dickey seat owing to length limitations, was built by Randers Karosserifabrik in Denmark.

Eventually, following much debate and numerous disputes, the Morris Minor was produced in 1948 and has been one of the most highly regarded success stories ever, with thousands of Morris Minors still in every-day use around the world, not to mention the cult following it receives from enthusiasts and restorers involved today.

Not content with just car manufacturing, Morris also introduced the Nuffield Tractor in 1948 together with a full range of light Morris Commercial vehicles, including the J Van and LC Truck. Inevitably, Morris and Austin merged in 1952 and became British Motor Corporation, or just BMC, and the Morris name continued to appear on several models including the legendary Morris Mini Minor, Morris Oxford and Marina.

Additional takeovers since then have resulted in the current situation where there are no British-owned mass producers of cars in Britain.

Classic Choice

Maria Gracie hasn’t always been interested in classic cars, that is until a few years ago when she happened to stumble across this little gem, a 1936 Morris 8 Series 1. Actually, it all started when she had to look after her son’s 1964 EH Holden for a while, which was the catalyst for her burgeoning passion for classic cars.

Maria originally decided that she would like something similar, or perhaps an early Zephyr or Zodiac, but changed her mind and started to look for something a bit older, with running boards and suicide doors. At this point Maria made the wise decision of joining the local Waikato Vintage Car Club to seek advice on a suitable classic that not only fitted her budget, but was reliable, easy to get parts for and physically manageable for her to drive, as she would be the principal driver.

The three cars that the club recommended she consider were an Austin 7, Morris 8 or a Citroën Light 15 — so Maria set out in search of her classic with the help of a few club members. After looking at a couple of Morris 8s and Austin 10s, Maria also attended the Te Puke Car Museum auction just in case there was something there that caught her eye, and was unfortunately out-bid on a very nice Austin Ruby.

Grace and Style

Whilst browsing the internet, Maria just happened to spot a “wonderful little car” in dark blue (with a purple tinge I’m told) and black — a Morris 8 being sold on behalf not too far away in Drury. That was it, Maria was off to look at the car with a member of the NZVCC to check out the mechanicals should Maria decide to proceed any further.

As it turned out the car was perfect — which was fortuitous, because as soon as Maria saw it she knew instantly it was the right car for her. “Cute” was the word she used.
After leaving a holding deposit, Maria made arrangements to pick up her new pride and joy the following weekend, and on doing so met the 91-year-old owner, who had owned the car for over 10 years and had come to see his much loved Morris 8 go off to its new home.

Maria doesn’t know much about the car’s history, other than the fact that it has been fully restored at some stage, probably prior to the elderly gentleman’s ownership, and has more than likely had a repaint since restoration.

That was all about three years ago, and Maria has enjoyed every moment of driving her Morris 8. She has travelled to Levin and attends regular outings with the Waikato Vintage Car Club, which has helped out tremendously along the way.

1936 Morris 8 – Specifications

Engine Four-cylinder, side-valve
Capacity 918cc
Bore/stroke 57 x 90mm
Max power 5.96kW (8bhp)
Compression 5.8:1
Fuel system SU carburettor
Transmission Three-speed manual
Steering Bishop cam
Brakes Drum/drum
Suspension F/R Half elliptic springs
Dimensions:
O/all length 3581mm
Width 1384mm
Height 1549mm
Wheelbase 2286mm

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

Penn meets a sweet little lamb in a wolf’s costume

Ray Murphy is an architect — a creative trade — and it shows with this re-bodied early ’30s Morris 10/4. Now you’ll remember that MG stands for Morris Garages, a brand that ranks as one of the most admired and desired marques, and usually rated as collectibles. MG’s a brand that relies very much on its physical looks rather than its pulsating power. It made the definitive classic British sports car, especially if you were reared on PG Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster and his chums.

A great advantage of our early motor cars was that you could not only buy them ready to drive away, but you could also buy them in chassis form and have a body built to any style your pocket could run to.

Our subject car was originally a very staid four-door sedan, typical of the conservative and often very under-performing products of Great Britain at a time when it was usually hard to justify the honorific ‘Great’ as part of the whole title.

Ray had had MGs over the years — Midgets — as well as a Triumph Stag and a Sunbeam Alpine, but had always been consistently into Model As. However, having just sold the 1930 Town Sedan he’d owned for the last 30 years he didn’t want to restore another model A. I think that he was probably grieving.

A Major Project

He ran across this Morris at Ray Singleton’s Te Puke Motor Museum. He was looking for a new interest to get immersed in, as blokes do. That was over five years ago, and he thought maybe an Austin 7 Special would hold his attention. His first car had been a 1936 Ruby and he had a hankering for something similar, hence his visit to Ray Singleton.

He’d also spoken to Ryan MacDonald — who is the local Austin 7 expert — at Mac’s Garage, but he didn’t know of any currently available. Ray Murphy’s kids live in Tauranga, so on one of his visits there he went to Ray Singleton looking for any old Austin 7 bits. The nearest that Ray had was this Morris. It was sitting in the grass out the back, clearly a major project although all that was missing was the radiator cap.

We owe Ray Singleton a debt of gratitude, because he must have saved a hell of a lot of cars over the years! This one cost the new owner the huge sum of $100, so vendor Ray was hardly in it for the money, but it was a special price because they shared the same first name?

I first saw this creation in Supertrim in Glenfield, where it had sorted out a couple of issues with the recently added soft-top. For me it was love at first sight similar to the initial impact on me of both my wives — not to mention several other contenders who did not get the nod to proceed on to wifedom status. Such a powerful effect was partly because the design is classically sporting British, and because Ray has created a very evocative ‘special’.

He based his design on the photograph of a Midget replica somebody built on a Morris Minor chassis and featured in the book — The MG Collection. Personally, I’m impressed with the creative vision that could look past that very sad four-door Morris sedan and see the potential.

Ray comments that he’s always been handy with wood — hopeless with metal he says — and so could design and build this boat-tailed body in bendy plywood on a simple yet strong wooden frame and covered with vinyl. Any of the professionals I know would be proud to say it was their work.

Custom Designed

He believes there are maybe half-a-dozen similar cars in the country, including one unrestored example in Howick, another in Thames and a couple in Gore.

After he gave up his hundred bucks he set about building up a stock of parts — they weren’t easy to find, especially for the motor; there are very few around and nobody has any stockpiles of bits as a consequence. The bloke in Howick with the unrestored car gave Ray some wheels. The wire wheels currently fitted were pretty well knackered, and couldn’t really be fixed unless you were desperate, so it was decided to go for these 19-inch wheels, which also needed restoration. I won’t tell you what each wheel ended up owing, but it was the kind of bottom line that made ‘desperate’ look acceptable.

But the good news, I think, is that going up in size enhances the style, and of course they’re totally true to the period and, better still, each of the four of them comes complete with a hydraulic brake factory-fitted.

The body was next on his agenda. When first designed and built it had aero screens. However, on his travels Ray came across a full-sized Morris windscreen, foldable forwards and attachable to a soft-top, and so was able to build the console to fit the screen and ponder on a top design.

The custom designed soft-top frame was designed and made by Ted and Steve Irwin at Taupaki, who also made the front guards more in keeping with the concept. They also repaired the bonnet and the original rear guards.

The original Morris 10 components are all incorporated, and that chassis and suspension is the foundation for everything. Of course the radiator and shell are fundamentals, contributing to the identity of this distinctly period ‘sporty Morris’.

Like the Model A, this Morris has the accelerator between the brake and the clutch — which is a bit of a driving challenge in its own right. A look under the bonnet shows a small cast iron block with what looks like an ohv tappet cover, but in fact it’s an air cleaner. The motor is the stock side valve — fully overhauled by Dion Coleman, and in fact not even run in yet, showing only around 90 miles (145km) since re-installed a couple of years ago.

The four-speed gearbox is controlled by a cork clutch in an oil bath, called a ‘wet clutch.’ Ray had some trouble getting the cork clutch working and had to pull it down about three or four times before he discovered the secret. Basically it’s two rings — running in oil — with holes into which you insert wine corks trimmed back.

One of Ray’s nice touches is the aluminium dashboard, another example of the ingenious approach of this architect. All the turning was done by hand using a four-inch nail with a cork on the end, a cork with a ring holding emery paper over a 10-cent coin. All of this inserted into a brace and bit so that you could carry out six turns to the right and three turns to the left (that clears the emery paper) in a jig that gave assurance of consistency. It looks so much like the genuine thing that I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d reinvented the original technique.

The dashboard is perfect and so deserves a full array of period gauges — it’s festooned with temperature, oil and oil pressure, fuel, speedometer, tachometer and an original wind-up clock. It shows what can be produced by a creative man who is not going to let himself be limited by conventional restoration. This isn’t a restoration, it’s a creation.

Registration time was interesting because the car had long since fallen off the register. Ray had to prove that the numbers — engine, chassis and body — matched the year; whereas with Model As he’d only ever had to produce the engine number because that’s all that there was! The Morris Register was hugely helpful, having all the information in an authoritative form, and once he had that info there was no problem.

On The Road

It’s an astonishingly good little car. The two occupants are shoe-horned into the snug little cockpit, each with a form-fitting bucket seat (the original seats by the by), confronting an array of instruments that heightens the sensation of being in a vintage aircraft cockpit and looking through the aero-screens and the main screen, if you’ve left it upright.

The little motor runs very sweetly, pulls strongly and cackles robustly for all the world like a seriously sporting performer in some ’30s event. With the top down you get all the sensations you expect. I noticed that Ray had the expression of a man enjoying some secret little pleasure, and I couldn’t help but think that not only was he enjoying the drive, but it was considerably enhanced by the satisfaction of personal creativity. I was looking at somebody who had made a very desirable little sports car out of what had been discarded many years ago.

In practical terms it handles, brakes and rides exactly as you would think, and a lot better than you might have expected of beam axles and half elliptic springs restrained by early friction shocks. All in all it goes like a bought one.

My only complaint is all too common for me these days, the problem of climbing in and out, which does need a supple set of bends in a man — ah well!

Words and Photos: Penn McKay

Ashley talks to a classic car enthusiast who could be driving a Porsche Carrera or a Range Rover but, instead, uses a Morris Minor as her daily driver

Although Karen Bell obtained her driver’s licence as soon as she was able, like most young girls she was never all that interested in cars. They were just a method of getting from A to B — although, of course, they also represented freedom. Her first car was an early Toyota Corolla coupe followed by a trusty VW Beetle, and then a Sigma station wagon. The Sigma was a top-of-the-line GL with all the bells and whistles, but it was the car’s practicalities that came first. She could fit her artist’s easel and large Doberman, Jessie, in the back easily.

However, once she became involved with her husband-to-be, Bob, she was introduced to the world of classic cars. Although she admits that after one swap meet — during which she spent most of the time sketching — and one trip to the Adelaide F1 GP, she’d had more than enough of the classic car and motoring scene.

Since settling in Kaikoura with Bob, Karen has established herself as an accomplished artist, displaying much of her work in the couple’s own gallery, Homewood Hill Art Gallery, which is located on their property. Upstairs in the studio, Karen devotes much of her time teaching art to local school students and adults, and creating her own paintings for display and sale.

Choosing a Traveller

It didn’t take long for Karen to dislike driving either of their Range Rovers, as she felt that the instrumentation was too complex and the off-roader was far too big for her to manage. Bob’s Porsche Carrera wasn’t an option either, as she felt too

conspicuous driving the iconic sports car around Kaikoura.

As she had left her much loved Sigma back in Australia, the solution was for her to have her very own car, rather than drive one of Bob’s large collection.

Karen quickly drew up a short-list of possibles — a Citroën 2CV, Renault panel van (she had seen a battered old one in France and fallen in love with its apparent practicality) or a Morris Minor Traveller. These choices being made by a person who didn’t like driving conspicuous cars!

After researching the internet on a fairly regular basis to see what was available, Karen finally settled on a Traveller, although there was a brief love affair with a beaten up Renault R4 that came up for sale in the North Island — but the logistics and costs of getting a non-running car to the South Island proved too much. As luck would have it a friend very much involved in the old car scene in Christchurch knew of a recently restored 1970 Traveller that might be available.

Apparently, the Minor’s owner was soon to take delivery of his latest classic treasure, and it seemed that he was going to have space problems (where have we heard that before). A deal was quickly negotiated, and the Morris was soon heading towards its new home in Kaikoura.

Best-loved variant

Looking at Karen’s car, it’s not hard to believe that the Traveller is one of the best-loved variants of the Morris Minor, which was first introduced in 1953. It was equipped with the same independent torsion bar front suspension, drum brakes and rack and pinion steering as its saloon sibling and is just as pleasurable to drive. With its foldable rear seat increasing versatility, Karen finds it easy to carry her easels and the family dog wherever she goes.

When designing the spacious Traveller, Alec Issigonis showed significant skill when working with timber. The Traveller featured an external, structural ash timber frame for the rear bodywork, clad with aluminium panels and fitted with two, side-hinged van-like rear doors. The doors are glazed with flat glass, which made production relatively simple.

The wood frame was varnished rather than painted and remains a highly distinctive feature of the Traveller’s body style. The design simplicity is encouraging for DIY restorers today, who are frequently faced with the otherwise painstaking task of removing rot and woodworm from Travellers. The Minor hung on until 1972 when the last car, a Traveller, was made at Cowley in Oxfordshire.

Innovative design

In actual fact, the Morris Minor was a hit from the first day it was shown to the British public in 1948 at that year’s London Motor Show. Designed by Issigonis in the mid ’40s, the Minor boasted a contemporary, unit-constructed body, torsion bar front suspension, rack and pinion steering and a low centre of gravity achieved by using small 133mm size tyres on 14-inch wheels.

Issigonis’ innovative design was state-of-the art for small cars at that time, and was years ahead of the pre-war engineering that could be found under most of its rival European economy cars.

Along with four-seat convertible and saloon variants an estate version was introduced — this being, of course, the Traveller. It followed Morris’ naming tradition for estates; the Traveller moniker also appearing on the Mini. The Minor came in van and pick-up versions, too. In 1962 the Morris Minor 1000 was upgraded with the more powerful 1098cc engine to provide better performance and more relaxed cruising. The final improvements were made in 1964, and were confined to a two-spoke steering wheel, revised seats and switchgear and the replacement of the pull-start button with a combined starter/ ignition switch.

Popular classic

As an everyday car, the Morris Minor makes a lot of sense. Unlike most classic vehicles, you can keep these little cars running almost indefinitely as virtually every part you will ever need is cheap and plentiful. That’s probably why Minors are still so popular today.

Morris Minors and 1000s are amongst the best loved classic, family-sized cars around today, and the continuing affection for the ‘Moggie’ as it is warmly referred to in Britain, or ‘Morrie’ as it is often known in Australia and New Zealand, is reflected in the number of restored and improved Morris Minors currently on the road today.

Ironically, Bob reckons that Karen now creates a darn sight more attention in her pristine little ‘woody’ than she ever did in the Range Rover or the Porsche. The Morris is an absolute magnet to tourists, who always want to get their photograph taken standing next to it — not to mention the comments from older people who want to stop her and share their stories about when they owned their own Morris Minor way back when.
It even brought back fond memories for me when I drove Karen’s Traveller — I owned three Morris Minors as a young teenager when I was at school and first started work. Everyone, it seems, has their own Morris Minor story.

Words: Ashly Webb   Photos: Sean Graig