 1953 Morris Minor Series 2 |
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The Morris Minor was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show on 20 September 1948, and attracted immediate attention as a completely new model with a revolutionary design. It was the work of a team led by Alec Issigonis, who later designed the Mini. Sir Alec became famous for his creation of the Mini but he was really proudest of his participation in designing the Morris Minor, because he considered it as being a vehicle which managed to combine many of the luxuries and conveniences of a good motor car with a price suitable for the working classes, while the Mini was a spartan mode of conveyance with everything cut to the bone.
In 1953 the model was updated with an 803cc overhead valve engine replacing the original sidevalve unit and an estate version was produced (the Traveller) along with convertible, van and pick-up versions. The car was again updated in 1956 when the engine was increased in capacity to 948cc, the two piece split windscreen replaced with a curved one-piece one and the rear window enlarged. An upscale Minor was sold as the Riley One-Point-Five/Wolseley 1500 beginning in 1957.
In 1961 the Morris Minor became the first British car to sell over 1,000,000 units and to commemorate this event a limited editon of 350 two-door saloons were produced with distinctive lilac paintwork and a white interior.
Internal politicking inside manufacturer BMC (British Motor Corporation) may have led to the limited American sales of the Minor. Had management been more united behind the car, it could have rivalled the Volkswagen Beetle successfully.
Over 1.6 million were eventually produced from manufacturing plants at Cowley, Oxfordshire, and exported around the world, with many variants of the original model. Production continued through to 1971, although it remains a well loved and collected vehicle.
Engines:
- 1952–1956 - 803 cc A-Series I4, 30 hp (22 kW) at 4800 rpm and 40 ft·lbf (54 Nm) at 2400 rpm
- 1956–1962 - 948 cc A-Series I4, 37 hp (28 kW) at 4750 rpm and 50 ft·lbf (68 Nm) at 2500 rpm
- 1962–1971 - 1098 cc A-Series I4, 48 hp (36 kW) at 5100 rpm and 60 ft·lbf (81 Nm) at 2500 rpm
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