In Celebration of Specials...

Sadly none of the Minors originally entered for the postponed January VSCC Brooklands Driving Tests made it to the re-arranged event which took place earlier today (Sunday 7th). However a number of M Types were present, including this 1932 metal paneled version owned by David Rushton, seen here at speed on one of the tests. The spate of Minors coming onto the market continues. This 1929 Tourer (r/h image) is currently owned by Kevin Mitchell and is for sale at £3750. The car was previously owned by, amongst others, Tony Gamble. Full details appear on the Cars For Sale page in the Members Area.

8th Feb: The 1930 JCC Double Twelve race held at Brooklands in May 1930 was a triumph for the M.G. Midget team and a tragedy for those involved with the factory Talbot team. Read the extensive Light Car magazine coverage of the event here. The 12/12 page now carries race reports for this event from all four major U.K. major motoring publications of the era. 

7th Feb: The sixth Minor to come onto the market in less than a week has surfaced for sale in Croydon. This one is a 1929 Tourer, a much sought after model by VSCC members for use in Light Car events. Although needing restoration this could represent a good buy for someone. Be quick as these cars do not 'linger' for long! Full details on the Cars For Sale 2 page.

6th Feb:The re-scheduled VSCC New Year Driving Tests take place tomorrow (Sunday 7th) at Brooklands with a number of Minors due to take part. Scoop the intrepid PWMN photographer will be there having been given a break from watching John Terry's front door which is located 'just around the corner'!

Three more Minors (two 1932 season saloons and a 1930 Coachbuilt Saloon with S.V. engine) have surfaced for sale. Find them on the Cars for Sale pages within the members area. At least thirteen Minors are now available for purchase in the U.K. as spring draws ever closer.

5th Feb:Welcome to new member Ron Caddick. The Light Car magazine enthused about the newly launched Wolseley Hornet Saloon in a May 1930 article. Read it here.

The Lincolnshire Fabric Saloon which has been up for sale for over 4.5 years has recently been sold and now has a new home in Yorkshire. More details to follow.

4th Feb: The Forum has been experiencing problems of late being slow to load and displaying messages concerning its capacity. These were issues that originated from the service provider and should now have been resolved. Apologies!

Two thirties Minors were celebrated in print in an Autocar article published in 1947. Both cars competed in pre-war trials and rallies and were remarkably successful. One of these cars is currently owned by Roger Bird who runs the IAMO website and who's car can frequently be seen at Brooklands old car events. Read about them here.

2nd Feb: Thanks to Tony Gamble the PWMN now has access to the official 1931 Morris brochure images and specifications for the scuttle tank S.V. Minor range. View them here.

31st Jan: Dave Manning is auctioning (via eBay) his 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon. The auction ends on 10th February. Full details on the Discussion Forum.

30th Jan: The Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon had a muted launch in September 1929 but it went on to become a best selling model within the Minor range. Read the Light Car magazine's test report here.

On Friday the website received 'hits' from 14 different countries in one day, while the Discussion Forum had 34 member visitations within a 24 hour period. Perhaps modest by some standards but both are site records for the PWMN.

28th Jan: Would the parties who have recently contacted & expressed an interest in the Sue Pocklington owned Minor Fabric Saloon, please contact her again by phone. Her number can be found within the Member's Area on the Cars for sale page.

27th Jan: A December 1928 Morris Owner article in which the over 100 mile maiden journey of a brand new Fabric Saloon is described by its enthusiastic new owner, can be found here. Thanks to Tony Gamble for the scans which now have a permanent home onThe Minor Story homepage.

25th Jan: In the summer of 1929 a Minor Fabric Saloon journeyed from London to Prague. The story of this adventure was recorded for posterity by the Morris Owner magazine in their October 1929 edition and can now be read here 81 years later. Also welcome to new member Chas Brooke.

24th Jan: Welcome to new member Tony Payne.

23rd Jan: Check out the Auto Jumble page for the latest ads and read this weeks Soapbox about 'A non-chance encounter'.

20th Jan: Two more Light Car Hornet Special articles have been added to the website today describing models from Jenson and Swallow. Additionally a further factory Hornet model, the Coupe, is described in detail by the Light Car in a third such article which was first published in May 1931.(All three articles have a permanent home on the Wolseley Hornet page.)

19th Jan: A Minor was involved in a landmark murder case in the 1930's, the first such case where the prosecution achieved a conviction without ever establishing the identity of the victim. Harry Edwards wrote an authoritative article for the the Morris Register Journal which is now re-published here with his kind permission.

John McDonald has re-scanned the 1982 'Cars Worth Keeping' article which can now be found here. Thanks John.

17th Jan: The 1931 Light Car announcement and photographs concerning the Abbey Coachworks bodied AS2 Hornet Special can be found here.

14th Jan: Auto Jumble ads really work. Christian Brodersen was seeking some hub caps for his '34 Minor. Mike Rose spotted some on eBay and emailed Christian to let him know. Christian bid on them and won, the hub caps arriving in Denmark today. This illustrates perfectly what the Pre-war Minor NETWORK is about!

13th Jan: The Austin Seven and the Morris Minor of the early thirties were not the only players in the 'economy' car market sector. Here the Autocar considers over 20 such such vehicles (including two Minors and the M Type) in their February 1931 article 'Not Exceeding £200'.

Does anyone have a serviceable spare Lucas DEL19 dynamo? Jeremy Evans requires such an item urgently. Contact Jeremy here.

11th Jan: The Austin Seven Ulster and M.G. 'M' Type competed extensively, one against the other throughout the thirties, and that track rivalry continues to this day. Competition bragging rights frequently change hands, but which car was the better long distance sports tourer? Read H.S. Linfield's fascinating July 1931 Autocar article in which he takes both cars on return trips from London to Edinburgh. His article entitled See how they run! can be found here.

10th Jan: The Light Car magazine published a series of three article in February 1931 providing maintenance guidance for Wolseley Hornet owners. The second such article can be found here.

9th Jan: Why did Morris launch two Minor two seaters within four months of each other? Some editorial thoughts here.

7th Jan: The first Arrow Minor Special was unveiled to the press in December 1929. Here is the Light Car magazine's announcement and first photos.

6th Jan: Two more Minor advertisements were uploaded to the site today as was a December 1930 Morris Owner cover shot (Courtesy Ken Martin) There are now 115 period items available to view on the Minor Ads & Cover Shots page. Welcome to new member Robby Gray. Due to the adverse weather conditions in Surrey, this weekends planned VSCC New Years Driving Tests event has now been postponed until 7th February.

5th Jan: Colin French has kindly supplied a technical article, featuring both varieties of Minor engine, taken from a March 1933 edition of the Motoring Encyclopedia. This, along with many other items can now be found on the Technical Bits page within the Member's Area.

4th Jan: The first Minor to be advertised for sale in 2010 can be found on the Cars for sale page within the members area.

3rd Jan: Welcome to new members John Baldwin and J. Curran. John is looking for a Minor for his 17 year old son and while preferring a two-seater will consider other models. J. Curran has a 1930 saloon and is seeking parts to help him finish his project. A list of his 'wants' will appear on the Auto Jumble page later.

2nd Jan: A very Happy New Year to all PWMN members and site visitors. A special welcome to 2010's first new member Nigel Tucker, who owns a beautifully restored 1932 OHC Sports Coupe. Also grateful thanks to Colin who runs the Mac Fisheries website for providing some really interesting historical Minor data which will be displayed on the site over the coming weeks. Finally a report of the very first MG Car Club trial, in which the majority of cars participating were Midgets. It is re-published here. 

31st Dec: Welcome to new members Ulf Soderback from Sweden and Gerald Manterfield from the U.K. G.E.T. Eyston set many speed and endurance records during the course of an illustrious career. Being the first 750 cc car to achieve 100 mph was amongst these; the attempt being made in a much modified and supercharged M.G. 'M' Type at Montlhery in February 1931. Read his own account in the Light Car article re-published here.

30th Dec: The Wolseley Hornet was launched to much critical acclaim in April 1930. Read the Motor magazine's review here.

29th Dec: 'Concerning the Morris Minor' was the title of an article first published in the Autocar on June 8th 1928. After much press speculation Morris Motors provided U.K.automotive magazine editors with preliminary details of their new 7HP car. Read about it via the link in the Updates panel. Welcome to new member Kam Callum.

28th Dec: The Light Car magazine was lavish in its praise for the then newly launched Hornet Sports two seater. Read what they had to say about the car in February 1931 here.

24th Dec: Welcome to new members Antony Eldridge & C. J. Cox. The final three Morris range brochure extracts are now available to view via the links in the Updates panel.

During 1930, in an adventure that would test even Biggle's fortitude, Harold Hastings made the trip from central London to John o'Groats in less than 24 hours. His steed was a 1930 MG Midget, read about it via the link in the Updates panel. Thanks to Jeremy Evans for the use of the scans.

23rd Dec: For what may be the last time, Biggles again takes to the road in his pre-war Minor. This complete Christmas short story should be enjoyed with a mince pie, a dram of Scotland's finest and a large pinch of salt! (Special thanks to Clive Hall.)

A very useful S.U. Carburettor Booklet makes its bow on the Technical Bits page today. A big thank you to Sam Christie for this and all the earlier contributions. Also grateful thanks to Bruce Sharman, Ewan Lambess and the many others who have contributed articles etc. to the site throughout 2009, please keep them coming!

22nd Dec: On 9th January 1931 Autocar published a detailed review of the (then) recently launched £100 Minor. Scans of this article now resides in the PWMN archive thanks once again to Sam Christie. Click on the link in the Updates column to view.

Coming soon a new Biggles Christmas adventure story, with our hero and his 1929 Minor involved in dastardly overseas shenanigans. Don't miss it!

21st Dec: Its the shortest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere, which effectively means the start of our motoring year will now become ever closer. It can't come soon enough! The relevant Minor pages, extracted and scanned from the 1929, 1930 and 1931 Morris Range Brochures are now available to view via the links in the Updates column. The 1931 items are taken from the French edition of a truncated version of the Morris brochure. They all have a permanent home at the foot of The Minor Story home page.

20th Dec: A Soapbox Xmas edition special is launched today as is the first section of the official 1930 Wolseley Hornet parts list. Find them via the Updates panel. (The complete parts list will follow in further sections, once again courtesy of Sam Christie.)

19th Dec: A copy of an August 1981 Practical Motorist article entitled 'Cars worth keeping' has been added to the site today. The article was found in the archive bequeathed to the PWMN by the former webmaster of the Side Valve Minor website, Gren Strickland. (Image quality is not particularly good -apologies)

18th Dec: A copy of the 1930 MG Midget parts list has been posted to the site today.

16th Dec: An October 1930 University Motors 4-page colour advertisement has been added to the site today. Find it via the link in the updates box.

14th December: Welcome to new members Simon Plant and Sam Hawkins. A new page has been launched today entitled 'OHC Minor - Service Sheets'. The page contains scans of 28 original Morris Motors Service Bulletins issued to their dealerships between 1929 and 1935. (original scans supplied courtesy of Sam Christie)

12th Dec: Coming Soon - a collection of official Morris Motors Service Sheets as published between 1929 and 1932, courtesy of Sam Christie.

11th Dec: The 1930's article on Hartford shock absorbers has been updated and the PDF now displays the previously missing page - apologies.

10th Dec: An original S.U. Petrolift technical leaflet has been posted to the website today courtesy of Sam Christie and of course this document now has a permanent home on the Technical Bits page.

9th Dec: New galleries have been added to the MG M Type page providing an opportunity to see two small collections depicting the Le Mans Midgets and Samuelson's Monte Carlo Rally Sportman Coupe. Also added today is a re-published Motor article in which a 1932 Saloon is road tested. (see updates panel) See the Forum for news of two s/v Morris Vedette engines.

7th Dec: The PWMN will be attending the 2010 Spring Beaulieu event as in 2008 and 2009. However in 2010 the PWMN stall will be much easier to spot thanks to a professionally made 8 foot long banner very kindly donated to the Network by member Clive Hall. Thank you Clive!

The 8/45 Midget or 12/12 Replica was marketed by M.G. in the autumn of 1930. Thanks to Sam Christie for providing the scans for the sales brochure which can be accessed via the link in the update panel.

6th Dec: The Northern Irish firm, improbably named the Belfast Car Laundry Ltd. built a number of s/v Minor specials in the early thirties. They were known as Sullivan Specials and named after William Sullivan a director of the company. Read a 1994 article about these cars here.

4th Dec: A comprehensive three part Motor article reporting on the eventful Brooklands 1930 JCC Double Twelve race is re-published today. Click on the links in the update column.

1st Dec: Welcome to new member Al Coates. A major landmark for the site arrived earlier today when the webcounter recorded the site's 50,000th visit following its launch in May 2008. Thanks for the support!

30th Nov: The PWMN is seeking information and images for a forthcoming page on Minors in the Antipodes. Of particular interest are the locally built coachbuilt bodied cars. All contributions will be acknowledged and gratefully received.

28th Nov: A Google 'Site Search' feature has been added to both the Home and Site Index pages. This tool enables members to make a rapid site search for a specific item or items. The search widget can be found at the foot of this page.

27th Nov: George Byrne's 1939 Minor Post Office van remains advertised for sale in the current edition of CCW as does a small cache of interesting spares from the same source. See the respective pages in the Member's Area. The Arrow Hornet Special is reviewed by the Light Car magazine in this re-published 1931 article.

25th Nov: A six cylinder 'M' Type anyone? Read about the 'M' look-a-like, the '31 Hornet Sports. The first Morris Eight had a low key launch in September 1931. The Motor's account can be found here.

24th Nov:Welcome to new member Antony Eldridge. A new page has been added to the Minor Magazine section today which provides a home for the growing number of graphical & artistic representations of the M.G. 'M' Type. Rally news: Provisional and confirmed bookings for the 2010 PWMN Rally now stand at nine Minors and an Aston, half way to the target total of twenty cars and crews.

23rd Nov: Welcome to new member Ron New, owner of the Samuelson Replica 'M' Type. The Auto Jumble page continues to help solve spares problems, with previously redundant parts now occupying their rightful places on cars either under restoration or in regular use. Members can check it out.

22nd Nov: Discover how a one year old Midget performed in 1930 by reading the Autocar 'Used Car Test No. 20' here.

21st Nov: Welcome to new members Tony Margel and Jon K.

20th Nov: Two more cars for sale today in the members area, one of each camshaft variety! Also the final technical article in the Newnes series is re-published today - this one is on gearboxes. 2010 Rally Page has also been updated.

19th Nov: The penultimate technical article extracted from the 1933 Newnes book 'Modern Motor Car Repair and Overhauling' is re-published here today. This article concerns the Wolseley Hornet Oil Pump and can be found here. All of these articles now have a permanent home on the 'Technical Bits' page within the Members Area. Grateful thanks to Bruce Sharman.

18th Nov: The Motor magazine's Temple Press was the parent to the Light Car & Cyclecar and its own light car content has been somewhat overlooked.

Re-published here today is the Motor's own road test and 'take' on the headline grabbing £100 Minor.

Welcome to new member Tim Stopp from Essex.

17th Nov: An August 1930 Motor magazine article announcing the new £135 Minor Semi-Sports is re-published today.

16th Nov: The Minor Trentlein Special is a new discovery to the author - read all about it in this weeks COTW below. Autocar tested the MG 8/33 Sportmans Coupe in July 1930 referring to it as 'a remarkable little car'. Thirty four years later Autocar re-appraised the £100 Minor, surprisingly using their October 1930 road test of the Semi-Sports to make the comparison! Find both articles in the Updates column on the right.

15th Nov: The website's Articles Archive continues to grow with further post war contributions from the pages of a 1982 edition of Autocar. Both articles were written by the accomplished and sadly now departed, Andrew Whyte. The articles concern the impact of the £100 car on an early 1930s market place and can be found in the updates column.

14th Nov: Two further Autocar articles re-published today, the first concerning the exploits of Van der Becke and the streamlined side valve Minor at Brooklands, while the second (in two parts) is the full Autocar report on the 1930 JCC 12/12 event, at which the Randall led team of Midgets scooped first place.

13th Nov: Those who have driven Minors extensively will enjoy the Light Car 10,000 mile extended road test which was first published in October 1931 and is now reproduced here.

12th Nov: The majority of website updates are posted in the column on the right as they are uploaded, but it is worth exploring the site's other pages as many items such as ads and video clips are added without announcement. The site now contains well over 100 articles and several hundred images.

11th Nov: Although no Darwin, Biggles stumbles across the origin of the species in the 6th and final episode of Biggles at the beginning! A further two items added today, the Light Car's summary of the 1932 Midgets and thanks to Halbe Tjepkema, drawings and a photograph for the SWB car's undertray have also been published.

10th Nov: First bookings for the 2010 Rally arrived yesterday, thank you! Also two more articles uploaded today. A third item, submitted by Peter Brock has also been added, which provides drawings and photographs of a LWB car's undertray. Click the links in 'Updates' column to view.

9th Nov: Today details are announced of the first Pre-War Minor Network Rally. The event which will be held over the weekend of 11th - 13th June 2010 is based in East Anglia, U.K. on the borders of the beautiful counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The event is open to all pre-war cars first registered before 01/01/40 and features a Saturday tour and a Sunday excursion to Aldebrough, a seaside resort on the Suffolk coast. Only 20 Rally places are available so book early to avoid disappointment!

6th Nov: The Andre Hartford shock absorber was standard equipment on the M.G. 'M' Type and was subsequently fitted to many Minors to improve the car's ride. A five page article on their adjustment and care is published on the website today. (Courtesy Bruce Sharman) Ian Judd also has some interesting items for sale on the Auto Jumble page.

5th Nov: An article from the October 2008 edition of Classics Monthly has been added today.

4th Nov: Welcome to new member Chris Butler-Cole. Four new articles have been added today including a detailed description of the care and maintenance of the Smiths shock absorber. (Courtesy Bruce Sharman) This is in three parts and has a permanent home on the Technical Bits page. Find the first part here. Also added today is a short Light Car synopsis on the £100 Minor from January 1931.

3rd Nov: Having problems with your Minor's brakes? Find out how to fix them by reading a 1933 account from the Modern Motor Repair & Overhauling manual.(courtesy Bruce Sharman)

2nd Nov: As Minor Specials go the Merlyn Minor was quite a special! Read all about it here in a short September 1931 Autocar article. Also read how the dastardly Hertz van Rental attempts to evade capture in this week's amazing Biggles adventure entitled 'The Chase!' 

1st Nov: October website stats are published here today, together with a November 1993 article on a 1931 ex Stewart & Ardern Coachbuilt Saloon, MU 3445. The car survives to this day and is resident in Hampshire U.K. (Scans courtesy Bruce Sharman)

31st Oct: Member Mike Houston has acquired a DVD of 'shorts' made in the twenties and thirties by the Morris Film Unit. The films, all of which have been re-mastered, are reviewed by Mike here.

29th Oct: Another article from the 1933 Newnes book 'Modern Motor - Repair & Overhauling' is published here today. Containing a number of good quality photographs, a copy of this document at your side will undoubtably help those of you attempting an OHC engine overhaul for the first time. Once again thanks to Bruce Sharman for providing the scans.

27th Oct: Read the latest Biggles (episode four) 'Chance Encounter' here and catch up with the earlier episodes here. Also added today are a April 1930 Autocar road test report of the then newly launched Wolseley Hornet and a September 1930 article about a 'glider towing' Minor Fabric Saloon!!

 

25th Oct: A three part extract from a 1933 published book Modern Motor - Repair & Overhauling is published here today on the Technical Bits page. Much of the text relates to maintaining and tuning the OHC Minor engine. Thanks once again to Bruce Sharman for providing the scans.

24th Oct: No story concerning the history of the pre-war Morris Minor would be complete without a significant mention of the Skinner siblings and their Red and White competition Minor Specials.To put the record straight here on the PWMN, a new page has been launched today commemorating the contribution made by this unlikely duo and the cars that they drove.

23rd Oct: A further four Minor wiring diagrams have been added to the Technical Bits page today for the following models 31 S/V, 32 Family Eight OHC, 33 Minor SWB, 34 Minor SWB. These complement the 1929-1931 wiring diagram for all OHC SWB cars which had been posted to the site earlier. All five diagrams can be found in the members area of the website. In addition a new Slideshow Gallery page, Towing with a Minor!  is launched today.

22nd Oct: A 1983 article describing the restoration of a February 1931 side valve Minor Coachbuilt Saloon has been added today.Thanks to Bruce Sharman for this contribution.

21st Oct: Episode 3 of the new Biggles adventure is published here today along with a September 1928 Autocar article on the 'new' Morris Midget.

20th Oct: Welcome to new members Dave Hall, member number 135 and Halbe Tjepkema Senior.

19th Oct: More M type data posted to the site today, including two further M.G. factory issued service sheets, (see updates column) and a cockpit layout diagram which can be found here. All of these items become permanent features on the site and can be found again later simply by searching the respective site pages via the blue site index button. (above right.)

17th Oct: In August 1930 the Autocar published an article concerning the exploits of two male students in a Minor saloon on holiday in Scotland. As a travelogue it makes for an interesting read, but bares little or no comparison with a similar holiday taken 35 years later by two students known to the author - mind you their exploits are unpublishable! Read the original report here.

16th Oct: A March 1931 Motor article on Wolseley Hornet Specials has been added to the Hornet page and can be found here.

15th Oct: Four spring 1930 articles from the Autocar entitled 'Care & Maintenance of the Morris Minor' are published today on the Technical Bits page within the members area of the website.

14th Oct: Welcome to new member Sarah Gibson from Lleida, Spain.

12th Oct: Hugh Barnes is having a batch of MG M Type bonnet & apron catches manufactured (see the PWMN Forum for details) and has received a tremendous response. If you need a set be quick, as Hugh places his order with the manufacturer this Friday 16th October. Contact Hugh here.

10th Oct: More Autumn pub meets take place tomorrow (Sunday 11th) the venues being the Four Horseshoes, Thornham Magna, Suffolk and The Hatchgate, Bramshill, Hants. All are welcome with or without Minors - K.O. Noon.

9th Oct: Two more MG Midget items added to the site today, the first being M.G. Service Information Sheet 13 Valve Timing courtesy of Ken Martin. The second is a LIght Car article from September 1929 introducing the Sportsmans Coupe. There are many more similar articles to be added to the website over the coming weeks.

8th Oct: In December 1930 the Motor magazine published an article comparing the £100 Minor with the OHC Semi-Sports. Read it here.

6th Oct: Welcome to new member Rex Webb who lives in Cambridge and owns a Derbyshire registered1932 Minor Saloon.

5th Oct: To aid navigation around the website an index page has been added today. This page will shortly be followed by a quick reference articles guide.

4th Oct: Welcome to new member Marcus Heys.

3rd Oct: An updated Market Review article has been added today, following on from the last such issue in August 2008. When the Minor was announced in May 1928 it created quite a stir. Read the LC annoucement here.

1st Oct: Another Light Car article has been added today. This February 1931 review looks at the new economy side valve Minor Saloons. On the car sales front after a quiet period for Minors, two project cars have recently surfaced on eBay. If you are looking for a worthwhile project to keep you occupied this coming winter take a look at the appropriate thread on the PWMN Forum for details.

30th Sept:The PWMN is pleased to announce that the Triple M Register (the MG website that caters for all pre-war overhead camshaft models) now has a reciprocal link with this website.

28th Sept: The website will this week commemorate and celebrate the diversity of Minor Specials produced by the nations professional and amatuer coachbuilders. To kick things off a newly written article describes the eight Minor variants produced by A.P. Compton's Arrow Coachworks, the most prolific of all Minor Special builders.

27th Sept: A warm welcome to new members Clive Pullen and Brian Hendy.

26th Sept: Another period article has been added today. Read the Light Car December 1929 road test of the Morris Minor Arrow Special here.

24th Sept: Happy forty 'something' birthdays to two PWMN members Toby Sears and Halbe Tjepkema.

22nd Sept: Please note that the website will be 'off air' for two hours on the morning of 25th Sept from 0600 untill 0800 hours BST for server maintenance.

18th Sept: Welcome to new members Mairead Johnson from the Republic of Ireland and Nigel Hawkins.

17th Sept: Welcome to new member Mike Rose, member number 122.

16th Sept: A new gallery page displaying images from last weekends successful Dutch Rally can be found here.

15th Sept: Welcome to new member Irene Randall. See the PWMN Forum to see if you can help with her quest.

9th Sept: Five more period articles have been added to the site including the Motor mag's 1929 & 1930 M Type road tests, both the LC and Autocar 1929 Minor range announcements and the Motor's 1931 article on specialised bodies. There are now 35 such articles populating these pages with more to follow.

7th Sept: A new Light Car article concerning the home tuning and maintainence of a 1931 Wolseley Hornet has been added to the site today. Much of the content also applies equally to the contemporary Morris Minor.

4th Sept: A second Cars For Sale page has been added to the site. The two pages contain contact details for 10 pre-war Minors available for sale across Europe. (see Members Area) The final nerve racking episode of Biggles Rocks the Squadron is published here tomorrow - don't miss it! Finally, welcome to new PWMN member Andy Short.

3rd Sept: A new Period View article is published today featuring a battle scarred 1933 Saloon. Find it here

2nd Sept: Two more Light Car Articles added today - 1931 Minor range review and 1930 Arrow Sports road test. See updates panel. For those looking to buy a pre-war Minor, this site is showing eight such examples within the members area.

1st Sept: Welcome to new members Geoff Holly and Simon Kernahan. August website stats now available.

31st August: The £100 Minor was big news in January 1931. Here is an opportunity to read the first fully detailed road test of the car to be published anywhere - a three page article from the archives of the Light Car magazine dated 9th January 1931.

30th August: A short article on Minor threshold plates has been posted to the 'Technical Bits' page. The Forum is accessible once again after a 5 hour downtime period earlier today.

29th August: Tension builds in the penultimate episode of Biggles Rocks the Squadron written by our very own Ouija Johns. Read it here. Also read the Light Car review of one of the quickest Minors of its day - the McEvoy Minor Model 70, published here today. Another new page has been added providing details of pre-war Morris Minor production.

27th August: The MG M Type paved the way for small sports cars in the thirties. Other manufacturers soon cottoned on and Triumph launched their Gnat as a direct competitor to MG's Midget. Read a contemporary road test here.

25th August: Some excellent news received here today concerning the £100 Minor auctioned by Keys of Aylsham, Norfolk earlier this year. This Stewart & Ardern supplied car MU 3272, is amazingly some way down the restoration road. The new owner is looking for both front and rear wings. See the Auto Jumble page within the members area for this and three other new small ads.

23rd August: A fascinating article is published here today entitled 'Straight from stock' which tells the tale of a 1932 Minor two seater that was plucked from the Cowley line and put through its paces by the Light Car road test team. Also a warm welcome to new member David Barrington.

19th August: Welcome to new member Anthony Jiggens.

18th August: Two more period articles from the pages of the Autocar and Light Car are available to view (via Adobe Reader) on The Minor Story home page. The first is a November 1928 Autocar road test of a Fabric Saloon and the second, a November 1933 Light Car test of a 1934 season saloon. Very much a case of the first and the last!

15th August: Please note that this website will be unaccessible for one hour from 7:30 A.M. BST on the mornings of 20th, 21st & 22nd August. This is to enable routine server maintainence to be carried out by the website host.

14th August: A warm welcome to Paul Hurt, member number 114. There have been many new items added to the website this week with more period articles to follow. For fans of Biggles (and there are at least three!) episode five of his new serialised book can be found here.

8th August: A big day in the 'old car' calendar with the conclusion of the VSCC 75th anniversary celebrations at the showground in Malvern, the Morris Register's annual rally commencing at Thoresby Park and the Minor's direct descendant, the Mini, having a celebratory 50th birthday bash today at Longbridge. Our Minors will be represented at all three events.

4th August: Further images have been added to the Rally Gallery 

3rd August: A new page is launched today entitled Minor Portraits showing the work of Graeme Jenner a computer artist.

2nd August: A warm welcome to new members Chris Garner and Geoff Holly.

29th July: The VMR 2009 Summer Rally kicks off on Friday evening at The Mount Inn, Stanton in picturesque northern Gloucestershire. Well worth the pilgrimage for the company and the beer, oh and the cars!

27th July: Herefordshire Vintage Auctions are holding another sale on Wednesday 5th August. The 200+ lots include over 20 interesting vehicles and a 1932 Morris Minor chassis (lot 5) described as 'unmessed about, very sound and in preservative'. (Sounds like someone I know!) Find full auction details here: www.hvauctions.com

25th July: If you are looking to buy a pre-war Morris Minor there are 6 such cars advertised for sale in the members area of this website.

22nd July: Regular visitors may notice one or two title changes to the website's pages. The Technical Bits page has also been moved into the members area. These small amendments represent the first of a number of planned changes following the recent membership survey.

18th July: Unfortunately the 4th October 'Rockingham Challenge' has been postponed following the withdrawal of the events main sponsor due to " a review of our marketing expenditure in the light of current trading conditions". A new date will hopefully be secured after discussions with Rockingham and the sourcing of another significant sponsor.

17th July: A three part Wolseley Hornet profile has just been added to the Hornet page. Thanks to Sam Christie for providing the scans.

14th July: Returns from the membership survey continue to arrive with over 40 received to date from a total of 77 issued. The analysis is ongoing but what is apparent is that site navigation is an issue for a number of you and this will be the first item to be tackled.

12th July: Welcome to new member Sandra Atkins from Devon and her late 1931 Minor Saloon which was featured here earlier in the week. That particular Leicester registered car is no longer officially posted as 'missing' thanks to Sandra's contact with the PWMN.

10th July: A short 'membership survey document' was emailed to approximately 70% of PWMN members earlier today. A big 'thank you' to those of you who have already (very promptly) responded. All survey comments and suggestions will be carefully considered and will form the basis for some of the changes planned for the site this autumn.

7th July: Welcome to new members Russ Shiells and John Nagle.

3rd July: If you are looking to buy a pre-war Morris Minor there are six such vehicles advertised for sale in our members area.

28th June: A new 'Mac friendly' Cars For Sale page has been launched within the members area.

24th June:Thanks to Garry Waiting, our quest to source a 32 two seater hood frame has born fruit - all this within hours of the plea being posted here and on the VMR website. Thanks again Garry.

Also congratulations to member Stefan Gemlin from Germany who has just purchased his first Minor - co-incidently a 1932 two seater. Pictures of this car here soon.

23rd June: Wanted extremely urgently for a very worthy cause - a hood frame to fit a 1932 two seater or access to drawings for same. If you can help contact the PWMN.

21st June: The first of a series of articles & photographs scanned from early editions of Motor Sport and featuring M.G. M Types and Wolseley Hornets can be found here.

20th June: A new PDF document listing Morris Minor colour schemes can be found here. Its permanent home is at the foot of 'The Cars' home page.

13th June: The PWMN Forum pages are probably inaccessible to members currently using Internet Explorer as a web browser, particularly after downloading the recent large batch of updates from Microsoft. A quick solution is to download Mozilla Firefox and use this alternative. You may also find that you need to download a free version of Adobe 'Flash Player'. After this any Forum 'log in' issues simply go away. Any members experiencing log in problems please contact the PWMN. A solution to the I.E. issue is being sought.

8th June: The VMR Dutch Rally at Leidon will now take place on Saturday 12th September. Those planning to attend please contact Halbe Tjepkema for details. A good time is guaranteed to be had by all!

Also welcome to new members Simon North and Andrew Kitscroft.

5th June: Welcome to member number 100 - Ewan Lambess from Lochinvar, New South Wales, Australia.

31st May: The PWMN is currently on 'Tour'. Any Cornish pre-war Minor enthusiasts looking for an impromptu noggin should leave a post on the forum!

26th May: This week COTW celebrates its half century. Finding cars to feature here is of course becoming increasingly difficult. Any submissions from members or non-members for this spot will almost certainly guarantee publication!

20th May: The 'Wolseley Hornet Page' is launched today in recognition of that cars close ties with the pre-war Morris Minor. Any images of these early cars will be gratefully received by the PWMN and will be published on this website.

19th May: KJ 4483 the black 1931 (32 season) Minor two seat tourer sold yesterday within 24 hours of being advertised for sale!

17th May: A number of emails have recently reached the PWMN indicating that members are having difficulties accessing the Forum. Please bare with us for a few days whilst the 'IT department' get to grips with the problem!

14th May: There are now at least six Minors currently for sale on the internet and elsewhere. Find the majority of these on the PWMN Forum. Just click on the blue button above right.

13th May: No website updates for a few days as the PWMN moves to Beaulieu for the weekend. Please look us up if you are visiting, Stand R310. Also a warm welcome to new member Tony Ward.

8th May: A very warm welcome to new members Tim Murfin, David Wood & Mark Sellick (who owns a 1946 MG TC and bits of both an M and D Type M.G!) They become the PWMN's 95th, 96th & 97th members respectively!

4th May: DF 9053, the 1929 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon previously owned by David Brown and Jeremy Evans, has now been offered for sale in Northern Ireland. See the Auto Jumble page in the Members Area for details.

3rd May: The Dutch VMR Rally in September this year, based around the picturesque town of Leidon, is in some jeopardy unless those intending to participate make these intentions known to the organisor. See the Rally Page for full details.

25th Apr: On Monday 27th April the PWMN celebrates its 1st birthday. With nearly 24,000 visits in these first 12 months, landmarks have come and gone very quickly. Plans are afoot to enlargen the site over the coming months with more interactive elements but it is your input that keeps the content fresh and relavent. Please keep it coming. Thank You!

25th April: Clive Hall has devised another fiendishly cunning puzzle - try your luck here.

22nd Apr: This Sunday 26th April is 'Drive it day' here in the U.K. Owners of historic vehicles are encouraged to take their prized posessions out from their garages and use them as their designers intended. The VMR is holding 3 lunchtime pub meets to enable Minor owners to meet up with kindred spirits. Why not come along?

18th April: The spring pub meet season starts tomorrow at the Four Horseshoes public house in Thornham Magna, Suffolk. Kicking off at about noon, all are welcome (with or without Minors). Look forward to seeing you there!

16th April: Price inflation hits the Minor! After a U.K. dealer advertised an MG M Type for sale at £37,000 recently another dealer has just placed a 32 two seater Minor tourer for sale at a whopping £11,750!!!!! Full details on the Auto Jumble page and also on the PWMN Forum.

12th Apr: A warm welcome to new member Bob Worthington from Northampton U.K. Bob is very close to completing the seven year long restoration of his 1934 Minor two seat tourer. Images of this car can be found on the Forum.

11th Apr: Next Sunday, 19th April, the first spring pub meet of the year convenes at the Four Horseshoes, Thornham Magna in Suffolk. All are welcome and a record attendance of Minors is hoped for! (K.O. Noon)

9th Apr: HVA's next auction is on Wed.15th April. There are 713 lots many of which will be of interest to Morris fans in general while some are of particular interest to Minor enthusiasts - see lots 3,6,9 & 18.

7th Apr: Orchid Cars of Amesbury, Wilts have announced that they are just about to place a '1928 OHC Minor Saloon' for sale. The car is in fact a steel paneled New Zealand import so watch this space for more news and pictures as they become available.

Also note that the PWMN email account is now functioning correctly once again.

6th April: Please note that the website email account is currently not functioning - to contact the website in the interim please email chrisd.lambert@googlemail.com

MU 3272 was sold on Saturday for £440 by Keys Auctioneers of Aylsham, Norfolk. U.K.

There is very little to say about this beautiful image scanned from the pages of a 1933 edition of the Autocar. Entitled The valley of the Broom it was taken by an Autocar staff photographer, F.C. Pring and shows the River Broom flowing into the Loch that bares the same name. The M.G. Midget is fully laden for touring, the rear springs showing the strain. In the event of a sudden downpour, how long will it take to erect the hood?

© Pre-war Minor Network 2010