Despite a set of poor photos, I thought this 1968 Morris Minor deserved space on Barn Finds. Its color combination is attractive, it’s said to be in show-worthy condition, it runs well, and the price is reasonable. The Morris Minor was the first British car to sell more than 1 million copies – in fact the final total came to 1.6 million. The little people-mover presented just the right combination of spaciousness and economy after WWII. This example is listed on facebook Marketplace, and the seller wants $7950. Yes, one knock against it is its right hand drive configuration. But – terribly British, right? The new owner can retrieve it from West Chester, Ohio. Tex sent us this tip – thanks!
That the Morris Minor was produced at all was a miracle. The small-car idea was conceived in secret in 1941, when industry was supposed to be all-in on war production. As more personnel were drafted to help with the Minor’s development, resentment around the concealment flared. Then there was Alec Issigonis, a young engineer, who was tasked with the lion’s share of the design work; he incorporated a sophisticated suspension, flat-four engine, and rack and pinion steering into the new car. Lord Nuffield did not like Issigonis, nor was he fond of new ideas. Then, just before production, Issigonis decided the car should be wider. The prototype was cut lengthwise and widened, necessitating several workarounds. Finally, the company’s financial condition was in tatters after WWII, forcing a contraction of the edgy engineering Issigonis had proposed. “Dumbing down” the suspension and reverting to Morris’ pre-war flathead engine got the car across the finish line. Barely. The car evolved inch by inch, eventually reaching its pinnacle of power in 1962 when BMC’s 1098 cc A-Series OHV four-cylinder was adopted. That engine was good for about 48 hp.
As far as we can tell, the interior is in decent condition, and the color makes a pleasing match to the car’s paint. Glove box lids were discontinued in 1961 (what, too expensive!?), and it actually took until then before trafficators were replaced with flashers. The centrally-located gauge made it easy for the factory to install the steering wheel either to the right (home-country delivery) or the left (for export).
Nuffield once derisively called the Minor a “poached egg”. Needless to say, Issigonis didn’t stick around – he left in 1952 to work for Alvis. In 1956, he was recruited back to BMC by Sir Leonard Lord; after just a year, Issigonis had designed one of the most iconic cars ever: the Mini. While the Minor is not quite as popular as the Mini, it’s a wonderful representative of British motoring, nearly infinitely customizable, with scads of performance options available. The price of this ’68 Morris Minor sits at the very lowest edge of the range for a nice example – appropriate for a RHD car but a good deal if judged solely on what we see of its condition.
I have a little time on Morris Minors and they are as basic a car can get. What I did notice is the conversion from right to left should be pretty easy. They are fun to drive and come in all sorts of configurations like 2 and 4 doors, convertible, pickup truck, van, etc. My science teacher in high school drove a convertible.
In the 1970s, my ex-inlaws retired and moved to Athens, Greece. Needing a car, they bought a used, beat up Morris Minor, which they christened “the Minor Catastrophe”. They resorted to driving on the sidewalk more than once to deal with the horrendous traffic. Good times in a small car.
Aw, like the Bugeye, you just want to pinch it’s little cheeks,,you know, I lambast the Europeans for what they drove, while we had 396 Chevelles, but somehow the Morris Minor escapes that. In the situation I’m in, a Morris would be prefect [sic] and like most Europeans, they didn’t blast down 6 lane interstates. The European cars sure showed their diversity, the putt-putt Italians, the oddball French, the top notch Germans, but British cars were no frills, basic cars, and the Minor, as opposed to it’s name, was the King,,,of such cars. I’d love to have one.
I have owned every model except the four door. They are a blast to drive especially when you put a 1275 motor in. No major work, just bolt it in. My brother had a convertible with a Rivergate 5 speed conversion and it cruised nicely. They are simple to work on. If you buy one just make sure you check out the front suspension. There is a weak point there that if weak, can ruin your day of driving!! Many Spridget parts are interchangeable. One of the best upgrades is to change the front drums to disc brakes. Again, not hard, you just need a special bracket!! The steering rack on a RHD Minor is the same as a LHD drive Spridget. The differentials are also interchangeable. The rear axles are not. The Minors are slightly longer.
I restored a Traveler to a basic stock driver except for a 1275 motor and a black and white paint job. When I went to a British meet, I put the stock wheels and hubcaps on. Everybody loved it. When I went to street rod meet, I put on mag wheels with a surfboard and it always got more attention than the $75K street rods and those guys were p***ed! That car got more SPM
(smiles per mile) than any other British car have owned!
These have become a very affordable way to get into a collector car. This one looks to be in nice shape, and yes, a very fair price. The RHD shouldn’t turn anyone off. I have two, and they’re great fun. And you get a better view of the landscape while driving sitting on the right!
Someone quick buy my Volvo 740 wagon so I can get this perfect little gem. Today!
Having a 1960 Convertible, we know the joys of a Minor. We have upgraded to a 1275 w/ Weber carb and header, 3/9 rear end front MGB Dic Brakes, all just to make it more California-friendly to drive. Easy to work on and really fun at club drives and shows. This is British Vintage driving at it’s best.
I currently own a ’59 MM 1000 and couldn’t be happier. I make excuses to make short runs most days with nice weather. It does not go very fast, but is my de-stressor. Groceries, hardware, hair cuts, and I even pick up lumber sometimes (no kidding). I’ve been followed by people who just want to ask about it. Get lots of comments sitting at stoplights, too.
Very nice, Dan!
Wonderful, and reliable, “cute” as best described cars. Easily serviced, and the right hand drive is simply fun, curious, and amusing to many observers when they pass you driving in the slow lane…. Its sister, the Oxford will provide better ergonomics and usually fitted with a four speed manual transmission giving it more “legs”.
Had to be a later import because 67 was the last year they were sold in the US. MM could have been a great car if the Brits had ever updated it, but it stayed pretty much the same year after year.
No power and no brakes. VW, on the other hand, continuously made improvements.
Change the engine to the 1275 and change the brake system to disc.
It’s RHD, so it obviously was not originally sold in NA.