Despite being only partially rebuilt, Tony Gamble‘s Minor Arrow Special (driven by his son) is seen here attempting a passing manoeuvre along the main street in the village of Burn, North Yorkshire. In fact, this wasn’t a clandestine Minor outing at all and was a planned part of Tony (& wife Christine’s) recent property move of just a few hundred yards.
Click the image to see it full size.
PO 4843
This is one of a sequence of six images of PO 4843 purchased as a single lot on eBay in December 2012. Three have featured here previously but not this shot of the car and its owner’s wife or girlfriend. ‘Jerry’ is a 1932 Morris Minor Two-seater, first registered in West Sussex in late 1931. As none of the six prints are captioned we can only speculate as to how it was so named and just when these photographs were taken. What can’t be denied is that like this particular image, they all possess a certain period charm.
The current coronavirus lockdown means that much of our life is on ‘pause’ at the moment. That of course includes many of our leisure activities and in particular those involving our old cars – it’s difficult to justify any trip out as an essential journey when the vehicle of choice is ninety years old! So here is a reminder from 2009 of what we used to do in the early springtime. This photo was taken at the VSCC‘s Light Car Welsh Weekend on 28th March 2009. Here Sue Pimms (formerly Woodward) is about to leave section seven of the Sunday trial in her 1930 OHC engined Morris Minor Two-seater (BR 8606), but not before sharing a joke with the marshalls, one of whom is former Minor owner, Jeremy Evans. Happy days.
This snapshot of HY 9201, a mid-1933 Bristol registered Wolseley Hornet Trinity DHC Special, was purchased recently on eBay. It’s likely that the photograph was taken either later on in the thirties or even post war, if the poor condition of the hood material is an indicator. Meredith Coachcraft of Castle Bromwich built the Trinity models and period images of their cars are difficult to find. However, evidence from more recent photographs indicate that at least two of this particular model survive.
This Morris Minor Family Four-door Saloon (MYB 5060) left the Morris Motors Cowley plant in 1933 and was immediately exported. It’s destination was Bangalore in India where it has spent the last 87 years in the custodianship of one family. The car is now in the care of family member, Mrs Usha Devi, for whom we must thank for permitting member Kartik Lunia to pass the photographs on to us here. It’s quite possible that this is the only surving long-wheelbase Minor model in the sub-continent. The car is also an award winner as two of these photographs clearly indicate.
Those who own the 1932 and 1933 Minor models will appreciate the latest addittion to the Members Technical Area, a ‘Running Hints & Tips’ item from the October 1932 edition of the Morris Owner, concerning the maintenance of the SU Petrolift device. Thanks goes to Joe Rayner for sourcing the document.
The PWMN’s 2012 Rally was based upon the New Forest National Park and was hosted by Toby & Linda Sears. It was also the first Network rally to be located away from the East of England. Rally HQ was situated at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum while the rally dinner was held in the Bistro Restaurant at the Hoseason’s Shorefield Park site. Here, on an overcast day, Andrew and Sue Batey in their 1934 Morris Minor Two-seater (BPB 357), pull into the Station House Tea Rooms in Tiptoe for a cream tea around 4:00 PM on Saturday 16th June.
Click the image to see it full size.
UP 4835
This lovely image featuring a 1930 Durham registered MG Midget (UP 4835) was purchased on eBay recently. The photo was taken at Stybarrow Crag, Ullswater and bears the stamp on its reverse of Fox Photos Ltd., of Tudor Street, London EC4, the firm’s premises being located within a stones throw of Fleet Street. Unfortunately, there is no indication as to which publication the image was eventually destined to appear. The good news is that this car survives and according to the DVLA was last taxed in 2007. The Triple M Register are investigating.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The racing legend that was Tazio Nuvolari is pictured here on his way to a famous win in his MG Magnette at the 1933 RAC TT, held at the Ards circuit in Northern Ireland. (LATplate Motor 802-39 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The FBHVC’s annual Drive-it-Day event is usually a celebration of classic and vintage motoring. Not so in 2020, with Coronavirus lock-down regulations in place across the whole of the United Kingdom. While some made at least a token gesture of driving their historic vehicles out of their garages and into the brilliant spring sunshine, others, including members Chris Healey and Andy Brown kept the dust sheets on their Minors, while awaiting the easing of the current restrictions.
The SU carburettors fitted to all Minor models were supplied without air filters attached, something that very shortly after the Minor ceased production was considered a necessity by car manufacturers. This topic is currently receiving an airing on the Network’s forum pages where practicality, innovation and what seems like quantum physics are playing out on one thread. In this photo Joe Rayner‘s innovative approach (left & middle images) go head to head with the more traditional method adopted by Trevor Wilkinson (r/h photo).
Click the image to see it full size.
AXV 98
Mike Tebbett forwarded the upper images of 1934 Morris Minor Saloon (AXV 98) along with the following comment “AXV 98, taken by me circa 1971…. Appalling quality, sorry…..This was at a Monmouthsire farm where I bought a vintage Minor in pieces that had been a van. The latter was soon sold on to Rosemary Burke and her husband as I was still student and had no money! AXV seems to still exist, do you know of it? “ Fortunately, the archive holds a series of images of the now re-bodied vehicle, which at that time was located in Scotland and was auctioned on eBay in July 2016. Where it resides now is anyone’s guess?
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This image is the frontpiece to the Barre Lyndon book Grand Prix, first published by John Miles in 1935. The artwork is unattributed and depicts Sir Malcolm Campbell at the wheel of an MG R Type racing car on the banking at Brooklands.
There have been very few upsides to the impact the coronavirus pandemic has made on all our lives. The current ‘lock-down’ means there are periods when time can weigh heavily, unless of course you are restoring your car. There no longer exists the need to mutter “I’m just going to spend ten minutes in the garage”, before guiltily stretching ten minutes to sixty, as all other non-garage time obstacles are probably banned for the time being. It certainly looks as if Haydon Edwards in Newcastle-upon-Tyne has been making hay, as progress on his 1932 Morris Minor Two-seater is clearly visible in this shot of XVV 334.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This is H.L. Wardle‘s 1931 Jarvis bodied MG Midget special, the winner of its class prize and third overall at the 1932 Eastbourne Concours event. Jarvis marketed two bodies of similar design for the early Midget, a fabric skinned version as seen here and a metal clad type. The earlier fabric skinned models were distinguishable by their lack of louvered side valances. (LATplate E3899 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
GX 6859
These two images (submitted by David Saunders) show a March 1932 London registered Morris Minor Two-seater special (GX 6859). The photos, which were believed to have been taken in the late sixties or early seventies, are of a vehicle that survives to this day. The car has been the subject of some speculation in recent years as to its origins. David describes it as a Jarvis bodied Minor special and the body tub has a rounded rump and door shape which are similar in design to that seen on the 1930-31 Jarvis bodied Mg Midget.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This is the MG K3 Magnette (K3003) that was driven by Capt. George Eyston at the 1933 Mannin Beg race held in Douglas, Isle-of-Man. This race was not the K3’s finest hour with all six cars entered being forced to retire, three with differential failure. Eyston’s K3 retired with vertical drive failure although it was later test driven by S.C.H. Davis for an August 1933 Autocar magazine feature. (LATplates L5870 & 5871 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
This official looking Morris photograph of a Minor Four-door Saloon was found in glass plate format within the LAT archive. It depicts an early production or pre-production 1934 model, the non-sloping radiator guard providing the visual clue along with the plate’s reference number, which places it in August or September of 1933. Just 2075 long-wheel-base Minor Saloons found customers in the 1934 season, almost exactly half the quantity built in the model’s first year (1932) when 4029 were constructed. The lwb saloon fared significantly better than the lwb Special Coupe which recorded sales of just 47 units during the 1934 season. (LATplate E3763 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
With cars ltucked away in garages for the duration, not too much is going-on in the PWMN world – or is that really the case? Some members are using the opportunity to press-on with long postponed updates and renovations. If you are making progress on a restoration, share the landmarks with some of the 300+ plus Discussion Forum members by joining us here.
Tony Gamble is currently building an Arrow Minor Special replica utilising a body built by Garry Waiting. In the early thirties the West London based coachbuilder, A.P. Compton & Co constructed plenty of these bodies for the Morris Minor chassis at their former tram depot works in Hanwell. Progress on Tony’s car had slowed of late as he and his wife Christine were planning on moving house this month, only for these plans to be scuppered by the coronavirus epidemic. Maybe this unfortunate setback will enable Tony to unpack some of his tools and press on with the build while he (and the rest of us) wait for calmer waters.
The custodian of this beautiful car submitted this great shot of his 1932 Morris ‘Eight’ Cunard Calshot special for inclusion in the updated Members’ Cars gallery. Over 120 images now reside there, many of them recently updated. Is your car among them? If not, submit a suitable (owner + car) image to chris@prewarminor.com
A scan of a five page article written by Jonathan Wood has been been added to the Post-war Minor articles archive here
Click the image to see it full size.
Morris Minor Two-seater JO 764
This is an unusual photo snippet of the £100 Minor development car (JO 764) in that the hood is folded away in its bag while the side-screens remain in position. Despite the publicity surrounding the launch of the model and the huge public interest that followed, the 1931 S.V. Two-seater found just 1455 customers over the seven months it remained in production.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The six-cylinder MG K3 enjoys legendary status among aficionados. These two scans from a sequence of five re-touched photographs display the model’s classic lines. (LAT Autocar photoscans courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The Members’ Cars section of the website is long overdue an update, with vehicles having changed hands and recent members not providing a photo as yet. As most of us have plenty of enforced time on our hands at the moment it does provide us with a golden opportunity to update our car’s gallery image. An adjunct to this request is that you include yourself in the photo, which may prove to be something of a hurdle for some, but this is a task where partners truly can play a role in your passion/pastime/hobby! Andy Brown was quick off the mark and submitted this image of his recently re-registered 1931 SV Minor Tourer (GFZ 778). Thanks Andy. Please submit your new photo(s) to chris@prewarminor.com
Peter Brock from Newcastle-upon-Tyne owns this much travelled 1934 Minor Four-door Saloon (AAO 463). Sadly, Peter will not be using his car for the foreseeable future as his one per-day permitted ‘away from base’ exercise period excludes that option – unless of course he drives there? Alternatively, he could push his car up and down his drive, which would provide a very good cardio work-out!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
WL 7180 was an early 1929 season MG Midget built in Oxford, prior to the company’s move to Abingdon later that year. It was also something of a celebrity vehicle, appearing on the cover of the Light Car & Cycle Car’s February 21st 1930 edition, while also featuring in a number of other magazine photos and snippets. Throughout 1929 and early 1930, J.V. Hay used it to compete in trials and circuit racing making extensive use of WL 7180’s capabilities. The first of the two photographs to be seen here (LATplate B2257) shows the car taking part in a July 1929 JCC High Speed Trial event at Brooklands, catching an Alvis on a bend of the Mountain Circuit. The second image (LATplate B2981) was taken during the running of the 1929 MCC London-Exeter Trial with WL 7180 climbing ‘Ibberton’ in what look to be dreadful conditions. (Both photos courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
1932 Cunard Calshot
This is a pre-restoration shot of 1932 Cunard Calshot MU 6066. The Calshot was built by the Cunard Coachworks in Acton, West London and was based upon a 1932 long-wheel-base Minor chassis, which at that time was powered by the OHC engine. The Cunard busines was a wholly owned subsidiary of London Morris main dealers, Stewart & Ardern who exclusively marketed the model. The image seen here was taken when the car was in the ownership of David Saunders. Hopefully, a photo shoot involving all three survivors can be arranged when the ongoing restoration of MU 6066 is completed.
PS The MG TA in the background (DON 523) was first registered by Birmingham CBC in November 1937.
In view of the ongoing Coronavirus emergency it has been deemed necessary to cancel the Network’s 2020 Rally which was to be held over the weekend 3rd-5th June. Plans are being made to retain the same venue for the 2021 event, thus ensuring that those entered for 2020 will eventually get to see the beautiful border country through which the rally’s tours pass.
Despite the fact that it looks like a proportion of us are about to be placed in Coronavirus isolation for an extended period there still remains some time to have fun in our cars before the doors finally clang shut! Non-qualifiers in respect of age, Janie Maeers and Geof Wilson, set the example in Janie’s 1929 Minor Tourer (VJ 1756) ‘Prudence’ recently, taking to the Leicestershire byways to enjoy the spring weather.
Click the image to see it full size.
YD 4198
Side valve chassis SV 13467 left Cowley at the end of February 1932 and was shipped to the Jensen Brother’s coachworks in West Bromwich. It was then fitted with one of their new 2+2 McEvoy special bodies and registered by Somerset County Council as YD 4198 shortly afterward. This photo was taken in 1971 when the car was in the ownership of James Peacop in Cheshire, remaining in his custodianship until 2017 when it was sold at a Brightwell’s auction, achieving a record sale price for a pre-war Minor. Sitting behind the McEvoy is 1930 Minor Tourer EC 6065, which at that time was extensively campaigned by Jim in VSCC trials events. This photo appears here courtesy of Mike Adams who owns the Jensen/McEvoy section of the Harry Edwards archive.
Belfast born Billy Sullivan raced Minor Specials that bore his name. His exploits in the thirties went largely unnoticed and unrecorded until an Automobile magazine article published in April 1994 (written by John S. Moore) aroused interest in the pre-war Minor world. Harry Edwards, the former Morris Register historian, followed this up in 2007 with another well researched piece and both articles appear in a short tribute entitled Billy Sullivan and his Minor Specials which can be found at the foot of The Minor in competition page within the Member’s Area.
Following the recent heightened U.K. Government warning concerning the Coronavirus threat, those organising the Network’s June rally have discussed a number of possible resulting scenarios. These include complete cancellation or a postponement until later in the year. A final decision will be announced on 28th March.
Fitting new flexible couplings to a Minor should be a straightforward task. Plenty of forum posts over the last decade have indicated that is not always the case. An official Morris guide entitled ‘Running hints in pictures no.41’, first published in July 1934 has now been added in PDF form to the Technical section of the Member’s Area under ‘Gearbox, clutch & differential’.
Tony Gamble from Selby, North Yorks is to be the the new owner of award winning 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon VG 2007. Halbe Tjepkema reports that the car sold within 36 hours of its appearance on the Network’s home page and forum. DZ-50-41 will lose its Dutch identity in April when the car is shipped back across the North Sea.
Click the image to see it full size.
Light Car cover images
The Light Car magazine (The Light Car & Cyclecar until the autumn of 1933) was a hugely successful publication throughout the thirties, but particularly in the years 1930-1934, the period prior to the launch of the Practical Motorist magazine. It’s full page cover photographs regularly featured cars loaned by manufacturers for road tests and launch articles, the black & white imagery contrasting with the magazines colour title-banner, selected from a range of red, orange, green, blue & yellow. The differing colours may have had some significance not apparent to the writer. Here a 1932 Swallow bodied Wolseley Hornet Two-seater has been photographed at the roadside, a short distance from the Cherhill White Horse in a beautiful Wiltshire setting.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This is a LAT Collection Autocar Photoscan from a May 1936 edition of the magazine, showing 1931 MG C Type (VD 30) taking part in that year’s Abingdon Trial. The car survives and continues to compete in the capable hands of Triple M guru Barry Foster. (Photo: courtesy Motorsport Images)
Halbe Tjepkema from The Hague has placed his 1929 Morris Minor Fabric Saloon (DZ-50-41 ex VG 2007) for sale. The car was recovered from a Bungay, Suffolk barn in January 2008 and was subjected to a sympathetic and meticulous ten year restoration program. The finished car made its debut at the 2018 PWMN ‘Pacesetters’ Rally in Suffolk. Full details can be found on the website’s forum.
Networkers Martin and Jean Gregory have recently moved house from Northants to Somerset. The logistical problem of getting both the ‘modern’ and 1931 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (UF 7090) to Somerset on the same day was resolved by the hiring of a vehicle transporter specialist who used this enclosed trailer to carry out the task.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Only 26 cars entered the 1931 Le Mans 24 hour race and just seven finished. As mentioned in earlier TMCs posts, one of those seven finishers was the MG C type of Sir Francis Samuelson and Freddie Kindell who were left ‘unclassified’ as their final lap took in excess of 30 minutes, contravening a race regulation. The second MG C Type to take part that weekend (Car number 32) was privately entered by the Honourable Mrs Joan Chetwynd who co-drove her car with Henry Stisted. Unfortunately, her Midget was forced to retire on lap 30 with an engine related problem. Neither of the other two cars to be seen in this LAT Collection photo (B6272), BNC no. 27 (Duverne & Girod) or the 4.5 litre Bentley no.7 (Bevan & Couper) made it the finish. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
UN 1579
Although the quality of this image leaves much to be desired it does portray a very early Morris Minor Tourer. UN 1579 was first registered in Denbigh in the autumn of 1928 very soon after the first Minors started leaving the Cowley plant. The reverse of the image has (another) one word caption, “Cardiff”. The K2 phoneboxes in the background don’t help to date the photograph as they were first introduced in 1924, while the cobbled roadways may indicate that the timing was earlier rather than later in the Thirties decade.
Click the image to see it full size.
WL 9243
This eBay postcard shows Oxford registered 1931 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (WL 9243) parked outside of the Hotel Abington. The internet reveals that there are two Abingtons’ in the U.K., one located in South Lanarkshire, Scotland the other in Northamptonshire, England. With the car’s registration the only visual clue, it’s likely that this photo was taken in Abington, Northants. (South Cambridgeshire has two Abingtons, although they are prefixed by the words ‘Great’ and ‘Little’ respectively.
In the July 2017 edition of Morris Monthly, Morris Register historian Tom Bourne, proved conclusively that the three known designs built around a shortened long-wheel-base Minor chassis were originally destined to become the revised Minor range for the 1934 model season. This trio of photos features the Two-seater model and illustrates clearly the repositioning (further forward) of the radiator. These non-adopted designs are now universally referred to as the ‘Ugly Duckling’ range. (Photos: Morris Register archive)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This MG C Type Midget was ‘first-in-class’ and finished 6th overall in the 1933 Le Mans 24 hour race. Here, John Ludovic Ford and Maurice Baumer both of whom shared the driving duties that weekend are feted by the locals, including a gendarme and a race official. (LATplate C869 appears here courtesy of Motorsport Images)
There has been plenty of speculation and discussion concerning the purpose and necessity of the Bellville washer in the Minor engine. Chris Healey provides some insight in his technical article ‘ The mysterious Bellville washer’, which can now be found under ‘Engines’ in the website’s Technical area.
1933 (’34 season) Minor Two-seater (UD 5774) has recently appeared on the market and is currently being listed for sale by a trader in Bicester. This car underwent a complete and thorough restoration between 2012 and 2015. At that time, the owner established a thread on this website’s forum to record the car’s progress back to road-worthiness. Any prospective buyers may wish to check this out by joining our forum here.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This well executed action shot of an airborn MG Q Type driven by Tim Davies, appeared on page 524 of the 29th March 1935 edition of The Autocar and was taken at Syston Park during the Inter Varsity Speed Trials. Davies eventually wrested the FTD from K.D. Evans (also Q Type) recording a time of 28.0 seconds over the half mile course. (This LAT photoscan appears here courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Worthing Minor
Featuring here this week are two family snapshops of a pre 31 season OHC Minor Coachbuilt Saloon. Just a single word caption appears on the reverse of both photos – ‘Worthing’. Very little else of substance can be gleaned from either image, other than it’s clear that the husband is a better photographer than his wife, or at least has a far steadier hand!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Just two MGs’ were entered for the 1931 Le Mans 24 hour endurance race, car no 31 driven by the Samuelson/Kindell pairing, along with car no. 32 that of the Hon. Mrs Chetwynd and Stisted. Both cars were C Type Midgets. Sadly neither car recorded a ‘finish’, Mrs Chetwynd’s Midget failing on lap 30 with timing gear issues, while the Samuelson/Stisted car completed the race only for the result to be expunged, as the car didn’t complete the last lap in under 30 minutes. Above, Mrs Chetwynd’s C Type is seen passing the 1.5 litre Aston Martin driven by Newsome/Peacock as that car leaves the pits. (LAT Motor Sport film – courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
VX 7908
This 1931 season Minor Coachbuilt Saloon was first registered in Chelmsford, Essex towards the tail-end of 1930. The revised bumper brackets were new for that season as were the strengthened wheel centres, although that type is not evident in this snapshot. The Minor is definitely showing signs of its age, indicating perhaps that the photo may well have been taken in the post-war years. Thanks to Mike Tebbett for forwarding this charming image and also to Bruce Dowell for permitting its use.
This ‘special’ body has adorned much-modified 1930 Minor WL 9353 for at least 62 years. Morris Register member Clive Cotteral recalls buying the car in 1958, its special body already being in situ. It was used extensively throughout the sixties, although it has now been off-the-road since 1992. Clive has subsequently passed the car on to another family member and the hope is that it will eventually join the growing band of roadworthy pre-war Minors. Let’s hope so!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This photograph was taken at the 1933 running of the Le Mans 24 hour race showing the Hendy-Parker MG J3 leading the Singer Nine of Barnes & Langley somewhere on the Circuit de la Sarthe. Unfortunately, the J3 was among the many DNFs’ that day while just one MG Midget, that of Ford and Baumer took the chequered flag, finishing sixth overall. The Singer however did finish, albeit in thirteenth and last place, covering 1900.9 miles in the process. (LATplate C863 – courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
1933 Hornet Coupe
Yet another eBay find, this time an April 1933 London registered Wolseley Hornet Coupe (AGT 574). It’s likely that the proud owner of what looks to be a newish car is operating the camera shutter on this shot, his family firmly ensconced in the comfortable cabin. These coupe models were extremely well equipped and sold for £245, a full £47 more than the standard saloon model.
Click the image to see it full size.
The White Minor (again!)
Thanks to the Harry Edwards Archive, yet more information is now available concerning the post-war history of the White Minor Skinner Special. After it was sold by John Bolster it changed hands on at least six occasions during the late fifties and early sixties. One such owner was a W.G.A. Davies who lived in Shooters Hill in South East London and it’s him we must thank for these interesting photos taken in either 1961 or 1962. At this time the car was fitted with an 1172 cc Ford E93A S.V. engine. As can be seen, the car’s dash panel differs significantly from its pre-war racing days with a motley array of instruments, some from the early thirties and others of later origin. The original Hartford shock absorbers have also gone to be replaced by post war telescopic units. It’s hoped that a future article in the Minor Musings series can fully detail the chronology of the car’s ownership in the post war years.
This is an interesting late thirties or early post-war snapshot of a Standard Eight (prepared for re-painting) and what could be a 1930 or 31 Abbey Wolseley Hornet special. The age of the car can be determined by the pre-Magna wheels which were only fitted to 1930 and 31 season models. Why the ‘could be’? This car has a single set of louvres and a cheek-line on its bonnet side, while all other Hornet bonnets of this period had three individual groups of louvres without further decoration. Of course by this time in the car’s life, perhaps eight or nine years after it was built, the original bonnet could have been replaced but there is just a chance that there isn’t a Wolseley badge adorning the radiator on this car.
Each year a new Event Galleries page is launched and 2020 is not to be an exception. The new page now contains 14 images, all taken at the recent VSCC Driving Tests held at the Brooklands Museum, Weybridge. Find it here.
Click the image to see it full size.
1934 season Minor 5 cwt van advertisement – Fish Trades Gazette
The Network’s archive contains very few advertisements, or promotional material of any stype, for the Minor 5 cwt van, something of a failing, as the 5 cwt van was the second only to the Minor Saloon in the sales stakes. This recently sourced advertisement for a 1934 season model (with eddy free front!) goes a little way towards correcting that anomoly. It’s interesting to see that Morris Motors trawled the business journals (an awful pun – apologies) to find suitable periodicals in which to advertise their Light Vans.
The Triple M series of MG’s (Midget, Magna & Magnette) all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The Varsity Speed Trials was an annual event, taking place each spring between teams representing Oxford and Cambridge Universities. In 1930 the event venue was a private estate near Newmarket, Suffolk. Here an unnamed undergraduate heads towards the photographer as he pilots a stripped-down MG Midget, devoid of headlamps, wings, valances and windscreen, yet carrying a passenger? (LATplate B3184 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The VSCC’s Brooklands Driving Tests event is a firm New Year fixture in the club’s calendar. This year the day was blessed with glorious winter sunshine and as a result a much larger than usual crowd attended. They were treated to some spirited driving, particularly from David Rolfe in his Riley engined MG M Type special (VU 7908). Here he is seen at the end of a test sharing a joke with a marshall.
RD 4648 is a 1933 registered Meredith ‘Trinity’ Wolseley Hornet Special. The pre-digital photo seen here was taken sometime prior to August 2010 at which point the DVLA placed an export marker against the registration, indicating that the car had been sold overseas. The Trinity name was adopted as the car could be configured in three differing guises viz: a Foursome Drophead Coupe, an open four-seat tourer and finally as a sports Two-seater. At least one other ‘Trinity’ Hornet Special is known to survive here in the U.K.
Click the image to see it full size.
PS 782
The PS (Zetland) sequence of registrations was of long duration, commencing in January 1904 and concluding in 1964 with PS 4080. This 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon (PS 782) was one of just 54 vehicles registered on Zetland that year and looks to be in excellent condition, so perhaps a recent arrival from the mainland. The two men featured (almost certainly brothers) are very smartly dressed for a forthcoming formal occasion or maybe just for the photograph. (A Shetland Museum photo)
This is another eBay snapshot purchase, although on this occasion in negative form. The car is a 1932 or 1933 Wolseley Hornet Drophead Coupe Special which was bodied by Eustace Watkins. Unfortunately, the registration number is indistinct (possibly KX – a Buckinghamshire plate). It’s likely that the photograph was taken toward the latter end of the thirties decade in view of the age of the other vehicles in shot.
Each September, for the start of the new model season, Morris Motors produced a truncated illustrated range leaflet, launched simultaneously with the fully detailed range brochure. A PDF of the Minor section of the 1933 leaflet has just been added to the open area of the website under ‘Cars’/The Minor/Brochure entries. Alternatively use this link and look for 1933 Morris Range Leaflet – Minor Models https://www.prewarminor.com/brochure-entries#elf_l1_Lw
The Network’s 2020 ‘Marches’ Rally is now just six five months distant. If you haven’t booked as yet, now is the time to do so. The Welsh Marches in late spring is a spectacularly beautiful part of the UK and the tour routes chosen by this year’s hosts, Tony and June Adlard exploit those memorable Marches vistas to the full. To join us over the weekend of 5th-7th June go to the Rally Page here and complete an entry form – it’s as simple as that!
The coachbuilding firm of R.E.A.L. was located in Ealing, London W.5 and in the early to mid-thirties the business designed and constructed some extremeley good looking light car bodies, including this 2+2 fixed-head coupe type (seen above) fitted to a 1932 Wolseley Hornet Special chassis. Motor Sport magazine provided a comprehensive description of the model (known as the ‘Patrician’) in its August 1932 edition (page 474) and the car’s art deco interior styling and opulent finish is very apparent in this publicity photograph.
Click the image(s) to see it/them at full size.
Archive gems
The LAT Collection contains a host of motoring treasures, many of which haven’t seen the light of day for decades. An early visit in 2012 to Haymarket’s Teddington, Middx base (at that point Haymarket were the custodian’s of the LAT Collection), unearthed these three photographs, all of which appeared in the Light Car & Cyclecar magazine in the autumn of 1928. They were discovered in a neglected folder and all had the Light Car & Cyclecar stamp on their reverse side. They show images of the very recently released Morris Minor Fabric Saloon which (almost certainly) was one of the early development cars, as these photos reveal a number of features that were absent from production models. (Light Car Photoscans courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The Fairmile in Cobham, Surrey was the venue for a recent New Year lunch and get-together, attended by members of the Network’s Home Counties ‘chapter’. The meet was organised by Kenneth and Liz Allen, owners of DG 8657, a 1934 Minor Saloon, while completing the party were Phil Sowry, Eric and Janice Cheetham and Alister and Mollie Reed.
Thanks to Chris Healey scans of the Minor related pages from an early thirties Brown Brothers catalogue are now available to view in the Member’s Area. The 10 page PDF can be found in the Technical Section, filed under the sub-heading ‘Everything Else’. The image quality is far from perfect but significantly adds to the useful available data, despite these shortcomings.
Here in the U.K. a tradition has developed over the Christmas holidays, this period now becoming a recognised time to exercise classic and vintage cars. Hundreds of ‘meets’, mainly on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day take place in pub car parks and on village greens all over the country, while others just take their cars out for a mid-winter spin. Plenty of Networkers’ took to the lanes and byways, proven by this compilation of photographs, all of which were taken over the last ten days.
Over the weekend of 14th-18th March 1933 The RAC ‘Hastings’ Rally took place, only the second such running of the event following its inauguration in 1932. In all, 327 cars took part, starting from 9 different venues across the UK, and included among them were 23 Wolseley Hornets. Just three of these were described as Hornet Coupes, like this 1932 Eustace Watkins example. One of that number was an Arrow Coupe (see Wolseley Hornet Specials no.41), therefore without a sight of this car’s competition number, (carried on the front) it leaves two possible drivers for this entry, surprisingly both female. So it’s either Mrs M. Vaughn or Miss H. Astbury who is driving *X 9036 on the Stop/Restart test seen taking place here in a Hastings back street. (LATplate B9749 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
1929 Morris Minor Tourer RM 6065
This quartet of snapshots was a recent eBay purchase, all of which depict a Cumberland registered 1929 built Minor Tourer (RM 6065) with family members posing alongside. Three are captioned with the names of the individuals in shot and the portrait image mentions that it was “taken near Grasmere”. The shot of the car with a male at the wheel enables the viewer to see the flat bottom to the bonnet side, along with the solid nickel radiator, both of which changed at chassis no. 14456, thus confirming its ‘early’ status.
While the post Christmas blues may be affecting some Networkers, others have blown the cobwebs away by taking to the highways – in Mike Hobson‘s case, the very high ways! Here his 1933 Hardy Hornet Special (APB 670) sits atop of Holme Moss (1719 feet ASL) after climbing the peak in 3 minutes 25 seconds. Martin Gregory‘s 1931 Coachbuilt Saloon (UF 7090) was also out on a proving run on 29th December. Martin reports that his recent gearbox and speedo work has paid dividends and that the car performed impeccably during its 60 mile outing.
A new page celebrating the last active years of the Brooklands complex has been launched within the Member’s Area of the website. Four individual galleries containing over sixty images in total, the majority being taken during the thirties decade, include shots of Brooklands personalities, vistas of the track and of course, cars competing on the banked circuit.
Saturday 8th June 2019 Time 12:35 PM: A trio of Minor Saloons trundle into the car park of The Prince Leopold Inn at Upton Lovell, Wilts – the venue for the Network’s lunchtime ‘halt’ on the 2019 Rally’s ‘long tour’. The two 1930 Coachbuilt Saloons (WD 1430 & VX 4590) were being driven by Stuart Clark and Ken Martin, while the partly obscured 1933 Saloon (LV 975) was under the expert pilotage of Peter Yates.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
In 1934 MG introduced their Q Type racing car. Apparently, just eight were built and all were powered by the zoller-supercharged OHC 746 cc engine, a development of the Minor’s engine from 1928. While the original Minor engine developed just 20 bhp at 3500 rpm, it’s claimed that the Q Type unit could better 110bhp at 7200 rpm. These cars have lapped the outer circuit at Brooklands at 122 mph, a truly remarkable achievement. Here can be seen an example owned by the Bellvue Garage racing team from Wandsworth, S.W London and driven by Kenneth Evans. The photo was taken at Donington Park on 11th May 1935 by Bill Brunell.
( An apology – It has been pointed out that the second cutaway image that initially appeared here was of a 6-cylinder K3 and Not a Q Type. The caption editor has been fired!)
Click the image to see it full size.
1933 Wolseley Hornet Coupe
This scan of a heavily retouched Autocar column header from a February 1933 edition of the magazine shows one of the new Wolseley Hornet Coupe bodied cars, a style that was very much in vogue at that time. A plethora of British manufacturers, including Morris, Austin, Lanchester, Rover and Wolseley all produced examples of these highly stylised coupe bodied models, described by Morris as Sports/Special Coupes. Singer bucked the trend and produced an elegant two-door coupe for their Nine, choosing not to disfigure its shapely lines by the use of dummy pramhood irons. This posed shot was taken on an airfield where one of the DeHavilland DH 60 Gypsy Moth aircraft was parked alongside. (LAT photoscan courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Richard Hartley has recently acquired this spring 1934, Ipswich registered, Minor Two-seater (PV 1165). The car is in need of a full restoration and is also missing some key parts. Richard has joined the website and Discussion Forum where it’s hoped the membership can help him find some of the parts he requires.
I’m saddened to have to announce the passing of Network member Peter Elliott. Peter had attended our last three rallies and will be missed by all in our community who knew him. Peter had not been well for a while but did not permit this to get in the way of his enjoyment of his Minor and the new friends he made among us. Our condolences go to his family. (Chris Lambert)
1933 Windover Hornet fixed-head-coupe
The Windover coachbuilding concern were renown for the quality of their car bodies, the majority of their customers owning opulent up-market vehicles. The fixed-head-coupe body on a 1933 Wolseley Hornet Special chassis as seen here, perfectly illustrates this, particularly the well appointed interior of the car. While the body styling is unadventourous, its clean lines are pleasing on the eye. (Both images from The LAT Collection, courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Minor rumours and speculation
News of a new model from a major car manufacturer creates quite a stir today, particularly in the motoring press. Much speculation takes place and grainy ‘spy’ photos of heavily disguised cars are published with paint schemes aimed at breaking-up the car’s outline. The motoring magazines then put together their own ‘artist impressions’ taken from the spy photos and these are then analysed by their experts. In the twenties and thirties much the same took place, although without quite the razzmatazz seen today. Here are two images that illustrate that point. In the spring of 1928 rumours concerning the forthcoming baby car from Morris Motors were rife. Just prior to the first official photos being released in June, The Autocar released their own impression of what the car was likely to look like. Thankfully, they were way off beam as this awful mocked-up photo shows. Later, in February 1930 news was circulating among the motoring journals of a new small six-cylinder car from Morris. On this occasion, The Autocar‘s mock-up was almost spot-on in terms of appearance, except that the car they depicted was badged as a Morris. When the new ‘six’ did appear just two months later, it of course carried a Wolseley motif on its radiator.
Please note that some members are currently unable to login to the the forum, receiving a message that their login details are incorrect. This issue is of a universal nature and is affecting hundreds of Tapatalk forums across the globe. The issue is known to Tapatalk and their technical people are working on the problem. If this affects you please notify the webmaster at chris@prewarminor.com
Kenneth Allen‘s 1934 Minor Saloon (DG 8657 aka DouG) has suffered more than its fair share of issues in recent times, keeping it off the road for long periods. Hopefully, the recurring problems are now things of the past and Kenneth and Minor can once again enjoy the delights of rural Surrey, as in this recent festive photo taken at Send Marsh Green.
The Toby Sears owned 1932 Minor Two-seater (PJ 5155) has recently been pressed into service as his main form of transport with his ‘modern’ being temporarily out of commission. This photo was taken on a dull, wet and windswept day on the Hampshire coast where his LED illuminated headlamps ensured that his Minor was clearly visible to other road users. It’s worth repeating the mantra ‘See and be seen’.
It’s rare to find a latter half of the 20th century article concerning the pre-war Morris Minor in which errors can’t be found. An October 1982 Autocar article by Andrew Whyte is a notable exception. Perhaps it was because Andrew was a Minor owner himself or that his prolific motoring output required detailed research, whatever the reason, his ‘The £100 car’ is an excellent read. This article and ‘Wheel to wheel’ a cbrief comparison of the Minor with the Ford Eight ‘Y’ Type can be found in ‘The Minor Story’ filed under Post-war articles.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This unidentified (perhaps VB 98**) MG Midget Sportsman’s Coupe is seen taking part in the 1931 running of the MG Car Club Trial. The driver was AS Curtis while the photographer was none other than the prolific Bill Brunell. What is interesting about this photo is that the coupe’s neatly designed sunshine roof is in the open position, the only such image in the archive. The front bumper was a non-standard fitment and does nothing for the looks of the car, while the trafficators and spotlight affixed to the ‘A’ pillar are further visual distractions. The large calormeter and wings coupled with the full-length sunvisor might indicate that Mr. Curtis enjoys embellishing his car. What is evident is the effectiveness of the rear-wing mud shield. This is simply an extention of the door. While mud and road dirt collect here, when the door is opened, it swings clear of the clothes of those entering or leaving the vehicle. (Is that a bird on the scuttle?)
Click the image to see it full size.
GN 5195
This snapshot of an early 1931 London registered Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (GN 5195) is another recent eBay purchase. As this OHC Minor was leaving the end of the production line, the very first ‘utility’ SV Minors were beginning to find customers. The dilemma facing some prospective Minor customers (and perhaps this one as well) was not just about which engine type to select for powering their new acquisition, but what that final model choice may say about them and their aspirations? Of course model ‘price’ will have been a very significant factor but the prospect of driving a visibly utilatarian model versus a model with chrome ancillaries, bumpers and a (limited) colour choice will have swayed some to find the extra money and buy the OHC version, or perhaps to simply walk around the corner and see what was on offer at their nearest Austin Seven dealer! No heart or head choices to be made there.
There is something akin to a rivalry between owners of open and closed cars, each expounding the virtues of one type over the other, given the opportunity. However, there can be little doubt that when the temperature sits just a few degrees above freezing and there is the prospect of rain, or even snow in the air, the saloon car wins hands down! Here, Ken Martin‘s 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (VX 4590) was photographed in such conditions, the photographer safe in the knowledge that when he re-enters the cabin the heat generated by the engine will soon warm him up! (Photo: Ken Martin)
The Home Counties Section recently held their Christmas get-together at the salubrious RAC Club in Woodcote Park, near Epsom in Surrey. While just two pre-war cars were in attendance, nine section members made it, including Mike Gorman who is driving the 1934 Morris Ten-four Tourer (OY 9328) seen here. Just behind the 10/4 is Keith Durston‘s 1931 MG Midget (EV 433), the photograph being taken as both cars pass through the venue’s famous gates.
Over the months of November and December 1954 the Practical Motorist and Motor Cyclist published a four-page article in two installment entitled ‘Overhauling the Morris Minor & Eight‘. It was directed squarely at the do-it-yourself pre-war Minor & Eight motorists of the time although it remains equally relevant for today’s owners of the model. The article covers both the Minor OHC and SV versions of the car and is easy to read and informative. The article can now be found in the Member’s Area, Technical Bits section under ‘Everything Else’.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Despite its recent arrival on the scene, by the time this photo was taken (17th August 1935) the Donington circuit was already an established motor sport venue, having staged it’s first meeting race meeting just 30 months earlier. Its central location meant enthusiasts from the Midlands and North of England could now see the top drivers in action without the need to travel to the south-west of London and the Brooklands circuit to do so. The cars lined-up in this LAT collection photo (C7225) are taking part in the first event of the day, a five lap handicap. Eight cars were entered, just six made it to the start line and Ken Wharton’s Austin Seven (no.33) rolled on the first corner, fortunately without injury to the driver. After this incident the race was won easily by D.S. Handley in his MG ‘C’ Type Midget (no.30). A full report on the race and the rest of the meeting can be found on page 501 of the September 1935 edition of Motor Sport magazine. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
PN 7459 1931 SV Minor
PN 7459 was the subject of a short feature by Harry Edwards in the summer 1981 edition of the Morris Register’s ‘Journal’ magazine. The photograph seen here was scanned for the archive from a box file loaned to me by Ken Martin following Harry’s death. The car’s story is an interesting one in that it was converted from a 1931 Minor van to a special in 1937 utilising some of the van’s bodywork in its construction. The original article and more photographs can be found by following this link.
Dan Brockway recently took his 1932 Minor Saloon (MV 6416) on a proving run to the Haynes Motor Museum at Sparkford, Somerset. On the way he stopped at the Sturminster Newton Mill to take this photograph of a view that will be familar to those Minorists who entered the 2007 VMR Rally, as this was a planned stop on the rally’s Saturday tour.
The new Pre-war Minor Network wall-hanging calendars are now available to purchase. Price per calendar is £12 inc. UK p&p and €17 inc. p&p rest of EU. (Please contact chris@prewarminor.com for costs to other non-EU locations). The calendars are printed on 240 gsm gloss card, are wiro bound and feature the 12 winning images from our 2019 POTY Competition, as selected by the team at Motorsport Images. Payment is accepted by via PayPal, electronic money transfer or cheques drawn on UK banks. Please email chris@prewarminor.com for bank account details should you wish to transfer funds electronically.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
These two recently acquired images depict a mid-1930 Carlisle registered MG M Type Midget (HH 5340). The photo was possibly taken in the late forties or fifties, the Midget having undergone a skin transplant at some point, losing its original fabric covering and being reclad in steel or aluminium, while the owner’s garments also hark back to that period. The car’s scuttle provides the clue to its re-skinning , where a neat row of rivet heads can be seen joining the scuttle top to the side. (The factory produced, metal clad car did not make its debut until the 1931 season). As to why the Union flag is being displayed on the property opposite is open to conjecture, perhaps to celebrate the coronation of 1953, or the end of WWII ?
Blazing a trail with a Minor.
These two images were scanned from a recently acquired August 1930 edition of the Morris Overseas Mail magazine. They immediately struck a chord as the Australian Minor Roadster and its journey into the Australian bush was familiar to me. Upon checking the archive I found two further references to this expedition. The first was a short article in a May 1930 edition of The Autocar, the second being a full length article from the August 1935 edition of The Morris Owner. As to why the magazine published the article a full year after the Minor ceased production and five years after it took place is mystifying. The article however bears witness to the ruggedness of the Minor’s running gear under what were atrocious conditions. The 1935 Morris Owner article can be read by following the link below. (Chris Lambert – November 2019)
Congratulations to Peter Brock for this superb photo, entitled ‘Northern Light’. A clear winner according to the judges. Peter hails from the North East of England and lives not too far away from St Mary’s Island near Whitley Bay where this lighthouse is located. The photo was taken on 14th November 2019 on the 321st anniversary of the opening of the Eddystone lighthouse on 14th November 1698. Peter now becomes the new custodian of the LAT Plate, the trophy donated in recognition of the competition’s sponsors.
This photo (shot on film) was taken by Ken Martin back in the early noughties at a VSCC rally near Tewkesbury, the first such event the car (1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon OU 6930) and its newish owner had attended. The owner was made to feel very welcome by Barry Rogers (left) – where are you now Barry and come to that where is OU 6930?
Click the image to see it full size.
Calcutta – Spring 1930
This cutting is from the August 1930 edition of The Morris Overseas Mail magazine and shows the comparatively rare sight of a Minor Saloon on the sub-continent. The two brief paragraphs of text accompanying the image tells of Mr Whittacker’s satisfaction with the model and its achievements in Calcutta’s busy traffic. He claims that his Fabric Saloon has a top-speed of 53 mph and regularly achieves 47 mpg. Keeping a fabric skinned car in sub-tropical conditions must surely have taxed those charged with maintaining the integrity of the body. It’s known that in the tip of the North Island in New Zealand birds used the flock beneath the skin of imported Fabric Saloons as nest lining material. Similar issues may have also occurred in India.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Donington Park 12th May 1934: A hectic start to one of the feature races that day showing a solitary Ford Eight Special, driven by T.C. Harrison, leading a smoking pack of six MGs away from the line. The three Midgets with visible competition numbers were driven by; 19 J.R. Grice, 21 W.G. Everitt and 26 P.H. Lim. (LATplate C3411 – courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Our Photograph of the Year Competition closes at midnight (GMT) on Monday 18th November. If you have a photograph that qualifies for entry, then go to the POTY page here, where you will find the rules and also the gallery containing the images entered to date. Please note that entry is ‘free’. (Photo: Peter Brock)
There are probably fewer than 25 Minor Sports and Special Coupes surviving across the globe. This one, a 1933 season car, has recently been unearthed in Bury, Greater Manchester. Despite losing its original registration, it comes with a current V5 and is already attracting bids on eBay here.
Click the image to see it full size.
Family lane-side picnic circa 1930
Period images featuring families sharing a summer afternoon’s picnic alongside their cars are anything but rare. An image search on Google or a trawl through eBay will reveal many of this genre. However, few are as well composed or photographed as this example. Here, the occupants of two cars, perhaps an extended family, have assembled by the roadside to consume their picnic on a beautiful summer day. In the large late twenties saloon (1928 Morris Cowley) sits the matriarch while her kith and kin are seated on the grass around her. The 1929 season Minor Fabric Saloon may be owned by the photographer who has captured this late twenties/early thirties middle-class idyll for posterity. (Image via Ken Martin)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
On Friday 8th and Saturday 9th May 1930 the Junior Car Club hosted the ‘British Double Twelve Hour Race’ at the Brooklands circuit. At this event a five-car MG Midget team created a considerable stir by winning the team prize, following a fierce battle with the much fancied Austin Seven team. The team Midgets that took part that day were all identical adaptations of the standard production versions, their team victory boosting sales of the model. Following this event, the five cars went on to compete throughout 1930 and beyond. One of these team cars can be seen here, taking part and in the thick of the action at the JCC ‘Member’s Day’ event on Saturday 5th July 1930. The question is, which of the five is it? (Edited extract from LATplate B4388 – courtesy of Motorsport Images)
An appeal. To date we have entries from just 10 individuals to our annual POTY competition. I’m of course aware that it’s early days and that there is plenty of time remaining before entry closes. I’m also aware that some are ‘keeping their powder dry’ while others have yet to find the time to interrogate their photo files before submitting their entry or entries – for which I thank you in advance. But…
Well over 300 of you view this website every week. All Minor/Midget/Hornet owners who visit here will have a favourite image of their car and even those not fortunate enough to currently own an eligible example will still have seen a car or a photo which was enough to fire their enthusiasm for the model(s). Last year there were entries from 24 individuals which generated 61 images for the judges to pore over. Surely, we can better that in 2019? While there exists an upper limit of 3 entries per member, the lower limit is just one solitary photo – which can’t be that difficult to find. All I need is a digital file of your photo to be emailed to me chris@prewarminor.com , the larger the file size the better and I will do the rest. While the prize for the winning entry is not going to change your life, it’s certainly worth having and even if you don’t win, there is a respectable chance that your image might make it into the 2020 Network calendar. Websites survive and thrive because of the inputs of members and photo competitions are made all-the-more interesting by a wide-ranging variety of entries from photographers across all skill levels. So please take 5 minutes out of your day before Monday 18th November (when entry closes) to select and send your favourite shot.
Chris Lambert – webmaster
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A.P. Squire‘s 1933 MG J2 Midget (ALP 363) is seen here competing in the 1936 MCC London-Edinburgh Trial (29th & 30th May) on one of the four ‘observed’ hills, these being, Park Rash, Summer Lodge, Wrynose Pass and Hard Knott Pass. He gained a Premier Award. (LATplate C8912 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Peter Skinner (again)
Following on from IOTW no.500, this image shows the elder of the Skinner siblings wrestling his car around the Lower ‘S’ at Shelsley Walsh in 1938. According to contemporary reports, the 4.2 litre Hudson engined special was exceedingly quick along the straights, while testing the driver’s abilities to the full on the corners. It’s interesting to note that in 1938 crash helmets were required to be worn under the regulations, while for most of the thirties this wasn’t the case. (LAT ‘Motor’ film courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Dig out your favourite Minor, Midget and Hornet photographs and enter them for this year’s PWMN POTY competition. Full details can be found on this page along with the first few entries. The top twelve photos, as voted for by our panel of judges from Motor Sport Images will feature on our 2020 calendar – available early December.
A final reminder: Entry opens to the 2019 POTY competition on Monday 4th November. A photo of your car, or your favourite image of someone else’s Minor, Midget or Hornet could be adorning a page or pages of the forthcoming 2020 Pre-war Minor Network calendar. Entry is ‘free’ and don’t forget that you can enter up to three images. Full details can be found here.
Philippe Prigent from Brest, France constructed his 1929 ‘sporting’ Two-seater Minor (CR-328-EW) from the remains of a fifties homebuilt wreck he imported from the UK. For the past three years he has attended the Montlhery Classic event where he has raced the Minor on the circuit’s steep banking. This paddock shot was taken in early May 2019.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This is a Bill Brunell image of RX 8306, a 1931 MG C Type. A present day survivor, RX 8306 had an extremely varied competition career during the early thirties. Here the car is taking part in what is believed to to be the 1932 running of the Inter Varsity Trial, driven by H.S. Linfield, the editor of the Autocar magazine. It also took part in circuit racing at Brooklands, hill climbing at Shelsley, speed trials at Lewes, and was driven on Pendine sands by G.E.T. Eyston in a class H ‘Flying Mile’ record attempt on 4th January 1932. It’s currently owned by Chris Cadman who continues to race the car in VSCC and other historic events.
This internet sourced museum image of what is almost certainly a 1933 Minor 5 cwt van, (despite the 1934 season car front wings) is very peculiarly liveried. Zentis are a German jam manufacturer and yet the vehicle’s owner may has elected to signwrite the words Royal Mail above the Zentis logo, perhaps in acknowledgement of the van’s origins?
Click the image to see it full size.
Peter Skinner & the Red Skinner Special
This superb portrait of Peter Skinner was taken at Shelsley Walsh in September 1938. By this time his Red Minor Skinner Special had been radically altered by the installation of a Hudson Straight Eight power unit of 4168 cc developing 138 bhp. It’s not easy to ascertain just how much of the original Morris Minor was retained at this point but the likelihood is that it was very little. His sister Barbara, also competed in the same car at this event. (LAT Photo C15901 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Date: 13th May 1933 Venue: Donington Park – Second Donington Meeting. E.R. ‘Eddie’ Hall’s C Type Midget leads R.F. Turner’s Austin Seven Sports in the 3rd event of the day at the recently opened Donington circuit. The 5-lap race lasted just 11 minutes & 28 seconds with Hall comfortably beating Turner’s Austin Seven, which finished 2nd. Later that afternoon, Hall won the 5th event, another 5-lapper, in 11minutes 24 seconds, 4 seconds quicker than in event 3. Consistency personified. (LAT ‘Motor’ plate 807-12 courtesy Motorsport Images)
The 2019 POTY page is now live and can be viewed here: https://www.prewarminor.com/2019-poty-competition
Click the image to see it full size.
HX 8980 1931 Morris Minor Semi-Sports
Although officially a 1931 season car, far greater numbers of the £125 Morris Minor Semi-Sports (two-seat) model were constructed and sold in the period late August to late December 1930 than in the following eight-months to August 1931. This was almost entirely due to the introduction of the S.V. £100 Minor Two-seater just before the Christmas holiday in December 1930, its £25 price advantage seriously denting sales of the Semi-Sports model. This Middlesex registered car, however, carries a registration plate (HX 8980) of a sequence that was issued between 1933 and 1939, which suggests that it was re-registered at some point, post 1933. Thanks goes to Keith Durston for unearthing this photo of his friend Ginger Marshall and brother, which was probably taken in the late forties/early Fifties. The car survives and is currently in the custodianship of Daniel Redmond.
For those intending to enter, please note that the schedule for the forthcoming 2019 POTY competition is as follows: Entry opens – Monday 4th November. Entry closes Monday 18th November. Results declared Saturday 23rd November. (This great photo of Morris Minor Four-door Saloon AAO 463 was entered for the 2018 competition by Peter Brock and pictures the car against the backdrop of Wastwater, Wasdale in the English Lake District.)
Here is a snapshot of a late 1931 or early 1932 MG Midget which is identifiable by its sculptured wings and short boot lid. What is not clear from this image is if the car is fabric skinned or one of the ‘new’ metal panelled variants. Folklore has it that all short boot lid cars were of the metal panelled variety as MG were keen to clear old stocks of the fabric skinned version. Certainly, their pricing for the 1932 season reflected this with the fabric skinned car being listed at £165 while the new panelled body versions were priced at £185. Could it be possible that Carbodies were supplying MG with short boot lid versions of both the panelled and fabric skinned cars? Is there evidence to say that this is not the case? PS Stowing the spare wheel on the tail was not a standard feature offered by the company.
Click the image to see it full size.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
On 13th July 1934, in bright mid-summer sunshine, R.L. Doble was taking part in the Llandudno Trial aboard MG J2 GV 2183 (J4231). He is seen here passing a public house on “Badfort” on his way to collecting a Premier Award. (LAT Autocar photoscan – courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Alan Dennison and Peter Brock both own Minor four-door saloons and have recently and quite independently, visited two interesting examples of Victorian architecture, as these images show. The buildings in question are located some 240 miles apart and exist at opposite ends of the style and functionality spectrums, despite being built within eight years of one another. The Mansion House at Old Warden Park in Bedfordshire was designed by Henry Clutton, a famous Victorian architect, for the Shuttleworth family and was completed in 1875. The coastal ‘Rocket Garage’ structure in Cullercoats, North Tyneside was built in 1867 to house hazardous materials, in this case fireworks, or more specifically rockets. The rockets were fired from the shore towards floundering shipping off the coast. Attached to each rocket was a long length of twine which in turn was attached to ropes or cables back on shore. The stranded crews, then dragged the ropes or cables on board which helped to facilitate their rescue.
When Barry Robinson was a very young man in the late fifties/early sixties he acquired his first car, a 1932 MG M Type Midget (DG 4888). His new pride and joy had originally been built as a Sportsman’s Coupe but at some point in the intervening period the original body had been replaced with something closely resembling that of an MG J2, including a fuel tank at the rear. When other necessities of life got in the way the car was reluctantly sold, a fact that Barry has always regretted. A while ago he shared his story (and some photos) with M Type guru Sam Christie. Sam archived the photos on his hard drive and the story to his grey matter. On the 8th October a ‘Buy-it-now’ advertisement for an MG M Type appeared on eBay and was subsequently reported on the network’s ‘Cars for sale’ sub-forum. Sam immediately recognised the car as that owned by Barry some 60 years previously and rang him to pass on the news, the end result being that the surprisingly little changed DG 4888 now has a new home in the West Midlands. Congratulations Barry!
The Jolvial Sailor, Ripley was the venue for the Home Counties group pub meet recently. The occasion was marked by the welcome arrival of Philip Butland in his newly recommissioned 1934 Eustace Watkins Wolseley Hornet Special (AXC 115). The recomissioning road has been a long and bumpy one but the car proved its credentials with an uneventful run from deepest Sussex to leafy Surrey and back. Here, the eight attendees gather round the Hornet for the mandatory pub-meet photo.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
There are at least six surviving Autocar and Temple Press images of YY 4, a September 1932 London registered MG J2 Midget. In all cases the car is taking part in one of the major trials of the day and is being driven by A. W. F. Smith. Smith presumably purchased the car new from University Motors or Jarvis of Wimbledon, the two major suppliers of MG cars in London. This photo was taken during the 1933 MCC London-Lands End Trial where Smith gained a Premier Award. The event took place in glorious weather and attracted huge crowds who lined either side of the test hill routes “ten deep in places”, according to contemporary reports. (While ‘Cowbourne’ records Smith’s first initial as ‘A’, elsewhere he is referred to as J.W.F Smith) (LATPlate C0003 – courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
HX 8980 1931 Morris Minor Semi-Sports
Although officially a 1931 season car, far greater numbers of the £125 Morris Minor Semi-Sports models were constructed and sold in the period late August to late December 1930 than in the following eight month period. This was almost entirely due to the introduction of the S.V. £100 Minor Two-seater just before the Christmas holiday in December 1930. This Middlesex registered car however, sports a registration plate (HX 8980) of a sequence that was issued in the period between 1933 and 1939, which suggests that it was re-registered at some point post 1933. Thanks goes to Keith Durston for unearthing this photo of his friend Ginge Marshall and brother, which was probably taken in the late forties/early Fifties. The car survives and is currently in the custodianship of Daniel Redmond.
Vintage motoring is not always a fine weather, wind-in-the-hair experience (for those lucky enough to have some!), as can be seen by this photo of Bob Howden‘s beautiful MG M Type Midget JY 8840. The shot was taken on a very damp Saturday morning, during the 2019 Network rally weekend, just prior to the commencement of the day’s tour. Bob had driven the 20 miles from his home in Newbury to Marlborough dodging puddles along the way, his fixed tonneau testament to the threat of rain, which kept the passenger compartment dry but left him exposed to the elements. Thankfully, the weather greatly improved as the day wore on. (Photo: Louise Martin)
M12504 started life as a 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon and at some point in its history made its way to New Zealand. Here it received a new steel panelled body, perhaps from a defunct Coachbuilt Saloon. In 2009 Orchid Cars in Somerset imported the car from NZ along with the remnants of another Minor. It was then purchased by Lee Robertson who restored and rebuilt the car, registering it with the DVLA it being allocated the age-related mark BF 5452. The car passed through the hands of two further owners before being autioned by Matthewsons in March 2014 and going to ground. It transpires that the car is currently owned by a funeral director in Herefordshire, the car being spotted last July at a garden party in Bredwardine.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1934 Mannin Beg race, held on an ‘around-the-houses’ course in Douglas, Isle-of-Man was an MG Magnette tour de force. with the top five places all being filled by the model. It could have been a very different story had Freddie Dixon (Riley) not ran out of fuel while leading the race just a few miles from the chequered flag. Norman Black went on to win, while George Eyston (single-seat Magnette), seen here on Douglas Promenade leading Dixon very early in the race, eventually finished third. (LAT Autocar photoscan – courtesy Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
A Midget in Scotland
This photo featured as a full page item in the 15th October 1934 edition of The Autocar. The two 1932 London registered cars are a BSA Three-wheeler GW 4646 and GX 803 an MG Midget. Clearly on a touring holiday, the two cars are parked-up alongside the beautiful Loch Tulla in Argyll almost 500 miles distant from their London base, with their crews dressed in full-length leather coats as protection against the weather, despite the season appearing to be late spring or summer. GX 803 appeared in a number of Autocar published photos between 1932 and 1934, including one in John o’Groats, perhaps taken while on this same trip. (LAT Autocar photoscan – courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Tikal (pronounced Tickle) has joined a long line of Lurchers that have travelled many miles in the Maeers’ family 1929 Minor Tourer (VJ 1756), universally known as ‘Prudence‘. Seen alongside VJ, is Martin and Jean Gregory’s 1931 Coachbuilt Saloon (UF 7090), the occasion being a lunchtime meet at The Nevill Arms in Medbourne, Leics which was the Network’s Rally HQ in June 2017; the event being hosted by Janie Maeers.
Thanks to Philip Butland for providing a short sequence of images taken at the recent Firle Hill Revival Meeting. They can all be found at the foot of the 2019 Events Galleries page here.
Philip Butland‘s 1934 Wolseley Hornet EW Daytona Special has provided its owner with plenty to think about following its recent engine rebuild. While the power unit appears to be bedding-in nicely, the car’s steering and braking gear hasn’t followed suit. A recent trip to the Firle Hill Revival hillclimb event went without incident so perhaps things are looking-up at last.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
W.S. Whittard was behind the wheel of this MG J2 Midget (DG 5458), while taking part in the Sunbac Colmore Trial on 24th February 1934, the photo being taken on Gypsy Lane. Whittard was also to take part in all five remaining Colmore Trials prior to the outbreak of WWII, on each occasion driving an MG. Unfortunately, in the year this photograph was taken he failed to collect an award. (LAT Autocar photoscan – courtesy of Motorsport Images.)
Click the image to see it full size.
Shifnal Postcard
Unusual though it may seem, it isn’t the first time that a cottage hospital has featured in an IOTW photo with a pre-war Minor parked outside. Here, JW 1624 a 1932 Wolverhampton registered Two-seater is parked-up adjacent to the Shifnal, Salop CH while posing for this recently purchased thirties Valentine’s postcard. The car’s driver is wearing a wide-brimmed hat, which in an open car, is a particularly risky practice!
The Morris Minor featured many times on the front covers of the three main motoring magazines making its final appearance in a Morris Motors advertisement of any type in early June 1934. This one from a year earlier points out the ‘room’ advantage to be gained by purchasing the four-door long-wheel-base Family model over the smaller swb sliding-head saloon.
A PDF has been added to the miscellaneous section within the Technical area entitled Tuning & Maintenance of the Wolseley Hornet, which specifically looks at the 12 HP Hornet Special engine “with particular reference to an E.W. model.” The article was first published in a March 1936 edition of the Light Car magazine.
Click the image to see it full size.
A late 1929 (’30 season) Morris Minor Fabric Saloon plays second fiddle in this eBay sourced photograph to the larger Lanchester or Diamler saloon around which this family are posing. The Minor (KD 7***) was first registered in Liverpool while the big saloon carries a 1932 Wallasey, Cheshire plate. The occasion looks like it was the start or the end of a family holiday, the suitcases on the luggage rack providing the clue, while the large three storey ‘Lindow House’ hints at the family’s status in the community.
Wolseley Hornet Specials no.41 featured a full-frontal photograph of a 1933 Arrow Foursome Coupe. This artist’s impression of that model was extracted from an Arrow Coachworks advertisement, (scanned from a March 1933 Motor magazine) and provides a side-on profile view of the car. Its design has some similarities to the 1930 two-seat Arrow Hornet Coupe (also seen here) and carries over the louvered wing valances to be seen on the earlier vehicle. The complete March 1933 Motor item featuring this model has been added to the Wolseley Hornet Sports & Specials page within the members area of the website.
With days getting shorter and the weather becoming less settled, fewer opportunities for extended runs present themselves. Recently, Peter Brock made hay (or should that be ‘straw’) while the sun shone when he took his 1934 Morris Minor Four-door Saloon for such a trip around part of rural Northumberland, seemingly at the tail-end of the local harvest.
East Anglia is famously flat and in places almost prairie like. However, there are also parts of Central England with a similar topography to that just a little further eastward. This Martin Gregory photograph of his 1931 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (UF 7090) was taken in Northamptonshire and illustrates perfectly that similarity.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
What is a 1930 Cumberland registered MG Midget (RM 7401) doing on a dirt road somewhere in Queensland? The answer will undoubtedly be found on page 627 of the 13th April 1934 edition of The Autocar as the reverse of this heavily retouched Motorsport Images photoscan reveals that this photo accompanied a letter from Gerald Garden on the Correspondence page.
Click the image to see it full size.
RV 4507 & KLM 932
Yet more eBay sourced snapshot images of a Minor. These shots of 1934 Minor Two-seater RV 4507 were taken post war, the styling and 1949 London registration of the second car in shot providing the clues. The cars are parked-up outside a rural 1920’s built villa, perhaps in Surrey or Hampshire, the Minor carrying an early 1934 Portsmouth plate. The identity of the second car was something of a revelation, as it is a 1949 Invicta Black Prince KLM 932 of which just six of the DHC version (seen here) were made. The company had manufactured high performance cars in the pre-war years but had ceased trading in 1938. The marque name was resurrected in 1946 at premises in Virginia Water, Surrey but a total of just 16 Black Prince cars found customers before the business was sold to AFN, builders of Frazer Nash cars and military equipment. Neither car registration is logged on the DVLA database.
Images from the Two Breweries Run, held on 1st September can now be viewed at the foot of the 2019 Event Galleries page here.
A late summer (or should that be early autumn?) run between a Suffolk and a Norfolk brewery was well attended and took place under largely blue skies. In all, ten cars and their crews took part in what was a leisurely amble through the beautiful Waveney Valley countryside. Here, a 1932 Minor Two-seater (WD 4459) exits the B1118 heading toward Weybread. (Apologies to the unnamed crew, as the note carrying this information exited the ‘cubby’ of the editor’s Semi-Sports on the return journey!) More photos at the foot of this page.
Click the image to see it full size.
1929 Morris Minor Fabric Saloon
Another recent eBay purchase, this unidentifiable 1929 Fabric Saloon snapshot gives away very few visual clues. That it is a 1929 season car can be deduced from the parallel bonnet-side bottom edge and the significantly smaller rear windows than those of the 1930 season cars. The wheels have been re-painted a lighter colour than the factory black, which may indicate that the car was photographed toward the middle of the thirties decade, while the daisies or buttercups suggests that the photo was taken beween the end of April and late June.
The London based Corsica coachbuilding concern produced many stunning bodies for predominantly upmarket customer’s cars, including examples from Bentley, Alfas Romeo, Mercedes-Benz and Rolls Royce. They also produced at least three body styles for the Wolseley Hornet chassis. The first of these was a beautiful futuristic looking open two-seater featuring a large well proportioned hinged tail inside of which was kept the spare wheel. The second such body was the 2+2 Sports Drop-head Coupe as seen here. (LAT Autocar photoscan January 1933) Of more traditional design than its stablemate, its swept front wings and louvered side-valances hinted at a sporty performance while the wheel discs and P100 style headlamps added a touch of opulence perhaps more associated with the marques mentioned earlier. It wasn’t cheap and sold at £297-10s but was very well equipped. A four-seater touring version was also built, this featuring a traditional hood and cut-away doors. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The 2021 'Marches' Rally - Titley, Herefordshire
Be part of a great weekend!
This is a last call for entrants to our 2021 Welsh Marches Rally – Entry closes on 31st May. Remember, “He who hesitates is lost!” For more information and entry details visit the rally webpage here.
The Network’s 2020 annual rally next June (5th-7th) is to be held in and around the England- Wales border region known as the Welsh Marches. The event has been organised by Tony and June Adlard and will be based upon the Herefordshire village of Titley. Full details can be found on the new rally webpage here.
Parts of the UK and north western Europe are expecting a decent spell of late summer weather, representing a golden opportunity to make use of our cherished and much discussed Minors, Midgets and Hornets. There will be plenty of time for discussion during our long winter, so why not get out there and use them while the sun still has some warmth? After all, that’s what they were originally built to do…
While our days are definitely shorter, the grain silos are only two thirds full and hedgerow and tree foliage remain green (Apart from those on the blighted horse chestnut). Yet, if you are up early enough, there is a nip in the air that wasn’t there a week ago and the dews are heavier than of late. Harbingers of autumn? Almost certainly!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
J. B. Carver was a young Oxford undergraduate who took part in a series of national trials* between 1930 and 1932. His car of choice was a 1930 London registered MG Midget GC 5505. This Bill Brunell photo was taken on 12th December 1931 during the MCC’s London-Gloucester Trial. Despite requiring assistance on this hill(?) Carver gained a Silver Medal.
(*Carver took part in the 1930 & 31 MCC London Gloucester, the 1932 Sunbac ‘Colmore’, and the 1930 & 31 Inter Varsity Trials)
Click the image to see it full size.
Portmadoc Postcards
These two postcards, both taken in the Thirties, depict what could be considered mundane views of the north western Welsh town of Portmadoc – now Porthmadog. One being taken in Station Road, the other in the town’s High Street. They are at least of some interest to those of us here in that both photos include a Minor. The 1932 Two-seater (FM 7086) parked at a jaunty angle in Station Road was first registered in Chester in late 1931, a town some 70 miles distant. The registration of the 1934 Minor Saloon is indistinct but with around 80,000 Minors on Britains roads at this time they would have been a very familiar site in every town across the country.
It’s said that laughter is the best medicine in which case Frank Ashley (left), Avril Ovenden (centre) and Peter Yates are in danger of overdosing! This Peter Brock photograph was taken at the recent Morris Register Thoresby Rally where both Avril and Frank were award winners. Frank’s 1929 MG M Type (PG 1045) is no stranger to winning trophies as the car competes successfully in VSCC ‘speed’ events, while Peter’s 1933 Minor Saloon (LV 975) has been a ‘regular’ at the last five Network rallies.
The recent Morris Register/MVA Rally held in the grounds of Thoresby Hall, Notts was subject to mixed weather conditions over the weekend. Saturday’s rain gave way to sunshine on Sunday while some entrants experienced appalling driving conditions on their journies home later that day. (Photo: Peter Brock)
Thanks to Martin Gregory and Chris Healy for supplying the images now showing at the foot of the 2019 Event Galleries page here.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
LATplate B8920 was taken at the conclusion of the 1932 RAC Ulster TT at the Ards circuit. Here the Managing Director of the MG Car Company, Mr. Cecil Kimber is seen photographed alongside the MG C Type Midget which was driven by E.R. Hall into third position overall, behind the two Riley Nines of Whitcroft and Eyston. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The pre-war Morris Minor was exported to markets across the globe, the largest of these being the Dominions of the former British Empire. Perhaps the second largest (to Australia) of these markets was New Zealand where many hundreds of Minors found homes. This extract from a December 1929 Otago Times newspaper advertisement proclaims the Minor as “the world’s economy car” while further claiming later in the text that 50 mpg was not unusual. Hmm!
Click the image to see it full size.
RX 6636
There is nothing at all exceptional about this postcard of a corner of Market Place in Wantage, Berks. A photograph taken today from the same spot would show how little the buildings have changed in the intervening 90 years, although there would be many more cars in shot than just this solitary 1930 Wolseley Hornet saloon, carrying a Berkshire registration RX 6636. The six cylinder Hornet in all its guises was by far and away Wolseley’s most successful model in the decade running up to the the war and 6000 of these early (CF3) examples were sold in the 18 months they were available. This car may have been owned by the proprieter of Kent & Sons, the furniture and ironmongery store, which was also a place for motorists to fill-up with petroleum spirit.
This internet sourced image shows Dave Cooksey at speed in his 1930 Duple dual-bodied Minor Special. This may resemble the standard 1930 Minor Tourer, in fact most would be hard pressed to spot the difference. However, those with a keen eye would pick out the dividing arc of a neat join over each rear wheel, where the tourer body can be replaced by that of a van via the simple expediant of undoing four nuts and lifting it off. The photo was taken on the Bean Car Club’s annual Daffodil Run, which this year took-in stretches of the New Forest in Hampshire.
Rasmus Larsen from Oelgod, Denmark owns this 1931 Minor Two-seater (z9489). Images appear on the internet around this time each year of Ramus and his car attending a rally, although the name of the rally and where it is held has not been established to date. Regardless of that lack of data, his car always looks to be immaculately turned out and is an excellent ambassador for the model in that part of Northern Europe.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This shot was taken at the 1932 running of the RAC T.T. on the Ards circuit in Northern Ireland. Here, two MG C Type Midgets, driven by S.A. Crabtree (No.28) and F.S. Barnes (No.29) hurtle across a town square (perhaps Comber?) towards a bank of totally unprotected spectators. The tail of another C type (No.32) driven by Goldie Gardner, can just be seen exiting the square to the right. (LAT collection B8869 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Booked!
This photo will be familiar to many as it often appears in Google searches for pre-war car images. The car featured is a 1930 Gloucestershire registered MG Midget (DG 4**) and the caption states that the photo was taken “…on the corner of Wardour Street’. If that was the case, was it taken at the Oxford Street or Shaftesbury Avenue junctions? The shot doesn’t look to be posed if the expression of gloom on the face of the passenger is anything to go by or that of weary acceptance by the driver. What was the misdemeanor? Speeding? Very unlikely in view of the traffic and proximity of the junction. Parking? perhaps, although would the officer have waited until the occupants returned to the car? As for the vehicle itself, it looks a little care-worn and has been fitted with non-standard side lights, perhaps pointers indicating that the photo was taken in the middle period of that eventful decade.
The euphoria surrounding the excellent news that the prototype S.V. Morris Minor JO 764 has been saved should not detract from the task that lies ahead for its new owner, Mick Roberts. This image provides an indication of the condition of the car as purchased, while the term ‘nut & bolt’ restoration is totally apt in this instance.
Thanks to the intervention and purchase by London Morris enthusiast Mick Roberts, JO 764, the famous £100 Morris Minor prototype has been rescued from a North Devon theme park, where the ravages of time and the salty sea air were having a serious detrimental effect on the car’s structure. This nationally important vehicle is now safely ensconced in Mick’s workshop where a thorough and sympathetic full restoration will soon commence.
This superb internet sourced image of 1932 McEvoy Minor VK 6518 with driver Sarah Gibson and a young passenger deserves proper accreditation. If the name and contact details of the photographer are known, then please pass them onto info@prewarminor.com
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Captain F.H.B. Samuelson and his wife took part in the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally driving a 1931 season metal paneled MG Midget Sportman’s Coupe (RX 7429), covering just over 1000 miles following departure from the John 0′ Groats rally control point. Upon arrival, they were classified 8th in the under 1100 cc class but picked-up first prize in the under 1100 cc ‘Closed Car’ Comfort Competition. The car is seen here (centre background) in a queue of competition winners awaiting presentation of their awards by the principalities dignataries. This previously unpublished image is from the LAT collection (Plate B5387) and appears here courtesy of Motorsport Images.
Click the image to see it full size.
JH 5601 1933 Morris Minor Saloon
These very recently acquired snapshot photos of a Hertfordshire registered 1933 Minor Saloon could have been taken either before, or in the ten years immediately after the end of the Second World War. ( Are there any mid-twentieth century fashion experts out there to help pinpoint the date?) The two individuals photographed may well be husband and wife or indeed Mother and son, although the walking stick she is holding rather indicates the latter. The car looks to be in good condition but the registration doesn’t appear on either register and is not recorded by the DVLA or the Harry Edward’s Minor listing, which may weigh the scales in favour of the photos being taken in the pre-war period.
Just a trio of 1932 Morris Eight Cunard Calshot specials are known to have survived, two of which are currently roadworthy. The third such car (MU 6066), owned by Network member Toby Sears, is currently undergoing restoration in a specialist coachbuilder’s workshop ‘somewhere in southern England’ where this image shows progress to date.
On 21st September next, this 1933 Morris Minor Two-seater will be offered for sale by R.M. Sotherby’s auction house in Portugal. While purists may baulk at the sight of the small wheels and large tyres, its overall condition will surely attract plenty of potential buyers. The vehicle’s history file indicates that it has spent its entire life in Portugal. View Sotherby’s listing here.
While coachbuilders’ A.P. Compton had built Arrow Coupe bodies for the Wolseley Hornet, by the time this car was registered (early 1933) Compton’s original company had been sold. The new concern remained at the old Hanwell tram depot base and continued to body Wolseley Hornets, among others. The Hornet Coupe featured here was bodied by Compton’s successors, Arrow Coachworks Ltd and was of a design not seen previously. Unfortunately, there are no profile shots available and their period advertisements don’t illustrate this version. This LAT image B9721 of Hornet AHX 415 was taken during the 1933 RAC ‘Hastings’ Rally and shows entry no. 145, driven by D.W. Thompson negotiating traffic in the town centre of Hastings. (Photo courtesy Motorsport Images)
Drag the arrow to reveal the photos.
KR 5670 1930 Minor Fabric Saloon
Thanks to Mike Tebbett for providing this interesting late Fifties or very early Sixties image. It shows what purports to be a 1930 Kent registered Minor Fabric Saloon fitted with a Wolseley Hornet two-tone fabric body. This was a car that in the late Sixties was owned by Olive Willats and driven to Italy and back in a VSCC event. KR 5670 then made a brief re-appearance almost 40 years later on the back of a trailer at the 2005 VMR Rally at Prescott (see 2nd image) where it was offered for sale. It was eventually purchased by Ian Grace in Seattle, USA in 2010 when it appeared on the Vintage Petrol Pump Company’s website. The car was shipped to the USA where it’s reported that a Maltby of Folkstone coachbuilder’s plate was discovered on the door threshold. This photo pre-dates its known history when not only was it the family transport, it was also at a time when petrol pump attendants would check their customer’s tyre pressures!
A new sequence of photos from the recent Prewar Prescott event have been added to the 2019 Event Galleries page here. Always scroll to the foot of the page to see the latest event images.
‘Blown’ 1932 McEvoy Minor VK 6518 is piloted by Sarah Gibson through the ‘Esses’ at the recent Pre-war Prescott event. Seated alongside Sarah is Simon Hodgins, the owner of a Jensen version (EC 9783) of Sarah’s car, although his model has been retro fitted with an OHC Minor engine which replaced the original SV unit.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Two images, both taken at Donington Park prior to the start of a ladies race in 1935 show Doreen Evans in the cockpit of her Q Type MG. (LATfilm Motor L197-18 & L197-20 courtesy Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Another mystery Minor
Minor images continue to surface on eBay. This 35mm Kodachrome slide is one such recent example and depicts an unknown 1931 season Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon parked outside of an outboard motor service facility somewhere in the UK. The photo was processed in September 1971 according to the information printed onto the cardboard slide mount, it’s therefore likely that this Minor survives to this day. If anyone can identify the car from any visual clues to be seen, then please contact info@prewarminor.com
If you weren’t watching the cricket World Cup at Lords, the men’s singles final at Wimbledon or even the British Grand Prix at Silverstone then the place to be to watch exciting live sport was Chateau Impney near Montpellier Droitwich in Worcestershire. It was here that Janie Maeers and Geof Wilson spent the weekend, displaying VJ 1756, Janie’s 1929 Minor Tourer in the grounds of the chateau while the famous Chateau Impney Hill Climb took place around them. (Photo Geof Wilson)
Brian Barling from Cumbria has owned this 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (TF 889) from the Fifties, placing it in long term storage in the early Sixties where it remained until just a few weeks ago. It has now been passed on to David Bowman who recently successfully started the car for the first time in over 50 years.
Network member Keith Durston attended Peter Green‘s annual Triple M Register Garden Party on 7th July. The event marked the 90th anniversary of the commencement of production of the MG ‘M’ Type Midget, this model being very well represented, as can be seen in a series of images now uploaded to the the foot of the 2019 Event Galleries page here.
Peter Green hosted the annual Triple M Garden Party at his South Bucks home on 7th July. Keith Durston reports that the event was very well attended with plenty of M Type Midgets present, their owners celebrating the 90th anniversary of the commencement of Midget production in Oxford in February 1929. (Photo: Keith Durston)
Click the image to see it full size.
Another postcard Minor
Minors are well represented in thirties postcard street scenes. It is however quite unusual for such a card to feature a Minor 5 cwt van, as in this case. This 1934 example, CRF 833, (a local Staffordhire registration) is parked outside of the Barton-under-Needwood cottage hospital where it looks like a nun (or an apparition) is paying a visit.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
|
This scan from a newly discovered Motor magazine 35 mm negative shows MG Midget EX135 at speed on an autobahn near Dessau, Germany, where in May 1939 the car broke a series of records. Below, can be found the National Archives potted biography of the driver, which tells of an exciting life both in the motoring record breaking realm and also away from it. Alfred Thomas Goldie Gardner was born on May 31st 1890 in Essex, his mother’s maiden name being Goldie. His early motoring interest lay in motorcycles but the First World War interrupted his ambition to race them, and on the outbreak he joined the army, becoming the youngest Major in the British Forces. In 1917 his reconnaissance plane was brought down by enemy fire and he sustained leg and hip injuries that were to hospitalise him for two years and leave him disabled for the rest of his life. In this condition he began motor racing in 1924 and in 1930 he came to the attention of Cecil Kimber the managing director of M.G. and subsequently raced various of these cars with considerable success. In 1934 he bought a streamlined K3 Magnette and after accompanying Sir Malcolm Campbell to Daytona Beach to set a new Land Speed Record, his appetite was whetted for record-breaking, starting with a class record at Brooklands. In 1937 he went to Dessau in Germany where he created a new Flying Mile Record at 148.5mph.. He went on to set further records at Montlhery in France and returned to Germany later in the year to set new records. He now had in mind achieving 200mph for which purpose George Eyston’s Magic Magnette Ex 135 was acquired and modified to produce 196bhp. In November 1938 he returned to Germany and raised the record to 186mph. With the 200mph target still eluding him, in May 1939 he returned yet again to take the 1100cc record to 203mph, and with the engine rebored overnight he also took three 1500cc Class ‘F’ records. Further attempts at the 750cc records were stymied by the outbreak of war, and he first of all joined with Sir Malcolm Campbell in setting up the Mobile Special Constabulary (The Blue Birds) and then helped reorganise civilian transport in liberated Europe. Once the war had ended new Class ‘H’ (750cc) records were achieved in Italy and at Jabbeke, Belgium and then in 1947 Class ‘I’ (500cc) records were set, and in 1948 a Jaguar 2-litre experimental engine was borrowed to set Class ‘E’ (2000cc) records. This allowed him to claim records in 50% of the World International Classes. Further record-breaking continued at Jabbeke and in the USA through 1950-2 but in 1952 he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and was forced to retire. He was holder of the OBE and received three BRDG Gold Stars. He died in 1958. Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images |
London resident, Mick Roberts restored and maintains both of these beautiful cars. The award winning 1932 Minor Two-seater (RB 6357) was the smallest car in the pre-war Morris range while his six cylinder 3.5 litre Morris 25 model (JT 667) probably ranks as the largest car dimensionally ever to have left the Cowley works!
Joe Rayner has written another ‘easy to read’ technical item, this one on the topic of how to quieten Minor brakes, an issue that can cause some consternation to the driver of the car in question, but far more to pedestrians and other road users. The item can be found as a downloadle PDF in the Brakes section of the Member’s Technical area.
Ken Martin reports that this 1931 £100 Minor (EV 719) was spotted at a Morris Register pub meet near Marlborough recently, the female driver pulling-in having seen the collection of Morris cars in the pub car park. Unfortunately, details were not exchanged and she drove off, although not before Steve Knight had taken this photo. The Network’s archive contains just one further image of the car, copied from a DVCA auction ‘ad’ dated March 2013 where it was listed with a guide price of £5-£6K.
Click the image to see it full size.
Eyston’s Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt was built in the former Bean Car plant in Tipton, Staffs during 1937 in order to attempt to wrest the World Land Speed Record of 301 mph away from Sir Malcolm Campbell and his Bluebird car. The contender was powered by two V12 Rolls Royce R aero engines each of 36.5 litres both of which could develop 2350 bhp. Capt. George Eyston took Thunderbolt to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA where on the 19th November 1937 he took the record from Campbell by a margin of 11 mph. This achievement sparked a rivalry between Eyston and John Cobb and his Railton Special car who between them broke the LSR on a further five occasions before the outbreak of WWII. The photograph of Thunderbolt was taken in Beans Industries plant at Tipton while Max Millar‘s superb cut-away drawing appears here courtesy of Motorsport Images. (Drag the arrow in either direction to fully reveal each image)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
G.W. Wright took part in the 1932 Monte Carlo Rally in this MG C Type Midget (GP 2913). The photograph was taken in low light somewhere in London prior to car and crew setting off for France where they finished 12th in their class. They fared significantly better in the post rally Mont des Mules hill climb where they topped the listing in the 750 cc class. Just 14 months after this photograph was taken, Wright’s C Type was to dramatically catch fire at Brooklands. (see Triple M corner no.83 in the archive) Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images
After a weekends rallying, a hose down and leather off is a must if vintage cars are to be maintained in a good cosmetic condition. Janie Maeers and Geof Wilson went one better with Janie’s 1929 Minor Tourer (VJ 1756), when they opted for a shampoo at their local car wash facility, having wisely decided not to take it through the fully mechanised version!
The summer solstice is upon us, with upto 19 hours of daylight available to some. There can be no better time for those who live in the northern hemisphere to remove dust sheets, fill up with fuel and make use of these great little cars – far more fun than just talking about them! (Seen here: Steve Lewsley doing just that in his 1929 MG Midget replica and appropriately registered SL 9739)
Many Network members swear by the Lodge C3 spark or sparking plug as their plug of preference for use in their Minors, as do many other owners of a wide variety of thirties cars. As a result prices for this version of Lodge plug has risen significantly in recent years. What makes these plugs so special? Discover their secret by reading a November 1932 Motor Sport article in which they visit the the Lodge plant to see these iconic plugs being manufactured and tested. (The article can be found in the Technical section of the Member’s Area under ‘Electrical’.)
Click the image to see it full size.
Brooklands in Surrey was the cradle of both British motorsport and aviation. While an aircraft in a car showroom would be regarded as something of a surprise elsewhere in the U.K., in Weybridge that probably wasn’t the case. This May 1930 image was taken at a promotional event run by Weybridge Automobiles Ltd. and shows a De Havilland DH60G Gypsy Moth (G-AAWR) nestling alongside a number of family saloons including a Morris Minor, its nose visible bottom right. (LAT photoscan from The Autocar 9th May 1930 P.895 – Photo courtesy Motorsport Images)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1933 JCC Iternational Trophy Race took place on Saturday 6th May at Brooklands and was held in glorious sunshine in front of a large crowd. The racing did not disappoint with household names such as Malcolm Campbell, Lord Howe and Kaye Don taking part along with G.E.T Eyston who was driving the Magic Midget. Here, The Autocar’s talented artist Gordon Crosby captures the moment Eyston’s Midget looses its rear wheel along the start/finish straight just three laps into the race. (Click on the arrows in the trhc to read Motor Sport’s account of the incident.) (LAT photoscan from Autocar 12th May 1933 – courtesy Motorsport Images)
Peter Brock from Newcastle-upon-Tyne recently took part, along with his 1934 Minor Four-door Saloon (AAO 463), in the annual Beamish Trial. The field of 150 historic vehicles were tasked with completing a gruelling hilly course through Cumbria and North Yorkshire. Here, part of the field are parked up on the village green at Bainbridge in Wensleydale for their scheduled lunch stop.
Many of the Wiltshire Downs have gradients that can test 90 year old vehicles to the limit. Here Avril and Tim Ovenden in their 1932 season Minor Two-seater are approaching the summit of one such incline, safe in the knowledge that ‘what goes up…..’ Photo: Kate Martin. The 2019 Rally Galleries page is now open to view – Many more images will be added over the coming days.
The recent 2019 PWMN Rally took-in some of England’s most picturesque and unheralded villages. This unnamed gem appeared around a bend in the road and gave those taking part a very pleasant surprise. Here Chris and Sue Hipwood in their fully renovated 1934 Season Saloon follow the Morris Eight of Gary and Anne Keys along the village’s deserted main street. (Photo: Norma Lambert)
Shelsley Walsh, Worcs was the venue, when on 9th June 1934 Barbara Skinner competed in the White Minor Skinner Special for the very first time. To celebrate this important 85th anniversary, current custodian David Baldock has painted the car in its original all-white colour scheme. Next stop Shelsley?
The sun made several appearances during the course of the Network’s Saturday tour and shone continously on the righteous at the cream tea stop. Nick Jarman’s Semi-Sports and Bob Howden’s M Type enter the car park of the The Millstream pub at Marden to top up the calorific intake prior to the rally dinner just a few hours later!
Despite the worst that Storm Miguel could offer, almost all rally entrants made it to the Castle & Ball Hotel for the traditional ‘Meet & Greet’ event. Included among these intrepid motorists were the Roests from the Nederlands with their beautiful 1930 Jarvis Hornet Special, seen here alongside Peter Yate’s 1933 Minor Saloon and John Nagle’s 1934 Two-seater.
The tenth annual Pre-war Minor Network Rally commences on Friday 7th June with a record entry due to take part. The event is based upon the historic English coaching town of Marlborough, Wilts from whence news and photos from the rally will be posted on the website’s forum here. (Photo Kate Martin)
Final Network rally preparations are underway across the UK as rallyists prepare their cars for the rigours of a trip to Wiltshire on 7th June. The boot of a Minor Semi-Sports is difficult to access, (via the tilting seat back) and awkwardly shaped, with a good 40% of of its capacity being occupied by the spare wheel. A tool roll, petrol can and essential spares take-up much of what remains, so a luggage rack is almost a necessity if anything more than a change of underwear is required over the course of the weekend!
Click the image to see it full size.
Kiwi roadster
Yet another interesting Minor image from one of our New Zealand member’s and frequent contributor, John McDonald. This one depicts a 1932 Two-seater roadster, into which are squeezed three females. It’s not easy to fathom the reason for the obvious revelry but the bunting on the car and the canine mascot on the bonnet should provide clues, only they don’t! Suggestions on a postcard please.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Donington Park 19th August 1933: Taken at McClean’s, this LAT archive image (C1597) shows a gaggle of MG’s including the dicing J2 Midgets of C.H. Masters (no.3) and J.R. Grice (no.15) as they round the bend. Following a short distance behind is a 1933 McEvoy Minor Special (no.12) being driven by Richard Jenson, the car’s body having been built by the Jenson brothers in Wolverhampton to a Michael McEvoy specification. Jenson finished 5th, in this the opening event of the day. (Ed. This image is something of a discovery in that it’s the first such identifiable image of a McEvoy Minor being driven by either of the Jenson brothers to be found by the author.) Photo courtesy of Motor Sport Images. More about the Jenson Brothers here.
The 2019 PWMN Moonrakers’ Rally kicks off in less than a weeks time, centered upon the historic Wiltshire town of Marlborough. A record entry of 32 cars and their crews are scheduled to take part and will traverse the county’s rolling countryside using byways and lanes ideally suited for these 90 year-old vehicles. The image above was taken at the start of the Saturday tour on the 2014 ‘Olde England’ rally based in the Suffolk village of Cavendish.
1930 MG Midget WM 5429 2M/1771 has a new owner in Tony Gamble from Selby, North Yorks. It transpires that the motive behind Tony’s recent sale of his Minor projects was to clear some garage space for this, another car requiring significant work before it is ready to take to the Queen’s highway. Congratulations on your new acquisition Tony!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This heavily doctored image first appeared on page 364 of the 1st September 1933 edition of The Autocar magazine. It depicts a 1934 season MG Magnette pillarless saloon (JB 550) which, as can be seen from the neatly handwritten caption sold for £445 or the equivalent of three lwb Minor Saloons (at £150 each) and £50 more than Morris Motors top-of-the-range Morris 25 Saloon, these cars selling for £395. Despite the MG’s elegance, many of the comparatively few that were built were later converted to open cars. (LAT Autocar photoscan coutesy of Motorsport Images) JB 550 survives to this day and is listed on the DVLA database as a 1932 ‘green’ MG, although the body type is not detailed.
Click the image to see it full size.
1937 Morris Eight Ashley Cleave Special
This sporting special has featured both here and on the forum previously and while not a Minor it was perhaps inspired by the two Skinner specials, both of which were competing at the time of its construction. It was built in 1937 from the remains of a crashed Morris Eight Saloon and featured a Minor four-speed gearbox while its Eight engine was supercharged using a Centric blower. It was constructed and driven by W. A. (Ashley) Cleave who won many awards in the car at pre-war hillclimb venues such as Shelsley Walsh and Prescott before being stored for the duration. After the war Cleave rebuilt his car as seen above (Prescott May 1964) with a larger 1250 cc blown Morris engine which reputedly enabled the vehicle to cover the standing quarter mile in 15.2 seconds and could reach 115 mph. Cleave continued to compete into his seventies with the MAC recording the driver and car taking part at a Shelsley meeting in 1972. The car now has a new home and is currently under restoration. (Photo – PWMN collection Bibliographical info. – Tom Bourne Morris Register Historian.)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
On what was a beautiful mid-April day in 1933 the all female crew of this MG Magna MG 1452 climb an unknown hill while taking part in that year’s WASA Cotswold Trial. (LAT Autocar Photoscan 14th April 1933 – courtesy Motorsport Images)
During the course of a long rally tour it’s not aways convenient to stop where the facilities are located, hence the reason for these abandoned Minor saloons. The photographer stumbled upon them in the Gloucestershire countryside with the occupants nowhere to be seen, although it transpired, the culprits were very close by.
Click the image to see it full size.
Image of the Week photos have been appearing here for over nine years and an archive of earlier photos featured can be found in the Member’s Area of the old website (Adobe Flash required to view). Many of these early shots were scanned directly from thirties postcards and displayed Minors as they were used at that time. This mid-thirties seaside vista is illustrative of that early IOTW period with an OHC Minor Coachbuilt Saloon at rest while its occupants enjoy the delights of Clacton-on-sea, along with what looks like the rest of the population of East Anglia.
Images from the VSCC’s Suffolk Tour have been added to the foot of the 2019 Event Galleries page here.
Richard Hurdwell owns this 1934 Abbey bodied E.W. Wolseley Hornet special (VE 9956) and attended the VSCC’s Suffolk Tour on 19th May. However, in this photo taken deep in the Suffolk countryside to the north-east of Newmarket, it’s not Richard at the wheel but a young family member given the opportunity to taste the delights of vintage motoring.
Geof Wilson is endeavoring to finish his Wasp Minor Special in time for the Network’s rally which is now just three short weeks away. His car is seen here being loaded for a trip to his panel-beating shop for the remaining panels to be fitted, prior to the addittion of wings, radiator, instrumentation etc., plus of course some initial proving runs.
Click the image to see it full size.
Soap boxes at Brooklands!?
This interesting but undated image is captioned as being taken at Brooklands, although not at part of the circuit recognised by this website’s editor. Almost certainly taken during the thirties, could this be Donington Park?
Footnote: Thanks to Joe Raynor, the location has been identified as London’s Crystal Palace circuit which opened to motor racing in 1937.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Dennis Evans, sibling to Doreen and Kenneth, also both active competitors in motor sport, is seen here in his MG N Type Magnette (BLL 493) competing at the 1936 Inter-Varsity speed trials at Syston Park in Lincolnshire. The family’s cars were all maintained by the Bellvue Garage Racing Dept. in Wandsworth, London
Network members, Linda & Toby Sears and Kate & Ken Martin have just returned from a Morris Register organised tour to the south west of England. Unfortunately, Ken Martin’s Minor Saloon developed an engine issue just prior to departure, necessitating the use of the family’s Vanden Plas Princess. No such issues for Toby and Linda who drove across from the New Forest in their 1933 Minor Saloon (YG 2017). Photo: Ken Martin
Les Beardmore in Lytham, Lancs has just completed a six-year restoration of this 1931 Minor Semi-Sports (EC 9689). The Westmoreland registered car has not been on the road since the 90s and will sit alongside a Stewart & Ardern registered 1931 £100 Two-seater (MU 3272), which was also restored by Les. EC 9689 joins a growing number of roadworthy (genuine and replica) Semi-Sports models, a Minor variant that until 15 years ago was a rare sight at Morris gatherings.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1933 RAC Ulster TT is considered as being something of an epic in the annals of road-racing motorsport. It was of course the race in which the Italian ace Tazio Nuvolari took his maiden victory in an MG K3 Magnette but not without a terrific duel with Hugh Hamilton who was driving a supercharged 746cc MG Midget. Hamilton pushed Nuvolari all the way, a ‘splash and dash’ five laps fom the finish perhaps costing him victory. Here, Hamilton is seen passing Comber Station almost two thirds of the way around the 13.6 mile circuit, his race average speed being a remarkable 73.46 mph. (Photo: courtesy LAT collection – Motorsport Images)
Great swathes of the UK countryside are currently splashed with bright yellow as the flowers from the vast oilseed rape crop bloom. John Paternoster spotted such a field on Romney Marsh, East Sussex while out and about in his 1929 Minor Tourer SV 9091 and took this photo on his phone. He was at pains to point out that no plants were damaged in the taking of the photo as his Minor was parked on a barren strip of soil.
Click the image to see it full size.
EE 8456
This Grimsby registered 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon is some 140 miles from its original Lincolnshire base and is seen here at Cradle End, Bury Green near Bishops Stortford, Herts in the depths of a harsh cold spell in January 1935. While many cars at that time were ‘laid-up’ over the winter months this Minor was required to remain in service despite the conditions. (Image sourced from the internet)
A dozen images from across the country, all taken on Drive-it-Day, have been added to the 2019 Events Gallery here.
Network member Ian Judd is the long-term owner of a much travelled 1930 MG Midget, registered MG 703. Like many other old car enthusiasts, Ian took his MG for an outing on Drive-it-Day last Sunday (28th April). His run from his Leeds home took him to the North Yorkshire Moors and this stunning view of the local scenery. It looks like it’s still winter up there!
Click the image to see it full size.
OJ 308 1932 Minor Saloon
Thankfully for IOTW, the family car was the focal point for so many thirties family snapshops, this one of Minor Saloon OJ 308 being no exception. The car was first registered in Birmingham and the background to this photo suggests a suburb of that city as the venue. The photographer, presumably the husband/father, has beautifully captured his son’s reflected image on the windscreen.
The Triple M series of MG’s (Midget, Magna & Magnette) all belong to a family of models that commenced with the introduction in 1929 of the MG (M Type) Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The Donington Park race circuit was host to just its third motor race meeting on Saturday 19th August 1933. Entries were significantly up on the two earlier events, held in March and May that year, while the beautiful summer weather attracted a large crowd to the new venue. This photo shows the MG J2 of Tom Simister leading a similar car driven by C. H. Masters in the very early stages of the first race that day, Simister being required to retire his car after just three laps into the five lap race. Masters went on to finish second behind W.G. Everett, also in a J2, while another Midget driven by Grice, finished third. (LATplate C1601 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Kartik Lunia, the current custodian of 1930 Minor Tourer USJ 1795 has been researching its history. As a result, he has made contact with a previous long-term owner, Mr. Virendranath (VN) Misra, a retired former officer of the Indian Police Service and the Lucknow Fire Department. It was one of Mr. Misra’s three daughters who supplied this photo, taken in the early 90’s. There now exists the real prospect of a reunion of the recently renovated car with members of the family who owned it for many years right upto 2010.
Click the image to see it full size.
Oakham, Rutland
For those who attended the 2017 Rutland Rally this scene may be familiar. It shows the Old Buttercross in Oakham which is located adjacent to the local museum, a venue visited by a number of rallyists during the course of the weekend. This heavily retouched Autocar photoscan has a 1931 Rutland registered £100 car in shot. (FP 2439). The photo first appeared in the 15th July 1932 edition of the Autocar. (LAT Photoscan courtesy of Motorsport Images)
This great shot of Mike Dalby in his 1930 Southampton registered MG Midget (OU 4824) was taken by photographer Colin Murrell at the recent Kimber Classic Trial. Organised by the MG Car Club’s South Western Centre, the trial took place on 13th April in and around the Somerset/ Dorset border and was centered close to Yeovil. This photo was originally spotted on the Triple M Register’s forum which contained a link to the club’s Facebook page here. (Image courtesy Colin Murrell and Triple M Register)
The 2019 Event Gallery has been updated with a sequence of photos taken at the Network’s Spring pub-meet in Redgrave, Suffolk. Find the images here.
A settled spell of weather across western Europe has tempted some Minorists’ and their cars out of hibernation. Joe Rayner is certainly not one of those as he uses his 1932 Minor Two-seater ZV 83851 all-year-round. This photo was taken in beautiful weather at Fourmilewater, Waterford where the road crosses the River Nire.
A December 1950 André leaflet has been added today detailing how to install and set-up shock absorber types 502/2, 506/2, 502M/2 & 506M/2. Many Minors have been retro fitted with this type of shock absorber while the first MG Midgets were equipped with them from the outset. The PDF can be found in the Member’s Area Technical section, under ‘axles’.
This 1933 model year Minor Saloon was first registered in Buckinghamshire in October 1932 and has been locked away in a garage for over 50 years. Its new owner intends to restore the car to running order. The full story can be found on the website’s forum.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Italian racing driver Tazio Nuvolari had never driven an MG K3 Magnette until the eve of the 1933 RAC Ulster TT race. While 29 cars started the 478 mile race just 12 finished with Nuvolari beating all comers, including fourth placed Eric Hall, who was piloting an identical car. The race lasted for almost six hours and was not without tragedy when the passenger in Balmain’s MG Midget was killed having been thrown from the car as a result of an accident. It’s reported that over 500,000 people lined the Ards course that day, many no doubt coming to watch local man Billy Sullivan driving his Sullivan Minor Special. Unfortunately, Sullivan was forced to retire after just 191 miles or 14 laps of the circuit. Nuvolari is seen here at the end of the race casually eating an apple just prior to the presentation ceremony. (Image from the LAT collection, Motor plate 802-37 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Drag the arrows to view the full extent of either image.
GPO hybrid Minor vans
This July 1970 image was taken at a Post Office Telephones open day held in Yeading, Middlesex. On display are two hybrid Morris Minor vans; on the left a Royal Mail delivery van, while on the right is a Post Office Telephones Linesman’s van. According to the image caption these particular cars were in use from 1939 and 1937 respectively. (Thanks goes to Ian Judd for spotting these on eBay)
The prize for Tineke Roest‘s winning entry for the 2018 POTY Competition was the selection of an image from the vast LAT collection owned by Motorsport Images. The Roest’s chose this pit scene from a 1927 Brooklands event, a huge print of which now adorns their garage wall in which rests their almost contemporary 1930 Wolsley Hornet Jarvis Special.
Almost 45 years ago Tony Gamble began his long association and passion for the pre-war Morris Minor. Back in 1975 one of his very first models was this 1931 SV scuttle tank Saloon, bought in a run-down state and partially renovated before being passed on just a few months later. Many more were to follow, mainly OHC models although at least two further SV cars passed through his hands. Next month’s (May) Morris Monthly is due to feature an article on Tony and his Minors – look out for it!
With the Network’s rally just 6 weeks away, the club’s trophies are being gathered together prior to a visit to the engravers, where the names of the 2019 winners will be inscribed on their bases. The 2018 winner of the Brian Maeers Claret Jug, Dan Brockway, took this photo of the trophy along with his 1932 Minor Two-seater (APC 484) by way of a memento of his award which was presented at last year’s rally dinner.
In the days when almost all owners kept a log of the cost of running their vehicles, comparing your motoring costs with that of another with an identical car was sure to be a tempting proposition. Morris Motors capitalised on this phenomenon in 1933 by publishing a booklet entitled Other Owners’ Running Costs where extracts from these logs were published in order to favourably illustrate the economy of their products. The booklet is well illustrated with tables, diagrams and photographs, many of which show the Minor. Can you get 50 mpg from your 1932 Two-seater? Huge thanks to Ken Martin for making the booklet available for scanning which can now be found on The Useful Page within the Member’s Area of the website.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
JB 552 is a late 1932 Berkshire registered MG J2 this photo being taken on 10th December that year, during the course of the London – Gloucester Trial. The almost new car is about to enter a section under the watchful eyes of the marshalls’ while being driven by A.C. Hess, who wasn’t among the awards that day. (LAT Autocar photoscan – courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The MG Workshop, in The Hague suburbs, is a mecca for Dutch MG enthusiasts and particularly so for those with an interest in Triple M cars. Here Henri de Jong’s MG F1 Magna sits alongside Halbe Tjepema’s award winning Minor Fabric Saloon as their owners discuss the Nederland’s chances in the upcoming cricket world cup.
An unusual special
Peter Morrey from Aberdeenshire sent these two images of a very unusual Minor special which was his parent’s first car. The photos seen here were taken in Bilston, Staffs on his Dad’s box Brownie camera, circa 1935 or 36. They show JW 17(?)49, a mid-1931 Wolverhampton registered Minor sporting a pointed-tail body and tail fin, perhaps in homage to Eyston’s Thunderbolt or Segrave’s Golden Arrow? The front of the car is less unusual, while the wings, louvered side-valances and cut-away door provide a more professional sporting appearance than the rather homemade look of the tail section. The full width screen is also set much lower than was usual at that time. It’s possible that the body started out as a conventional coachbuilt special before being modified later in life. If that was the case, are there any clues present that point to an established coachbuilding concern? (Photo courtesy Peter Morrey)
For prospective buyers of a pre-war Minor, Midget or Hornet, quite a choice are currently available. There are cars to suit most budgets from projects at just £1 or £2K, to pristine fully restored cars for upwards of £20K. Take a look on the Network’s forum for further details and comment for those shown above.
‘Trinity‘ specials were constructed by Meredith Coachcraft of Birmingham and were thus named as all their cars had three-in-one bodies: open four- or two-seater with disappearing head, or closed four-seater. The model illustrated here is seen in closed four-seater form and is one of just nine Wolseley Hornets so converted, this one from late 1932. (LAT photoscan Autocar 9th December 1932 edition – courtesy Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Bluebird
Here is a further image of Sir Malcolm Campbell‘s world land speed record breaking Bluebird taken at Brooklands over the Easter holiday period, 25th-28th March 1932 where it was gently exercised in front of a large bank holiday crowd. (LATplate Motor 737-2 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Thanks to photographs supplied by Mike Tebbett and Alistair Bond, a sequence of images taken at the VSCC Light Car & Edwardian Section‘s recent Welsh Weekend are now available to view in the 2019 Events Gallery here.
This 1934 Stewart & Arden registered Minor Two-seater (MU 8234) appeared for sale in the north of England on four separate occasions earlier this decade before subsequently going to ground once again, as so many Minors do. Its image has now re-surfaced on the internet showing the car appearing at a show. Is its current whereabouts known?
The Network’s annual rally is now just two months away. Over 30 entries have been received to date and only a few more remain available. It’s not too late to book – click here to find out more.
Although there is a signal to start the Saturday tour of a Network rally it isn’t signified by the dropping of a flag. Given the word, drivers don’t race in an undignified manner across the tarmac to scramble into their cars, they start as they mean to carry on, at a leisurely pace with a polite “After you” gesture to those entering the traffic stream. However, the Saturday rally dinner is another matter entirely… Above: The scene at the start of the 2018 Network Rally as drivers begin to leave the 100th Bomb Group Museum assembly area for a days drive through rural England. (Places still available on the 2019 Moonrakers’ Rally to be held in June.)
A PDF containing a two page extract from the 1932 Wolseley range brochure, providing full specifications for both the factory bodied Hornets and the Hornet Special rolling chassis, has been added to the Wolseley Hornet Specials page in the Member’s Area of the site. Similarly, a scan of 4.75 X 2.25 inch salesman’s pocket rate card, detailing model prices across the 1933 Morris range is now available to view under ‘Everything else’, also in the Member’s Area.
Click the image to see it full size.
The figurine trophies presented to the winners of the national trials and rallies throughout the twenties and thirties are today highly sought-after and valuable. These art deco artefacts were presented by event sponsors, in this case The Autocar magazine. It was won by J.S. Couldrey, who finished first overall in the 1932 Royal Scottish Automobile Club Rally which took place between 4th and 9th July that year. This image first appeared in the 24th June 1932 edition of The Autocar on page 1069. (LAT photoscan courtesy of Motorsport Images)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
MG J2 Midget RX 9980 was the factory’s press car, featuring in most of the material to be seen at the car’s launch in early August 1932. This image was taken some four month later on December 10th. On this occasion it was being driven by A.W.F. Smith in the London-Gloucester Trial where Smith picked up a Silver Cup award. This certainly wasn’t the car’s only competitive outing as images exist of it taking part in the following year’s (Feb 33) Colmore Trial, this time being driven by J. Temple. (LAT Autocar photoscan courtesy of Motorsport Images.)
For 32 years the London Motor Show was held each October at Olympia, W14 before eventually moving to the newly constructed Earls Court, SW5 in 1937. The show was a huge event in the motoring calendar with all major manufacturers (bar Ford) exhibiting. The three main motoring magazines produced a series of mammoth Motor Show special editions throughout the month of October, all crammed with advertisements, reports and photographs. For the visitor , the show programme was a gargantuan, almost 500 page tome, while the cover of the publication pictured here was perhaps the most diminuitive at 4″x3″ and just 30 pages. If you wanted to know how much your 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon was worth then this booklet contained the information, in much the same way that a similar sized edition of Glass’s Guide (launched 1933) would.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This great photo of an unidentified MG C Type Montlhery Midget was taken at a damp Donington Park on 24th March 1934. This was the first meeting on the newly extended course, its length now being 2 miles 1000 yards. (LATplate C2828 courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Cinema advertising
This advertisement for Belcher’s Garage in Station Road, Southwold appears here by courtesy of the Southwold Museum and an offshoot website, Southwold & Son. The advertisement is in the form of a coloured slide which was was used in the local cinema during intermissions, perhaps the thirties equivalent of the post war Pearl & Dean ads. The car in question is a 1931 season Coachbuilt Saloon, available only in maroon and priced at £140.
The Eight Bells in Bolney, West Sussex was the venue for the Home Counties spring meet. Keith Durston’s 1930 MG M Type, along with John Emmett’s 1932 D Type (WM 7500), ensured there were two Minor derived 847 cc power units flying the flag, while the other seven attendees arrived in their moderns. (Photo: Philip Butland)
Rallies are not always blessed with wall to wall sunshine. This shot of Garry Waiting’s 1930 MG M Type BF 5508 (now owned by Sam Christie) pictured alongside Halbe Tjepkema’s Aston Martin Le Mans was taken at Old Warden Airfield on a very wet Sunday lunchtime during the course of the Pre-war Minor Network rally in June 2011.
The third in a short series of well illustrated ‘how-to’ articles has been uploaded to the Technical section of the website. Written by Minor owner Joe Rayner, this one covers the replacement of core plugs, the principles being the same for both types of Minor engine. Find it under the ‘Engine’ tab.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This MG K3 Magnette (K3004) is photographed outside of the Squire Motors works in Henley-upon-Thames, Berks. Those standing behind are Jock Manby-Colegrave (left) and Adrian Squire, the owner of the business. The car was to be used in competition driven by Manby-Colegrave. Squire manufactured expensive sportscars for a short period in the mid-thirties, just seven being produced, before going to the wall in 1936. (Main image, LAT collection Motor Sport magazine. Squire photo, scanned from re-touched Autocar print dated May 1936 Both photos courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Brancaster Staithe – May 2010
The late lamented Brian Maeers was an inspiration to many who crossed his path in the pre-war Minor world. His enthusiasm for all things Morris Minor was infectious and this photo typifies that passion. The occasion was a small gathering of Minor owners centred on Brian’s home at Holme-next-the-sea on the North Norfolk coast, over a wet and windy early May weekend in 2010. The poor weather wasn’t sufficiently bad to persuade Brian to alter his planned mini-tour route, which included this stop on a very windswept Brancaster Staithe. It was here that photographer Paul Keates captured this dramatic image of Brian’s 1932 Tourer OY 3270, Trevor Wilkinson’s 1934 Two-seater UN 6979 and the editorial Semi-Sports VJ 3156. Gone but not forgotten!
Simon Edwards recently travelled from England to Kangaloon, New South Wales in order to finalise the purchase of this 1929 Minor special, M7490. As can be seen, the Minor’s original roadster body is beyond salvation but plans are now in hand for a new body to be constructed locally, which will reflect the car’s Ozzie roots. Watch this space for progress reports as the rebuild gets under way.
If you can find a specialist to refurbish the steering wheel of your Minor be prepared for a shock when it comes to opening their quote. Alternatively, why not do the job yourself? Joe Rayner (the Forum’s ‘oilyrag’) has done just that and recorded the steps taken for his latest technical article, now available to view in the Technical Section, Member’s Area of the website under Axles, wheels, steering…
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The Isle of Man hosted the ‘Mannin’ races between 1933 and 1935 on what was a street circuit around the island’s capital, Douglas. The races were intended to replicate the thrills of the Monaco Grand Prix, which had been introduced to the calendar in 1929. The very first of this new series of races, The Mannin Beg, took place on 12th July 1933, the field consisting primarily of MGs’ and Rileys’, although ‘Billy’ Sullivan’s Morris Minor also took part. The race was dominated by a duel for the lead between Kaye Don and H.C. Hamilton, both driving MG Magnettes with Don becoming one of the 13 retirees from the 16 car field. Hamilton was also also a casualty, when on lap 40 of 50 he was forced to retire from leading the race with rear axle problems. This LAT photo C1058 shows Hamilton at speed, only a few feet away from an unprotected throng of spectators. (Just 13 months later, on August 26th 1934, Hamilton was killed whilst competing in a Maserati at the Swiss Grand Prix in Bern.)
Click the image to see it full size.
Malcolm Campbell & Bluebird
For a generation of British ‘Baby boomer’ children, those who grew-up in the fifties and sixties, the name Campbell was synonymous with speed and record breaking. It was much the same for an earlier generation, those raised in the two inter-world war decades. The Campbells in question were father Malcolm, and his son, Donald, who over a 44 year period held 21 separate land and water speed records between them. All of the record breaking vehicles carried the name ‘Bluebird‘ as did Malcolm Campbell’s early racing cars. Here, a youngish Malcolm Campbell is pictured at Brooklands alongside such a car. Unfortunately, the image is uncaptioned, although the word ‘Bluebird’ is discernable on the bonnet top, along with the figure five, the car’s racing number. The photo is likely to have been taken in the immediate aftermath of WWI and prior to 1924, which was the year he broke the land speed record for the first time. (The author would appreciate any help in identifying the car and dating the photograph.) Photo courtesy Motor Sport Images (LATplate Black 3961A)
Edited to add: Joe Rayner has identified the car as a 1912 Lorraine Deitrich, ‘Vieux Charles III’ which can currently be seen on long-term loan at the Brooklands Museum. This extract from the museum’s website provides some background to the photograph. “In the ownership of Malcolm Campbell, after the First World War it was brought to Brooklands as one of his famous Blue Bird racing cars and won the first race when the track re-opened in 1920. Apart from a short visit to Hampshire, the car has been based at, or near, Brooklands ever since.”
Kenneth Allen from Woking, UK met up with fellow Network member Michael Mullins while holidaying recently in New South Wales, Australia. Michael is selling his immaculate Holden bodied 1931 Minor four-seat tourer, full details of which can be found on this website’s Discussion Forum.
Minor Maintenance – Bleeding the brakes
Joe Rayner has written a series of informative and entertaining articles on a wide range of Minor maintenance topics. The first of these on ‘bleeding the brakes’ is now available to view in the Member’s Area Technical Section, unsurprisingly to be found under the heading ‘Brakes’!
Precisely one year ago the editorial 1930 MG ‘M’ Type GH 6758 was paraded in the heavy snowfall to capture a few images for the website. ‘The beast from the east’ was at that point sweeping across great swathes of Britain causing travel mayhem for all those needing to be out and about. Twelve months later (to the day) the contrast couldn’t be more striking. Another highly unusual and as yet unnamed record-breaking weather event is enveloping most of the British Isles providing a very early taste of summer. (Both photos taken mid-morning on 27th February, 2018 & 2019 respectively) Drag the arrows to fully reveal each image.
Click the image to see it full size.
Contrasts
A timely reminder of 2018’s ‘beast from the east’, this twenties ‘bleak mid-winter’ shot of an Austin Seven chummy is in stark contrast to the balmy or barmy (both apply!) February weather currently being experienced in much of the U.K. It is certainly fair to say that the majority of cars built in the fifteen year period prior to the commencement of WWII could cope far better in conditions such as that seen in this photograph, than many of the front-wheel-drive vehicles built today.
(Photo Courtesy of Motorsport Images LATplate Red 3929)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
G.E.T. Eyston was a prolific motoring record-breaker throughout the thirties decade, included among which was the World Land Speed Record, held on three separate occasions in ‘Thunderbolt’. He set many other records in MGs’ and here he is seen on Pendine Sands on 4th January 1932 about to undertake an attempt on the ‘flying mile’. His vehicle of choice for this attempt was RX 8306, a 1931 MG C Type Midget. The car survives and is now in the custodianship of Chris Cadman, who continues to use it in competition, but not as far as it is known, for record-breaking attempts. (Re-touched image courtesy of LAT – Autocar photoscan)
Most of the United Kingdom has been basking in warm spring-like sunshine for a number of days now. Martin Gregory (and others) have been taking advantage of this unseasonal weather by exercising their cars, many of which have been holed-up under dustsheets in garages and look-ups awaiting spring’s official arrival. Here 1931 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (UF 7090) is captured ‘paused’ alongside a quiet Northamptonshire byeway after a recent run-out.
Autocar (India) magazine are joint sponsors of one of India’s most prestigious car events. the Cartier Concours D’elegance. Held over the weekend 23rd & 24th February a 1930 Tourer (USJ 1795) is flying the flag for the pre-war Morris Minor (seen here on the assembly day Friday 22nd). Flying the flag for Cartier was HRH Prince Michael of Kent who is seen standing alongside Kartik Lunia’s recently refurbished car.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Liverpool registered 1931 MG ‘C’ Type Midget (KF 5114) has featured here previously (see Triple M corner no. 32) and this second profile image was taken at that same photo-shoot. The beautifully proportioned 750 cc ‘C’ Type was an extremely successful competion car and was developed from Eyston’s record breaker EX 120. The short stroke supercharged engine was eventually tuned to develop 52.4 bhp @ 6500 rpm.
USJ 1795, Kartik Lunia’s Jaipur, India based 1930 Minor Tourer is currently undergoing a program of refurbishment which has included, new paintwork and a complete re-trim. The car has been entered for a rapidly approaching concours d’elegance event and hopefully will be completed in time for it to participate!
Thanks to Guy Harris, an original set of membership documents to the Morris Eight Tourer Club are available to download from the ‘The useful page’ in the Member’s Area of the website. The club’s annual membership fee is just One Guinea and the much sought-after M8TC badge can be had for just twelve shillings and sixpence! All of this is assuming that the membership secretary, Mr. G. Miller, is still a resident at that North London address almost 60 years after this document was first typed.
Click the image to see it full size.
JN 723
The two images to be seen here of a 1930 Southend-on-Sea registered Minor Coachbuilt Saloon were discovered quite seperately on eBay some three years apart. They have languished in the archive until a recent search for images of other ‘JN’ registered vehicles paired them together. There is little of merit in either photograph other than that they represent typical snapshots of the pre-war period. The unidentified motorcycle GY 8179 was first registered in London in 1932, while the top image is captioned ‘Riverside House – May 1939’.
Joe Rayner has subsequently identified the motorcycle as a Coventry Eagle ‘Silent Superb’. Thanks Joe.
A further three items have been added to the site in recent days. The first of these is a Minor Musings article by Ken Martin in which he covers the career of F.W. Bolton and his Page Minor Special. A gallery of images showing Bolton at the wheel can also be found at the foot of the Competition Minors page within the Member’s Area. The second item is a snippet from a 1931 Motor Show edition of The Motor magazine, in which evidence is provided of the existence of a SV Two-seater Arrow Special, a matter of some earlier controversy. A PDF can be found on the Minor Specials page beneath a blue button. Finally a single page document listing all electrical equipment supplied by Lucas for the 29-31 season OHC models can be found in the Technical Section under ‘Electrical’.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1931 MAC Shelsley Walsh Open Meeting was held on July 11th, just a few short weeks after the final Double-Twelve event was held at Brooklands. It was at that Brooklands event that the team of 750 cc supercharged MG ‘C’ Type Montlhery Midgets swept all before them, as well as providing the outright winner. To capitalise on this success, two cars from that all-conquering team were demonstrated to the large Shelsley crowd that day and can be seen here ascending the hill together, driven by Hall and Eyston, hence ‘H’ and ‘E’. A cropped version of this image first appeared in the August 1931 edition of Motor Sport magazine on page 470. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
JO 5644
The 1933 season Morris Family Eight press car/factory demonstrator was first registered in Oxford in the late summer of 1932 as JO 5644. It was this car that was famously photographed beneath the Eiffel Tower sometime over the winter of 1932/33. However, both images seen here were taken in the UK. The first of these was shot just a short distance from the car’s place of manufacture in St Giles, Oxford where it is being directed into a parking space by an unkempt official. The second photo was taken adjacent to a quiet Thames backwater at Teddington, Middlesex and was used by The Autocar journalist Charles Wynne as a ‘header’ for his Touring Topics column. The same photograph also featured in a May 1933 edition of the Light Car magazine.
John Wrigley, the 50’s and 60’s Hounslow based pre-war Minor spares specialist also provided plenty of good free advice to owners of the model. Much of this was committed to paper and his homily on Bowden cable brakes is well worth reading. Thanks to Guy Harris, this discourse is now available to view in the Member’s Area, unsurprisingly under ‘Brakes’.
Roy Chasmar and Bev Hicks formed the Morris Eight Tourer Club in the summer of 1960. This was the club that later in that decade was to become the Morris Register, the club to which the Pre-war Minor Network is affiliated today. The M8TC’s first ever publication was a five page newsletter entitled The Journal which was posted to the club’s 25 members. Thanks to the generosity of Guy Harris a PDF of this publication now resides in the Member’s Area of the website, at the top of the new Post War Minoring page and can be found under a red button.
Click the image to see it full size.
DF 9053
This shot of 1930 Morris Minor Coachbuilt saloon DF 9053 and its owner Paul Harris was taken in the late sixties.
Paul writes “DF 9053….which I restored in 1968 and covered (I think) in my article you kindly found. First photo is of her with me before I finished off putting windows in etc.”
Forty years later in 2006, former Network member Jeremy Evans refurbished the car and used it for two or three seasons before selling it to a Belfast enthusiast. Today, the car remains in regular use in the north of England.
Entries continue to be received for the 2019 MoonrakerRally to be held next June in Wiltshire. While the common thread of a love for Minors, Midgets and Hornets bind together those entering the event, another significant factor is that it provides opportunities to renew old friendships and to make new ones. (For entry details – scroll further down this page.)
A Member’s Area page dedicated to recording the changes in usage of the Morris Minor, Wolseley Hornet and MG M Type Midget following the end of the Second World War is launched today. It’s interesting to note how these vehicles were used both in the 15 year period prior to the introduction in the UK of the MOT or Ten Year Test in 1960 and how that changed in the subsequent 40 years prior to the start of the new millenium. Currently 21 images reside in the page’s dedicated image gallery, while more will be added as and when they are submitted by the membership.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This Motor Sport magazine image was taken at the MAC ‘Open’ meeting at Shelsley Walsh in 1932. The MG C Type Midget is seen approaching the Crossing and could either be RX 8306 or RX 8586, its competition number obscuring part of the number plate. The photo is from the LAT collection and appears here courtesy of Motorsport Images.
Download the PDF from the vault: Download PDF
In January 1975 Paul Harris was the custodian of 1934 Minor Two-seater OW 4224. On a very frosty morning he took his car for a run around the by-ways of rural Berkshire, this shot (scanned from a 35mm slide) was taken near his home in Wokingham. To read more about Paul’s Minors follow this link to a spring 1979 article he wrote for the Morris Register Journal.
GX 8765 is a 1932 London registered Wolseley Hornet EW Daytona Special. The car is being driven here by F.S. Hutchens who at that time was the Sales Manager for Eustace Watkins (as well as being secretary of the Hornet Car Club) and who had seen plenty of competitive success at Brooklands and elsewhere driving his employer’s products. Here, he is seen competing at the Brighton Speed Trials of 1932 and was to follow this up in January of 1933 by taking part in the Monte Carlo Rally, also in GX 8765. (Photo courtesy Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
1932 Wolseley Hornet Coupe OV 5829
Introduced at the same time as the lwb Family Eight Sports Coupe the 1932 Hornet version of the same body style very closely resembles that of the following season Morris Minor Special Coupe. This eBay sourced snapshot of a late 1931 Birmingham registered car is one of six negatives of the vehicle (and its owners), all of which look to have been taken in the fifties if the female fashion and general condition of the car are considered. While there are images of surviving Hornet Coupes to be found on the internet, they are few and far between, which would seem to indicate that not too many survive.
The first gallery to be added to the new 2019 Event Galleries page was uploaded to the site earlier today (28th January) and displays images taken at the VSCC’s New Year Driving Tests, which were held recently at Brooklands.
The VSCC’s annual New Year Driving Tests took place at Brooklands on 27th January in mixed weather conditions. The Minor, M Type Midget and Hornet communities all had solitary representatives among a 58 car field. Here, Andrew Lucena’s 1932 paneled Midget (GX 1047) is seen being enthusiastically driven around one of the sections positioned upon the circuit’s original Start/Finish straight. NB.Biggles would have been horrified to see an untethered flying helmet!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
On 13th May 1933 a motor race meeting was held at Donington Park for just the second time, the 2.25 mile circuit’s inaugural meeting having taken place on 25th March that year. Here car no. 25, Eric Hall’s MG C Type Midget passes under a narrow ornamental bridge at one of the circuits ‘no passing sections’. Mr. Hall went on to win two of the seven events to be held that day, in front of an audience reported by Motor Sport to be in the region of 10,000 souls. Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images – source LAT archive.
Click the image to see it full size.
More Minor postcard images
Two more old postcard images featuring Minors. These photos are rarely exciting but they do depict the cars being used for the mainly mundane purposes for which they were originally purchased. The website’s archive now contains over 100 of these postcard shots, which cover the length and the breadth of the land and there are even one or two from outside the British Isles. There are a further two North Hill, Minehead, Somerset postcard images in the archive to compliment the one seen here, while the Ripon, Yorks market square scene is a ‘first’ for this town. Top – 1932 Minor Saloon along with a Standard Litte Nine . Beneath – 1933 Minor Two-seater.
Tim Stubbs and his eight strong team of helpers have made a rapid start to the restoration of this Surrey registered 1932 Minor 5 cwt van (PJ 7901) in their Burton-on-Trent workshop. There are a number of other images of the van available to view on the website’s forum, most of which feature tea cups…
Barbara Skinner‘s illustrious, albeit short motor sport career ended on the 25th May 1938 when she took part in the Spring Shelsley meeting in her brother’s Red Hudson ‘Straight-eight’ powered, Skinner Special. Her sibling also competed in the same car that day gaining a class win. The White Minor page within the Member’s Area of the website has been updated with a short article describing Barbara’s extra-curricula motor sport career, which includes a gallery of images from the Network’s archive and elsewhere. This May 1938 photo of Barbara in her brother’s car appears courtesy of David Baldock.
McEvoy Hornet Specials frequently appeared high in the result listings of the well known trials of the period. This 1931 model GK 4084, driven by A.J.G. Bochaton was one such car. Bochaton used GK 4084 exstensively throughout the period 1934-1937 and appeared in all the major trials excepting the ‘Colemore’, gaining a number of top awards. Here his slightly battered car is being driven through a Devonshire wood during the course of the 1934 Brighton-Beer Trial which was held in excellent weather on the 17th June that year.
Click the image to see it full size.
A motoring gymkhana
A proposal to hold a motoring gymkhana today would no doubt raise a few eyebrows, but they were not uncommon during the thirties decade. Henly’s Motor Group held an annual customer event each summer at Heston Airport while the Eastbourne concours d’élégance weekend also held an associated gymkhana. This photograph was taken in July 1931 at a similar event which on this occasion had been organised by the Bugatti Owners Club. The two (very recently) London registered vehicles involved are an MG Midget (GK 1284), seen here clearly leading a Bugatti (GK 17). The Midget’s driver is about to occupy, or be seated upon the the upturned bucket, although the purpose of the exercise remains a mystery to the writer. However, it does look like they are enjoying themselves!
Toby and Linda Sears both look surprised to see Avril Ovenden in her 1932 season Minor Two-seater gaining on them, while both cars race along a section of the Thorpe Abbotts perimeter track which was originally built in 1942 to handle the mighty Flying Fortresses of the 100th Bomb Group. Philip Butland’s photo was taken during the afternoon of Sunday 10th June on the final day of the Network’s 2018 rally.
Some 15 years ago Philippe Prigent from Brest, France purchased a 1929 OHC Minor special in the UK. Over the next decade Philippe rebuilt the car, disposing of the old body and creating a new one from scratch. The pleasing result can be seen in this image of the car, which was taken at the famous pre-war circuit of Montlhery in May 2017. Car and driver return to the same circuit in May this year, when once again his special will take on all comers!
Despite the brevity of daylight hours and the mucky conditions on some of our roads at this time of year, some Minorists continue to exercise their cars at every opportunity. Here, an outing by Marlborough based Ken Martin to Salisbury Plain in his 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (VX 4590) was recently captured to good effect through the lens of his digital camera.
The media traditionally uses this time of the year for reflection, peering both into the future and the past. This home page screen-snip from July 2009 may be familiar to some but it does serve to remind that 2019 represents the tenth anniversary of the fledgling website’s Image of the week (IOTW) feature, the top of that first offering being visible here. The image was an overhead view of the Minor production line, taken in either 1929 or 1930.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Following on from the MG PA depicted in Triple M corner no.124 is this MG J3 Midget (JB 1047) which was featured in a road test article in the May 1933 edition of Motor Sport magazine. (pages 325/326) The 750 cc J3 reputedly had a top speed of 93 mph and was supercharged via a Powerplus 6A unit. A heavier duty crankshaft to that fitted to the J2 was required in order to cope with the forces associated with a power unit that could spin to 5500 rpm. The test was carried out at Brooklands in the early spring of that year in weather conditions that could not be described as ideal, neverless the reporter was fulsome in his praise of the car’s performance. (Photos courtesy of Motorsport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
Regular contributor and Christchurch, New Zealand resident John McDonald, has sent this image of a care-worn ohc Minor Saloon 379-926, which in view of its paint job was probably taken between 1966 and 1969. John advises that the photo was taken in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island while the car’s likely owner was sure to be under 25 years of age! Apart from the red heart emblems painted upon the body, along with similarly coloured painted headlamp shells, the carburettor has also received a coat!
John has sent a correction to this post: “The Minor wears registration plates that were legal between 1956 to 30 June 1961. Secondly, the sticker in the top left of the windscreen is an annual one, to be displayed when the fee is paid. The blue/yellow one shown here was for the period 1/7/1960 to 30/6/1961. So I think the given date of 1960 is correct”.
A Sunday highlight of the 2018 ‘Pacesetters Rally’ in Suffolk was an impromptu challenge between two tuned Minor Tourers driven by Janie Maaers and John Paternoster respectively. Having disappeared into the distance along the Thorpe Abbotts perimeter track the two adversaries can just be seen returning beyond the editorial Semi-Sports and Halbe Tjepkema’s newly restored Fabric Saloon. (Photo: Halbe Tjepkema)
Thanks to those who submitted images and reports of holiday capers, all of which can be found on the website’s Discussion Forum here.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The final versions of the pre-war four-cylinder OHC engined MG Midgets were the PA and PB models. The PA model was introduced in late 1933, replacing the J series and now had an improved three bearing crankshaft enabling the safer use of higher engine revolutions, while the PB of 1935 was endowed with a larger capacity 939 cc OHC engine, a further development of the PA’s unit. The car shown here, MG PA – JB 4157, was first registered in Berkshire in 1934. (Both photographs courtesy of Motor Sport Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
This Shetland Museum image depicts a Minor Fabric Saloon PS 775, a 1930 ‘Zetland’ registered car but a model built prior to the change from Smiths to Armstrong shock absorbers. The other visible clue that this is perhaps an early 1930 season car or even a late registration of a 1929 model is the continued presence of the ‘Morris’ script attached to the radiator core. Both of these changes occurring in very early October 1929 after which the radiator core remained naked. The girder-framed motorcycle will be familiar to some who read this but unfortunately not to the writer.
Following the recent publication of a Motor Sport sourced image of a 1932 Abbey Trophy Hornet on the Wolseley Hornet Specials (No.37) home-page spot, a scan of the original July 1932 Motor Sport article (in which this photo first appeared), has now been added to the website. It can be found in the Member’s Area of the website in the file drawer entitled ‘Wolseley Hornet Specials Articles’ at the foot of the Wolseley Hornet Specials page.
Click the image to see it full size.
RC 300 – 1931 registered McEvoy Minor
It was the Jensen bothers concern in West Bromwich, who on instructions from Michael McEvoy, built the first McEvoy Minor (Model 70) body in the autumn of 1931. The car in question was to receive the Derby registration RC 300 and become something of a celebrity after it carried competition number 1 at the first ever RAC Rally in March 1932. Prior to that, McEvoy had heavily advertised the model in the Motor Sport magazine who in December 1931 had commissioned a photographer to take a sequence of at least seven photographs of the car for use in the forthcoming advertisements. One of these images was never used as the camera moved at the time the shutter was released, resulting in a blurring of the subsequent photo. Here this photograph sees the light of day for the first time, although little will be learned as much of the important detail is lost. Despite that, it remains an integral part of the car’s early history and is published here on that basis. (Photo courtesy of Motor Sport Images)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1931 Irish Grand Prix at Phoenix Park, Dublin was held over the weekend of 6th and 7th June. On a wet Saturday 6th, cars with an engine capacity of under 1500 cc took part, competing for the Saorstat Cup. The race was to be dominated by the new MG Montlhery C Type Midgets, fresh from their astonishing success at the final running of the Brooklands ‘Double-Twelve’ event which had taken place less than a month earlier. Motor Sport magazine carried an extensive report on the event which was won overall by Norman Black in an Earl of March entered Midget. They also published this photo in their July 1931 edition with the following caption. “Wet going in the first day’s race. Two MG’s in close formation, the drivers are (31) H.D. Parker and (35) R.T. Horton.” This restored photo courtesy Motorsport Images Ltd.
The archive team at Motor Sport Images Ltd have ajudged that the winner of the 2018 PWMN Photograph of the Year Competition is Tineke Roest’s entry, ‘Alpine Winter Sports’. In 2017 the winning image was entered by Ari Roest, Tineke’s husband, so very much a case of keeping it in the family. Congratulations Tineke! The winning image was one of 12 from the 61 photographs entered that were selected by the adjudicators to appear in the 2019 Pre-war Minor Network calendar. The calendars will be available for delivery in early January and are priced at £11.50 U.K. and £12.50 European Union (p&p included). Order via chris@prewarminor.com
The value of tagging and captioning images stored away on your hard-drive, on in the cloud, becomes apparent when something triggers a ‘ringing a bell’ moment. In this case it was the the GX registration of this recently uncovered photograph of a 1932 Abbey Trophy Hornet Special (GX 1827), found within the Motor Sport magazine images section of the LAT collection. A search of the Network’s archive revealed a later snapshot of the car with its probable owner alongside. Was he the first owner of the car? Did he compete in it? The search also revealed that the car was the subject of a Light Car magazine road test in May 1932, a PDF of which resides in the document archive on the Wolseley Hornet Specials page. This page can be found within the Member’s Area of the website. Sadly, the car is not a survivor but a little of its semi-illustrious early history is now known. (L/H Image courtesy of Motor Sport Images)
Drag the arrows either way to reveal the complete images.
Click the image to see it full size.
Ken the Horse, Hawick
Postcards can be a great source for learning. It was this image of a 1932 Minor that led to a little internet research which uncovered the fascinating story outlined below. The Minor Saloon is about to pass the 1514 Memorial in Hawick, a town located just on the Scot’s side of the Anglo/Scottish border. The following passage has been extracted from the Ken the Horse website: This memorial commemorates the victory of local youths or “callants” from the town over a party of English raiders at Hornshole, just outside Hawick in 1514, most of the men of the town having been killed on Flodden Field the previous year. The English flag was captured and carried back to Hawick, the capture of which is commemorated in this proud statue.
The River Tar flows through County Tipperary in the Irish Republic and at Ballybacon, in the Barony of Iffa & Offa, the river passes under a humpback bridge. Seeing a photo-opportunity, Joe Rayner did no more than park his 1932 Minor Two-seater (ZV 83851) on the crest of the ‘hump’. The resulting photograph can be seen above while the traffic jam Joe caused took almost 20 seconds to clear.
The brightly painted (and very expensive) beach huts that line the sea wall at Southwold, Suffolk provide a colourful contrast to the blue seas and skies to be seen here in high summer. In the winter it’s a different matter, although an overcast sky and rough seas can be a dramatic, as opposed to a picturesque, backdrop for a photograph of a Morris Minor!
Click the image to see it full size.
Water baby?
This photograph first appeared in the August 1936 edition of the Morris Owner magazine on page 561. The image caption reads as follows:
Mr J.H. Marshall, the Ilkley Motor Club’s President, demonstrates that a Minor Two-seater can cross the River Wharfe without bridge or ford. Just beyond where the car is standing is the deepest part of the stream.
It’s interesting to note that the Minor continued to be regularly mentioned in this journal right up to the commencement of WWII, demonstarting perhaps that it was a model the magazine’s editorial staff and its readership held in high esteem.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Yet another Bill Brunell photograph courtesy of Motorsport Images. This one was taken in the afternoon of 19th June 1932 during the course of that year’s running of the B&HMC’s Brighton – Beer reliability trial. Here Brunell captures T.A.W. Thorpe in his 1930 MG Midget GF 5503 cresting a gradient in a sunken lane near Fingle Bridge on Dartmoor. Thorpe went on to gain a second class award. The photo appeared in the 24th June 1932 edition of The Autocar on page 1055. (LAT photoscan)
Open-air motoring during a northern hemisphere winter can be a ‘brass monkeys’ experience unless suitably attired. Network member Joe Rayner uses his 1932 Minor Two-seater all-year-round and concluded that it was time his car was provided with some built-in warmth for the occupants. With this in mind he set about designing and installing a heating system for his seats. His east to follow ‘How to’ article can now be found in the Member’s Area of the website filed under ‘Everything else’.
Taken at Thoresby, Notts in August 2012, this photo of David Brown‘s Minors displays their twin carburettor configuration to good effect. The OHC Minor in the foreground is known as the ‘Baby Bentley’, while the SV variant behind, famously completed a tour around the UK mainland coastline in the early years of this millenium. (Photo: Philip Butland)
The Home Counties group met recently at the illustrious Royal Automobile Club at Woodcote Park, Epsom, Surrey for what has become their annual pre-Christmas ‘bash’. The meet was organised and hosted by RAC member Alister Reid who was joined by a disparate band of enthusiasts from across the south of England. Apparently, a good time was had by all!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
MG 768 was an MG 12/12 Midget owned and driven by Viscount Curzon. This photo was taken by well known motoring photographer Bill Brunell during the course of the 1931 Inter -Varsity Trial, along an unmetalled lane in the Chiltern Hills, near Marlow, Bucks.
Click the image to see it full size.
The latter days of an M Type?
It’s likely that this car started life as an MG M Type Midget before it was rebodied at some point, perhaps in the forties or fifties. Certainly, the front of the car bears all the hallmarks of the first MG Midget, despite the rear wheels originating from a Minor. Unfortunately, the reverse of this eBay sourced print provides no clues as to the car’s location but a detective would no doubt start his/her investigation in Douglas, I.O.M. The car is wearing a tax disc and is parked-up at what looks like a regular parking-bay so is almost certainly mobile, unlike many of these seaside photographer’s props of the period. Such a vehicle today would certainly attract the attention of the boys-in-blue, but perhaps not in pre-MOT days?
Pat Oliver, the Network’s guest-of-honour at the 2016 Jurassic Rally, died yesterday (30th November) following a period of illness. Her daughter Jackie Hammond had notified the Network earlier in 2016 of her Mum’s desire to be reunited with a Minor Tourer, a car in which she had learned to drive in the early fifties and then went on to pass her test. Thanks to current Minor Tourer owners Janie Maeers and John Paternoster, Pat’s wish was fulfilled. Our condolences go to Jackie and all of Pat’s family members.
(Photo: Janie Maeers)
An insightful article written by Terry Webster and Henry Burrell, two former doyens of the Wolseley Hornet Special Club, has now been uploaded to the Hornet Specials page in the Member’s Area of the website. The article first appeared in the Thoroughbred & Classic Cars magazine in the September 1975 edition.
Click the image to see it full size.
There is almost nothing to commend this photograph in that the subject’s face is obscured by her hand and the car’s identity will forever remain unknown due to the angle of the shot. Despite that, there is still plenty to be gleaned from the image. It was almost certainly taken prior to 1950 as the rooflines are yet to be disturbed by television aerials while the car is undoubtedly a 1932 season Morris Family Eight Sports Coupe, (to give it its full title), note the sidelights and calormeter. The photograph was taken in Holmthwaite in what is now Cumbria, the sign on the wall providing the clue, confirmed by its listing on eBay from whence it was purchased. Just another small piece of Minor history to add to the archive.
The webpage setting out the rules for this year’s PWMN Photograph of the Year Competition has now been launched. The page can be found here or under the red button on the website header image. Entries are now being accepted, the first items appearing in the competition gallery on Saturday 1st December. As one famous East Anglian female resident eloquently put it, “Let’s be avin ya” – its time to submit your entry! Please email them to info@prewarminor.com
Click the image to see it full size.
There is almost nothing to commend this photograph in that the subject’s face is obscured by her hand and the car’s identity will forever remain unknown due to the angle of the shot. Despite that, there is still plenty to be gleaned from the image. It was almost certainly taken prior to 1950 as the rooflines are yet to be disturbed by television aerials while the car is undoubtedly a 1932 season Morris Family Eight Sports Coupe, (to give it its full title), note the sidelights and calormeter. The photograph was taken in Holmthwaite in what is now Cumbria, the sign on the wall providing the clue, confirmed by its listing on eBay from whence it was purchased. Just another small piece of Minor history to add to the archive.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
1930 MG Midget VR 9032 was first registered in Manchester in 1930. However, establishing just when this photograph was taken is not quite so easy to ascertain. A good bet is the thirties decade, in that the car looks to be in excellent condition and in particular, the Dunlop three stud tyres appear to be almost new. What can be seen of the driver’s clothing doesn’t provide much assistance although the beret is a very sensible choice of headgear, fashionable at that time and which will at least remain on if caught in the car’s slipstream, unlike a peaked cap. The tax disc informs that the photo was taken prior to 1959 when a major design change to that document took place (http://www.britishtaxdiscs.co.uk/tax-disc-history.php) although the rear view mirror appears to be a motorcycle type of a type popular during the fifties and early sixties.
This internet sourced image shows a 1930/31 CF3 Wolseley Hornet Special (13-ELT-95) on the steeply banked Montlhery racing circuit 19 miles south of Paris. The circuit, opened in 1925 and in the years running up to WWII was host to many record breaking speed events as well as a number of French Grand Prix. George Eyston was a regular visitor during this period, his runs in the Magic Midget resting many class H records away from Austin. In recent times Montlhery has hosted a revival meeting each year, this photo being taken at one such event.
Avril & Tim Ovenden have owned their 1932 season Minor Two-seater (KJ 3553) since 2012. In the meantime they have extensively used their car, taking it to six Network rallies, attending a similar number of MR Thoresby Hall events, have been to Pre-war Prescott, used it for an ‘Around the Edge’ section and much more besides. It travels to these events contained within the luxury of an enclosed and converted horse-box and as can be seen from this photograph, is a cossetted and well tended thoroughbred!
A PDF containing a sequence of images taken for The Autocar at the time of the model’s launch in April 1930 has been added to the Wolseley Hornet page in the open part of the website under ‘The cars’. The PDF is entitled ‘April 1930 launch images….’
Alternatively, view the PDF here
Click the image to see it full size.
Changing history
Labelling reportage as ‘fake news’ when it is in fact truthful is not a recent phenomena and neither are attempts to change history, either deliberately or otherwise. If this undated, internet sourced item concerning the £100 Minor is to be believed, then all owners of the 1931 SV Minor Two-seater should expect their car to reach 100mph and achieve fuel consumption figures of 100 miles to the gallon of fuel. Those with an interest in the Minor will know that the figures referred to in the truncated image caption text refer to the specially built model that took part in a publicity stunt in the summer of 1931 and went on to become the Red Minor, piloted by Peter Skinner.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This recently discovered re-touched image of a 1930 MG 8/33 Midget Sportsman’s Coupe was first seen on the pages of The Autocar magazine in the spring of that year. Although the detail is not particularly clear it does show the general layout of the cockpit area to good effect. (LAT Autocar photoscan)
The recent glorious autumn sunshine has been cause for the delay of many pre-winter chores of late as vintage car owners have opted to take advantage of the weather by heading for the lanes and byways. Joe Rayner was one such owner who exercised his 1932 Minor Two-seater ZV 83851 on very quiet Irish roads. ‘Doris’ is seen here parked-up on the approaches to Knocklofty Bridge in County Tipperary.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A huge crowd congregated in Blue Hills Mine, Cornwall on 4th April 1931 to witness cars and crews negotiating (or otherwise) the twists, turns and climbs of that cavernous man-made arena. All were competing in the 1931 running of the MCC London-Lands End trial. The image to be seen here shows A. G. Murdoch in his 1930 MG Midget MG 644 hitting a bank at one such sharp turn. Murdoch went on to eventually collect a Silver award. (LAT Autocar photoscan – this image first appeared in that magazine’s 10th April 1931 edition)
Click the image to see it full size.
Designed by Gordon England
It wasn’t until July 1930 that Morris Motors added a two-seater to their Minor range, a full two years after the model was first launched. They turned to an established coachbuilder for assistance and the Gordon England concern effectively resurrected a design they had first used some 18 months previously on their own ‘England Minor Two-seater’. The similarities are very evident in the photographs to be seen here including the stippled bonnet finish, which on the Morris Semi-Sports was rolled into the bonnet sheet metal, while a matching fabric to that of the body was applied to the bonnet of the England Two-seater. However, the England car was far better appointed in that it was supplied with Moseley ‘Float-on-air’ cushions and an integrated chassis lubrication system among other refinements. The heavily dished steering wheel to be seen on the England Two-seater dates the car to late 1928 or early 1929, making this special one of the earliest to be produced.
This photo of Garry & Marge Schultz with their 1930 Australian bodied Minor Tourer first appeared in Queensland’s Toowoomba Chronicle newspaper. The Schultz’s were attending the end of a stage of the Great Endeavour Rally, a challenging charity event held in what is jokingly described as ‘rural Australia’ and better known as ‘the outback’.
Originality is a hot topic in the pre-war car world but some things should not stand in the way of progress, particularly where safety is concerned. Plenty of Minor owners are now fitting LED lamps to their cars, these being many times brighter than the low wattage tungsten bulbs they are replacing. Peter Yates was an early convert, fitting LED bulbs to his 1933 Saloon (LV 975) some years ago. It means that now his Minor can be used around-the-clock, which of course includes attending his local Morris Register evening noggin as can be seen in this shot.
Major D.E.M. Douglas-Morris was a prolific rallyist & trialist throughout the thirties decade. He took part in all eleven Monte-Carlo Rallies betwen 1929 and 1939, six of the eight pre-war RAC rallies and over 20 of the major trials of the period. Here his 1931 Wolseley Hornet EW Hornet Coupe De-Luxe is pictured taking first prize at one of the south coast concours events (Eastbourne 1931) while parked alongside another Hornet coupe special, possibly bodied by the Surrey coachbuilder, Hoyal. (Autocar photoscan)
Click the image to see it full size.
Identity crisis
The three images to be seen here of 1932 Minor Two-seater PL 6371 were taken over a period spanning almost 60 years. The first black & white photo of a young man seated in his freshly refurbished Minor (note new hood and paintwork) was taken in the late sixties. The next image depicts the same man some ten years later seated once again in PL 6371 outside his home with a young child peering through an open window. The third photo was taken in September 2017 and was used to successfully advertise the car for sale on eBay. Unfortunately, it looks as if the new owner has stripped the car of its identity as the registration plate PL 6371 is now affixed to a white Fiat.
All is not what it seems with this internet sourced, Minor pick-up image. The front half of the vehicle’s bodywork was originally fitted to a 1930-31 Coachbuilt Saloon while the load carrying area is a recent addittion, as of course is the age related plate, BS 9340. There are two towns in the UK named Netherton, one in the West Midlands the other in Merseyside. A Google search revealed that this ‘P. Smith – Decorator’ resides in Netherton, near Dudley, in the West Midlands.
The Light Car & Cyclecar published a short article reviewing the revised Hornet Special chassis for 1934, in their October 6th 1933 ‘First Show Number’ edition; the updated chassis making its debut at the Olympia, London Motor Show. This article now resides in the Hornet Specials section of the website’s Member’s Area. In addition, an extract from the 1934 Wolseley range brochure has also been uploaded detailing the Hornet Special’s full specification.
Earlier this year Tineke & Arie Roest completed a 1600 mile road trip from their home in Holland for a tour around the island of Ireland. Their 1930 Jarvis Hornet special proved to be an extremely reliable mode of transport which attracted attention whenever it stopped, despite their best efforts to ensure it blended in with the background.
Throughout the twenties, thirties and beyond, the majority of Britain’s coastal resorts had photographic studios from which street photographers plied their trade, speculatively capturing holiday makers on celluloid. If they could persuade their subjects to part with some of their holiday money, photoprints would rapidly be produced so that their customers could take the prints home at the end of their stay to show family and friends. Some of these studios included a semi-permanent ‘set’ in which cars and other props were placed against a painted back-drop. The use of parts of genuine cars as props was commonplace as were model vehicles. It’s clear from this photo (taken in Blackpool) that a Swallow Hornet Special is being represented although its small scale ensures the occupants look like giants!
Fothergill Minor Special
Tim Green emailed the Network in an attempt to establish if this 1931 Hertfordshire registered Minor (UR 9276) had survived. The car was owned by his friend Derek Fothergill, a Chippenham, Wilts resident who purchased and rebuilt the car upon leaving the army after WWII. The car was then used to tour Wales as honeymoon transport following his marriage in 1947. The two images seen here of ‘Jane’, as the car was named, were taken at that time. Sadly, it doesn’t look as if Derek’s Minor has survived, as it’s not listed by the DVLA, either of the main registers and is also not recorded among the Minor survivors in the Harry Edwards archive.
![Bilmuseum Autoseum, Nisse Nilsson Collection, Simrishamn, Skåne | Car museum, Scania, Sweden [2015]](https://pwmn-images.storage.googleapis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/1932-Minor-Two-seater-Nisse-Nilsson-Collection-Museum-Scania-Sweden.jpg "Morris Minor 8 SV, 1932")
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This scan from a 1931 Motor Sport film negative shows off this MG factory photo of their ‘C’ Type Montlhery Midget to good effect.
Click the image to see it full size.
1932 MCC London-Edinburgh Trial
Lt. Cdr. G.M.D. Maltby R.N. was a keen motoring trialist as well as being a retired naval officer. He was also associated with the Kent coachbuilding company that bore his family name until that business was sold in 1927. Here he is seen in a 1929 Somerset registered MG Midget (YC 7221) climbing Park Rash during the course of the 1932 running of the MCC London-Edinburgh trial. Unfortunately, Cowbourne records that he wasn’t among the awards that weekend. There are further photos of Maltby in another Midget (MG 703 – This car is currently in the custodianship of member, Ian Judd)) taken at the RSAC Rally in 1936. (Motor Sport negative – courtesy of LAT Images)
A great photo taken in April 2016 by Pete Edgerler at the annual Amberley, Sussex meeting. RX 9207 is an excellent example of a 1932 season Minor Two-seater and had been offered for sale on various platforms for over a year before being passed on to an Essex trader. The car has now sold and is hopefully in the hands of someone who will make regular use of it.
The 2019 PWMN Rally is proving to be the hottest ticket in town! Over two thirds of the available spaces have already been allotted, just seven days after booking availability was announced. If you have been considering entering, don’t delay – you can find a booking form here.
Simon Edwards is about to embark on a trip to Australia to finalise the acquisition of a 1929 Minor rolling chassis along with the remnants of a locally built two-seater body. Upon arrrival back in the UK he will be seeking a restorer to renovate the rolling chassis and to build an appropriate body. If you know of someone who would be prepared to take on such a task, please contact the Network.
Click the image to see it full size.
Cowley – but when?
Morris Films made many documentary ‘shorts’ throughout the late twenties and thirties and this still image was snipped from one of them. The film was shot at Cowley in late 1928 or 1929 and shows Minors passing along the production line. Dating the image more precisely is not easy, as although the cars have the later steering wheel (post early October 1928) they are still being fitted with nickel radiators, single stay radiator supports and Morris script all of which were replaced or updated early into the 1930 production season, circa October 1929. The image does however provide absolute clarity concerning the precise positioning of the manufacturer’s data plate and coil on the bulkhead.
F. Allott competed in many of the major trials throughout the thirties and for three of those years 1932, ’33 and ’34 his car of choice was a Patrick bodied Wolseley Hornet Special. These images were both taken during the course of the October 1933 running of the MCC Sporting Trial for which Allott collected a Silver Award. His Hornet (MG 2239) can be seen climbing the Rosedale Chimney gradient in an image that was published (or perhaps re-published) in the June 1944 edition of Light Car, the magazine having moved from a weekly publication to monthly as a result of wartime shortages. The second heavily re-touched Autocar image (LAT photoscan) was taken on Scarborough promenade and shows MG 2239 taking part in the driving tests element of the trial.
CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO ENLARGE
The Network’s 2019 Rally is returning to Marlborough and the rolling downs of Wiltshire. The 30 available entries are sure to be taken-up very quickly, so download and submit your entry form (to be found on the newly launched rally page) in order to guarantee your place!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This photograph of the Honourable Mrs. Chetwynd and H.H. Stisted‘s MG C Type Midget was taken on Saturday 13th June 1931 at the famous la Sarthe circuit during the course of the 24 Heures du Mans. The Stisted/Chetwyn car completed just 30 laps before being forced into retirement and was one of the 20 cars to be unclassified from among the 26 starters. The lack of spectator and crew protection at the circuit is clear to see, both from this photograph and contemporary images to be found on the internet and elsewhere. (LATplate B6269A)
Click the image to see it full size.
1932 Brighton Speed Trials
The Brighton Speed Trials is an event that dates back to 1905 and takes place on Madeira Drive adjacent to the sea. It’s generally an annual event although there have been a number of notable breaks. One such hiatus was between 1925 and 1932 following a change in the law prohibiting motor sport on public roads. Its return after a seven year gap was made possible when it was realised that Maderia Drive was owned by the town corporation and not the Ministry of Transport, therefore it was not deemed a public highway. The 1932 event attracted a crowd of over 100,000, no doubt enticed by the prospect of a duel between John Cobb and Malcolm Campbell. This short Pathe film of the event shows the two world land speed record holders going head to head along that famous seafront. This photograph, taken at that 1932 event, shows a 1932 Kent registered Swallow Wolseley Hornet special (KJ 1461) competing against a Frazer-Nash, the duel’s outcome not being known. (The Pathe film cameraman can be seen in the background.) For more information about the speed trials visit this website. (LAT Autocar photoscan)
A further 17 images taken at the autumn’s pub-meets have been added to the 2018 Event Galleries page and can be viewed at the foot of this page.
Please note an unavoidable late change of venue for Sunday’s pub meet. The new venue is The Manor House at Wortham, just off the A143, approximately 2.5 miles distant from the Cross Keys. Start time remains noon. The late change was made necessary by sickness among the catering staff at the Cross Keys.
Click the image to see it full size.
A spring 1931 Birmingham registered EW Hornet Sports (OV 1173) features in this Autocar column heading artwork. The fountain at Hascombe, Surrey still exists while sadly, this lovely early example of a Hornet special, doesn’t. The original image appeared in the 30th June 1933 edition of The Autocar. (Photoscan image by courtesy of LAT)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
F. Fsorza took part in the majority of the major trials between 1931 and 1933 competing in either a Lea Francis or, as seen here, his MG Magna (MG 1419). This photograph was taken at the 1932 running of the MCC London-Lands End event held over 25th & 26th March and was published on P249 of the April edition of Motor Sport magazine. The concise caption reads, “F. Fsorsa’s Magna comes to grief on the first bend of Grabhurst” . He failed to collect an award that day. (LAT Motor Sport negative)
Mike Jones took along his recently acquired 1933 Minor Saloon to the VSCC’s September monthly pub meet at North Lopham, Norfolk. Just 10 months previously the VSCC Committee had voted to add the SV Morris Minor to their PVT list, thereby permitting the SV cars to compete in VSCC events alongside the already eligible OHC models. Also present was Dave Philips in his 1934 EW Wolseley Hornet special along with the editorial Semi-Sport. (Still minus a numberplate digit.)
The Network’s Far Eastern Autumn Pub Meet is scheduled to take place at The Cross Keys pub in Redgrave, Suffolk on Sunday 7th October. A small reconnaissance party called by on a glorious September day in order to test the facilities and sample the local ale. All boxes were successfully ticked. Put the date in your diary and just turn-up – from noon onwards.
In May this year the seaside town of Eastbourne, Sussex held a classic and vintage car parade. The parade was reminiscent of the twenties and thirties Concours d’Elégance events which were held each September in the town throughout that pre-war period. Here a 1933 Minor homebuilt special (JO 7209) is captured taking-part by photographer, Nigel Buckner.
Download the PDF from the vault: Download PDF
Click the image to see it full size.
1932 GPO ‘Linesman’ Minor 5cwt van
Of the 87,000 Morris Minors produced between the autumn of 1928 and the summer of 1934, 58,000 of them were saloons of various types. Numerically, and some way behind the saloon, the 5cwt van took the runners up spot with just under 10,000 examples leaving Cowley. This was due in part to a succession of orders from the GPO, who extensively used the Minor van for Royal Mail delivery as well as in a variety of other roles. This photo of a 1932 model depicts a GPO Linesman’s van, GW 2426 which was among the first batch of six such experimental vehicles to be supplied to the organisation. The bodies were built by Harold Perry Ltd., who also successfully bodied a number of Ford Eight specials around the same period, their business eventually gaining Ford main dealership status. Grateful thanks goes to forumist Joe Raynor (oilyrag) for the use of the photograph and for the background information.
If you haven’t as yet taken a photo for entry into this year’s POTY Competition, it’s certainly not too late to do so. Autumn sunlight and old cars could prove to be an alchemic mixture and would provide an excellent reason to exercise your Minor, Midget or Hornet, should you need such justification!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
There are many talented automotive artists currently practising their skills and Bruce Thomson is up there among the best. This depiction of a 1934 MG PA Midget was discovered on Bruce’s website and was sketched during a brief stay at the Three Horseshoes in Thursley, Surrey. His website is well worth a prolonged look.
Frank Higgin’s has owned his 1930 OHC Minor UY 9222 for over 30 years. It’s story is an interesting one as told by Frank himself: “My Minor (originally a saloon) has been messed about with over the years I believe at one time it had a “replica” glass fibre Edwardian style body! Later it seems that somebody found a rather rusty £100 body patched it up with liberal use of body filler put a home-made exhaust system and a modern (MinI?) carb on it and that was what it was like when I got it. Over the years I have sorted it out and although the body is still a bit scruffy (but most of the filler has been removed!). It has never been restored as such, but just maintained and improved.”
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The MG Car Company’s founder and chief executive throughout the thirties was Mr. Cecil Kimber. His personal transport for a short time during this period was this Corsica bodied, supercharged MG Magnette. The image is a scan of a photograph from an Autocar ‘edition file’ which appears here courtesy of LAT, while the small snippet and caption was found on the internet.
Click the image to see it full size.
PL 2347 again!
This post September 1930, Surrey registered Wolseley Hornet Saloon PL 2347 was used by the Chief Photographer of the Iliffe publishing group, Mr. Donald Osmond, throughout the early thirties and into the second half of that decade. It appears in many feature articles in the Autocar magazine and constantly crops up in the background of many other photographs held in the LAT Photographic Archive. This photo has a caption scratched into the plate’s emulsion that simply reads Haweswater. The Network’s archive holds over 50 different images of this car taken between 1931 and 1937.
Peter Brock and his 1934 Morris Four-door Family Saloon (AAO 463) have been off on their travels once again, on this occasion a 220-mile round trip (by road) from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway. The purpose of the journey was to visit both ends of Hadrian’s Wall, which as can be seen on the sign at the Bowness end of the wall, is only 84 miles distant from Wallsend, should you be inclined to follow the route of the wall on foot.
The two images seen here were taken at the 2018 PWMN Rally on Thorpe Abbotts airfield from differing perspectives at precisely the same moment by separate photographers. Probably not a rare occurrence at a large event, but an eerily unusual one with just twenty people present! Please note that bookings will shortly be taken for the Network’s 2019 rally based upon the beautiful Wiltshire town of Marlborough.
A car park scene from a recent Home Counties gathering at The Sportsman in Mogador, Surrey taken by Malcolm Bailey. Malcolm reports that as is the custom at all Home Counties ‘meets’ conviviality reigned! Those to be seen in this image are Tim, Michael, Alister Reid, Keith Durston and John Emmett. Apologies to Tim and Michael for the lack of surnames.
The car sitting alongside Ken Martin’s Essex registered Coachbuilt Saloon VX 4590 is a Chester registered 1932 MG F2 Magna FM 7263. The Magna has been off the road for at least 50 years and has been subject to a painstaking restoration at the hands of Mike Bradbury who is co-owner of the car along with his twin brother Tony. Ken was visiting his friend Mike to celebrate the car’s public debut but a gremlin in the cylinderhead put paid to that, the celebratory champagne being put back on ice. (The F2 Magna uses a thinly disguised version of Wolseley’s six-cylinder 1271cc Hornet engine which was in turn derived from the four-cylinder Minor power unit.)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
RX 8306 was one of just 44 MG C Type Midgets built between 1931 and 1932. They were manufactured specifically with circuit racing in mind and the model’s design was based around that of the record breaking EX120 ‘Magic Midget’, driven by George Eyston in early 1931 at Brooklands, Montlhery and Pendine. These two images show the layout of the cockpit area of the 743 cc sohc racing car. These photos are two of a sequence of five taken for The Autocar magazine and appear here courtesy of LAT. (references E1334 and E1337)
Drag the blue bar either way to reveal the full extent of each image.
Click the image to see it full size.
1925-26 Nomad
Marketed as a ‘real car’ by makers Gnome of Chelsea the Nomad sold for £99-9s-9d long before the introduction of the 1931 SV Morris Minor. According to Nick Baldwin’s book, ‘A-Z of Cars of the Twenties’, the firm sold at least 25 examples from their New Kings Road, SW6 premises. The rear-mounted 343 cc Villiers single cylinder two-stroke engine produced 8.25 bhp and powered the car to 40 mph while consuming a gallon of petrol/oil mixture every 50 miles. No suspension was fitted, the pneumatic tyres providing the necessary cushion effect, being inflated to just 6 psi according to Baldwin. (LATplate Red 2768)
Former Network member John Pallister completed a thorough rebuild of 1933 Minor Saloon 806 YUJ (ex JF 4238) in the early part of this decade, an article recording his efforts appearing in a spring 2011 edition of the Automobile magazine. John used the car extensively before selling it on to a buyer in the home counties. The new owner made little use of the car before it was sold once again some four or five years ago. Since then it has disappeared without trace, unfortunately a very familiar story. If you know the current whereabouts of this car please contact the Network. The image shows John Pallister standing alongside his Minor at Killhope Wheel, Cowshill, County Durham – the site of a former lead mine and now a museum.
Click the image to see it full size.
1934 WASA Trial
London registered 1933 Minor Two-seater JJ 9444 has featured in this spot on a previous occasion (IOTW no.200). That image was also taken during the course of the March 1934 running of the WASA Chiltern Trial. Here, the Minor crewed by two unnamed women, is about to begin a descent into a sunken green lane somewhere in the Chiltern Hills, watched by a small but interested band of spectators. (LATplate C2551)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
There were just three Irish International Grand Prix which for a short period were held annually between 1929 until 1931. Competitors were tasked with lapping the four and a quarter mile course 71 times to cover the full 300 mile distance, all of this within the confines of Pheonix Park, Dublin, a huge open space well within the city’s boundaries. This ‘Motor’ plate image (LAT ref 680-2) shows the MG C Type Midget of Mr. H. D. Barker leading D. C. MacLaughlin’s Riley. While Barker finished sixth there were three C Type Midgets ahead of him, nine Midgets finishing in total, ensuring that the team prize went to the Earl of March’s all MG team. MacLaughlin’s Riley failed to finish.
In what is an experiment and an attempt to give the Photograph of the Year competition a little more focus, it is to be themed for 2018. The theme is to be ‘Regional Identity’ which it’s hoped will ensure a variety of backdrops to the images that will eventually make-up the pages of the 2018 PWMN calendar. It will not matter a jot if the shots are clichéd in that the subject matter of car and landscape have been seen previously. The hope being that it may encourage those who have avoided taking part in the competition previously by removing one element of the decision-making process and providing a fixed focus as to location and content. If the past is anything to go by, then we can expect to see some innovative and interesting images as a result. As was the case last year, entrants will be able to submit up to three shots.(Image: Joe Raynor)
(With perhaps two months of the 2018 driving season remaining there is still plenty of time to plan and take your competition entries before the competition proper opens on 1st December)
AEW was the trade name for a north London firm of coachbuilders A.E. Wright Ltd., the business being based in Alexandra Park, N22. Their models (they bodied both Austin Sevens and Hornets) were distinctive in that the rear-ends lacked many curves with angular flat surfaces predominating. This two-seater model from 1932 looks well equipped with a Bluemel’s four spoke ‘Brooklands’ steering wheel, a top opening boot, full instrumentation and scuttle mounted Lucas 1130 side lights.
Click the image to see it full size.
German Minor
Another eBay Minor find, on this occasion by Tom Bourne, the Morris Register historian. Tom spotted the image on the German eBay site and as a result the snapshot was purchased for the Network’s archive. There are no caption details on the reverse of the print and the only clue appears on the vehicle’s registration plate. The letters ‘HZ’ inform that the car was registered in Herzberg, a town in the Gottingen district in Lower Saxony. The 1933 Minor Two-seater HZ 52259 is carrying a strange ‘Morris’ script on its radiator while the period looks to be the forties or fifties. Was the car exported to Germany in the pre-war period or was it perhaps the former mount of an occupying British seviceman?
Ken Martin’s 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon VX 4590 was on wedding duty once again last week, on this occasion in Worcester on 15th August. His Minor has conveyed six other brides to the altar prior to this (including his daughter) and he informs the Network that his shop-soiled confetti business is now in profit. Ken’s Saloon also made an appearence in the recent past at Tony Hale’s funeral, an old Morris Register friend.
This looks like a challenge! Restorer Tony Gamble has just acquired a kit of body parts that had originally left Cowley in 1929 as a Minor Tourer. He advises that this will be his final project although he failed to mention that his workshop still contains two ongoing projects that deserve to see the light of day soon!
Download the PDF from the vault: Download PDF
Just six Minors made it to Thoresby for the annual Morris Register Rally held over the weekend of 11th & 12th August. Three further cars were scheduled to attend but failed to attend. Of the six attendeecars, three picked up awards from the judges, so congratulations to messrs, Robinson, Hills & Paternoster. A small gallery of images taken at the event by Tony Gamble and Martin Gregory has been added to the foot of this page.
Click the image to see it full size.
WL 6556 1929 MG Midget
The 28th June 1929 edition of The Autocar carried a two-page road test (no.61) on an Oxford built MG Midget – WL 6556. This LAT scan features one of four photos appearing in that article and displays the model’s interior with the dash panel, leather Moseley float-on-air seat squab, carpeting and rectangular door pocket clearly on view. The later Abingdon produced cars had front hinged doors with a brake cross-shaft hidden from view, while the centrally mounted horn button was also moved to a new position under the dash.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
1929 MG Midget (TM 5050) took part in many events between 1929 and 1931, usually in the capable hands of Miss Schwedler while occassionaly being driven by CGH Dunham. Here Miss Schwedler is seen at the wheel during the course of the 1930 WASA Lands End Trial. The photograph first appeared in an April 1930 edition of the Autocar while this scan was taken from the heavily retouched print used in that publication. Much of that original retouching has subsequently been removed in Photoshop. TM 5050 survives in California having now been restored. (LAT photoscan)
Throughout the early thirties the coachbuilding trade produced a plethora of bodies for the very popular Wolseley Hornet chassis. In order to keep the buying public abreast of the range of bodies available the predominant motoring magazines of the period regularly produced articles on the topic. The latest of these has been added to the Wolseley Hornet ‘Sports’ & ‘Specials’ page in the Member’s Area of the site. This one is dated April 1932 and appeared in The Motor magazine and can be found under a blue button towards the top of the page.
A further shot of Peter Stubberfield’s 1929 Minor Tourer VF 6700 has been added to the small gallery of images taken at last June’s LC&ES Rally held in Shropshire. This black & white version of Mike Tebbett’s photo could almost have been taken in period and shows Peter’s Minor passing the blacksmith’s forge in Cleobury North, Salop.
Over the course of the past thirty years Tony Gamble has been responsible for returning many (mainly OHC) Minors to the road and has always supported the model. Just how many Minors are currently running around thanks to Tony’s efforts is hard to prize out of him, but it’s well into double figures. The latest example is this 1928 Tourer GU 4310 which has utilised a redundant body and is now (almost) ready to roll once again!
Corsica Coachworks produced one of the better looking bodies to adorn the Wolseley Hornet Special chassis. This example (JJ 87) was produced in late 1932 and is seen here in competition mode at the Kent & Sussex Light Car Club’s Speed Trial at Lewes on 12th May 1934. Crew details are not known. Another view of the car can be seen here.
Click the image to see it full size.
Autumn 1934
This photograph is one of a sequence in which a number of different models are being photographed outside the premises of a car dealership, presumably in order to advertise the cars ‘For Sale’. As can be seen from the window display the dealer is has announced the arrival of the 1935 range of Morris cars, which of course included the Minor’s successor, the new Morris Eight. The 1934 season Minor two-door sliding head Saloon would now be considered ‘old hat’ and this particular example has covered plenty of miles if the condition of the spare tyre is an indicator. The 1934 season Minors were extremely good value for money when new with leather upholstery, a four-speed synchromesh gearbox, along with hydraulic brakes and shock absorbers, which may partly account for their comparatively high survival rate. (LATplate E9842)
OV 5562 is a 1931 SV Minor 5cwt van seen here with new owner John Gray at a recent Lincolnshire show. The van first came to the Network’s attention back in 2012 when in the ownership of Martyn Griffiths and was twice sold earlier this year, on the last occasion in April by the Vintage Petrol Pump Garage.
A glance at the handwritten Morris progress books which recorded Minor production throughout the model’s life will show that the vast majority of cars passed along the line in model batches. For example it was not unusual for a batch of twenty saloons to be followed by five Tourers and then by a batch of ten Two-seaters. Occasionally these larger batches were interspersed by singletons. One such car was M30633, a Minor Tourer which passed along the Cowley line in November 1930. These individual cars may have represented small orders from overseas agents as this car has been found in Indonesia, an unlikely spot for such a discovery and all the more welcome for that.
Download the PDF from the vault: Download PDF
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This LATplate (E9975) was exposed during the course of the 1935 Monte Carlo Rally the event being held between 19th & 27th January that year. The MG NA Magnette AAD 359 was entered and driven by E. Denyil-Lee and finished 77th in the overall general classification. The Austin Seven seen parked behind the Magnette was driven by W. Harney and finished four places higher than the MG. Unfortunately, the location at which this photograph was taken is unknown. AAD 359 survives and is regularly seen at VSCC events in East Anglia.
Click the image to see it full size.
MG Car Club Abingdon Trial 1939
When this photograph was taken in 1939, Minor Two-seater YY 7277 was already six years old, the model having been out of production since July 1934. W. C. Greenleaf was a regular competitor in the car, a number of photographs appearing in both the Light Car and Morris Owner magazines. This shot shows the car needing a helping hand as it struggles to find grip on a muddy Chiltern incline during the course of the MG Car Club’s annual Abingdon Trial in the run-up to the start of WWII. The photograph was taken by noted motoring photographer Bill Brunell.
Early Hornet Specials
By March 1931 over a dozen coachbuilders were producing an extensive range of bodies for the Hornet chassis – a car that had been launched just eleven months previously. The Motor magazine’s three page article can now be found under a red button on The Hornet Specials page within the Member’s Area of the site.
1932 5cwt van data
A 1932 leaflet entitled Morris Light Transport has been added to the Minor Vans page here. The leaflet can be found under the red button.
Pre-war Minors continue to be unearthed at an amazing rate. In the month of July three cars previously unknown to the Network surfaced in internet advertisements while other ‘known’ projects are being offered for sale by their current owners. If you are looking for something to keep you productively occupied for a few hundred hours then visit this website’s forum and familiarise yourself with what’s available.
After six weeks of glorious sunshine and soaring temperatures the UK heatwave is set to end this weekend. Hopefully, this won’t curtail the upturn in Minor motoring activity evident throughout this period. Seen here, against a Dorset backdrop, is Dan Brockway’s 1933 Two-seater (APC 484) making the most of the prevailing conditions.
Click the image to see it full size.
Yet another eBay snapshot this time of a Stewart & Ardern registered 1932 Minor two-door Saloon (MU 3932) The apparel worn by the driver is clearly a clue as to his profession and is similar to that worn by those employed by railway or bus companies or that of a chauffeur. The Minor is clearly his pride and joy! A lot more about Stewart & Ardern here.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Triple M corner no.99 was an image of a 1932 Abbey bodied MG Magna Coupe GX 827 which had appeared in a 1939 edition of The Autocar magazine. This recently acquired snapshot (below) is of the same car climbing what could be one of the test hills in the west country, although it is not carrying a competition number. The photograph is also not of professional quality, perhaps lending weight to the thought that it was taken as a holiday memento by one of the car’s occupants.
The 2018 Event Galleries page has been updated with a sequence of 50+ images taken at the weekend Pre-war Prescott event.
The annual Pre-war Prescott event was held over the weekend on a warm and largely sunny day. Minors, Midgets and Hornets were well represented and this photo of the occupants of Anthony Richards’s 1932 MG M Type OY 2718 summed-up the atmosphere perfectly. More images from this event can be found here.
Mike Summers first acquired 1932 Minor Two-seater OJ 1865 in the late sixties and sold it some ten years later. After a gap of over thirty years and a brief search, the car was traced in Scotland where it had spent the intervening period. Mike struck a deal with the owner and ‘OJ’ headed south returning to his custodianship. Since then the car has been undergoing restoration, the most recent element being a complete retrim at the hands of Burwell, Cambs specialist, Ian Hawkes and what an excellent job he has made of it.
A series of six technical articles written by Peter Hills are all now resident in the Technical section within the Member’s Area of the website. Peter is best known in Minor circles for his heroic restoration of a 1929 Minor Tourer that had been long abandoned in the African bush. The articles, which were first published in the Vintage Minor Register magazine, cover the following topics: Returning brake drums to standard, Upgrading the clutch thrust race, Refurbishing the 29-31 Smiths speedometer, LED replacement lighting, Reconditioning the OHC Minor dynamo and Vintage car hibernation. Grateful thanks goes to Peter for permitting their availability to Network members.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
1931 MG M Type Midget UT 7942 is seen here in a sunken lane while taking part in a combined Inter Varsity/WASA trial in February 1935. No driver details are available although its known that Leicestershire registered UT 7942 carried chassis number 2M/2205. This car was campaigned extensively at WASA events during the period 1933-1935. (LAT Motorsport Film) Addendum: Tom Drewett is the current custodian of UT 7942 and advises that the driver of the car in this photograph is D.B. Tubbs, known as Bunny to his family and friends.
The Womens Automobile and Sports Association (WASA) was founded in 1927 and formally constituted as a club in 1929 to specifically enable women to take part in motor sport and other sporting events. While females could enter the annual national trials at that time some were excluded from certain observed sections of the route, therefore being unable to compete fairly against allcomers. Much more about WASA here.
Click the image to see it full size.
Brooklands – Mid-twenties
The Jappic was a 350 cc ‘V’ twin JAP powered cyclecar which held many speed records between 1924 and 1931. Apart from being quick, the car was also extremely lightweight and could be manhandled easily as seen in this YouTube video. There is also much more about the car elsewhere on the internet. (LATplate Red 1085)
Peter Brock’s 1934 Minor Four-door Saloon AAO 463 had been off the road for many months while its engine underwent repair. Thankfully, these repairs have now been completed and Peter can once again enjoy the freedom of the open road in and around his native North East. Here the car is posed in front of The Spanish City in Whitley Bay, immortalised in the Dire Straits track The Tunnel of Love. (Photo montage P. Brock)
For those looking to fill empty garages with a Minor ‘project’ there are plenty currently available. This 1933 ex Minor Saloon comes with two bodies, that of a two-seater and a later model saloon. Located in Scunthorpe, the item is listed on eBay while further details are available via the ‘Cars for Sale’ section of this website’s forum.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This Autocar Photoscan from LAT Images shows one of the last production MG M Type Midgets (GX 803) leaving John o’Groats heavily laden with luggage. The car was first registered in London in the spring of 1932 and car and crew were undertaking an extensive Scottish tour for the magazine. The tour took place in the spring of 1933 and an excellent whole page photograph of the car overlooking Loch Broom appeared in the 30th June 1933 edition.
Click the image to see it full size.
MW 4892 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon
First registered in Wiltshire in mid-1929 this Fabric saloon looks to be in good general condition, although the almost bald nearside front tyre might appear to indicate otherwise. A manual trumpet horn has been fitted to the windscreen surround, something that was not unusual and indicative of the temperamentality of the Lucas Sparton Horn, the car’s standard warning device. For what usage or purpose was the Ingersoll-Rand branded item of industrial equipment, as seen in the background? (Thanks goes to Mike Tebbett for permitting the publication of this image, which was from a French source.)
Roger Lucke’s 1933 Minor Two-seater 289 UXG is seen here undergoing its annual MOT test, a procedure that has not been a legal requirement for pre-war cars in the U.K. for a number of years. However, Roger and a growing band of other vintage vehicle owners are submitting their cars to the rigours of this test, while paying for the privilege, and are happy to do so for safety’s sake and their own peace of mind.
It seems that the good weather here in the U.K. (& beyond) has tempted some owners to take to the highways for some wind in hair motoring, except that in many instances there is more wind than hair! U.K. weather is set fair for at least a week so there is no better time to remove the dust covers and enjoy the sunshine by taking a trip in your Minor, Midget or Hornet. Thanks to Chris Healey, Andy Brown, Janie Maeers/Geof Wilson and Joe Raynor for the photos.
Click the image to see it full size.
1929 MCC London-Exeter Trial
There were 194 car entrants for the 1929 running of the MCC’s London/Exeter trial. The event was held over two days (27th & 28th December 1929) with participants leaving the Slough Trading Estate in the late evening of the 27th, with a run through the night to Exeter where breakfast was taken. This photo was almost certainly taken at that breakfasting point in Exeter shortly after sunrise although the image has not been captioned by the photographer. While no Minors or Midgets can be seen in this photo, two Minors and ten Midgets did take part, those numbers increasing to five and twenty eight respectively for the 1930 event. (LATplate B3013)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The first Triple M Corner in this series (published on 2nd December 2015) displays an image of the same model, a 1934 season MG Magna Continental Coupe. The notes provided at that time indicate that just 100 examples of this unusual model found customers. However, The Autocar thought it sufficiently important to carry out a full road test, the results being published in its 13th April 1934 edition. (A copy of that road test can be found as a PDF at the foot of this page http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/history/hs105-l.htm) Two-seater salonettes were fashionable at that time, the Singer version epitomising the genre, this model being a significantly better seller than the MG offering. (LAT ‘Motor’ plate 565-15)
Taking advantage of the superb weather, Garry and Marilyn Waiting took to the roads of the Lake District National Park, Cumbria in order to scale Shap Fell, some 1800 feet above sea level. Garry reported that his 1930 Minor Semi-Sports replica (FD 6409) climbed the narrow pass by making good use of the third ratio in his four-speed gearbox. What a view!
The first section of the 2018 Rally Saturday tour route followed the meanderings of the River Waveney. Here, Keith Durston’s all red 1930 MG Midget heads-up a trio of entrants including a 1932 Minor Sports Coupe, driven by Andrew Miles and a 1929 MG Midget replica piloted by owner Steve Lewsley, around a twisty part of that scenic stretch.
Click the image to see it full size.
Appearing on he front cover of 18th December 1928 edition of the Motor magazine was an MG Car Co. advertisement. (of which this is an extract) Alongside the new 18/80 six cylinder model was a depiction of the MG Midget, launched just two months earlier at the 1928 London Motor Show. What is interesting about this artwork is that the Midget body had still to undergo changes before the first production examples appeared just over a month later. This artist’s impression shows the car with a raised scuttle and sculptured doors ala the prototypes that appeared at the Motor Show, while the production bodies did not have either of these features. Also of interest is the Limerick CBC registration – TI 1271. Did the artist have a premonition concerning the capacity of the engine that was to power the Wolseley Hornet some 16 months later? Doubtful, but an interesting co-incidence none-the-less.
1935 Jensen Hornet Special: From being a comparatively lightweight six-cylinder model the factory Hornet Saloon gained weight and bulk throughout its six-year production life. The later ‘Special’ chassis’ supplied to coachbuilders in 1935 and 1936 were by now fitted with a 1604 cc version of the famous OHC power unit that started out in 1930 at 1271 cc. This 1935 Jensen ‘Allweather Sports’ Hornet was one of a long-line of Hornet based specials produced by the West Bromwich concern, this one showing off its sweeping mid-thirties styling to good effect, although the windscreen surround is reminiscent of the earlier Swallow Hornet models. (LATplate Motor 520-10)
At the rally dinner recently Halbe Tjepkema accepted the LAT Plate on behalf of the 2017 POTY competition winners, Arie and Tineke Roest. Earlier today (Sunday 24th June), Halbe called on the Roests in his 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon to hand over the award in person. Here Arie is seen accepting the plate alongside Halbe’s Minor and his own 1930 Jarvis Hornet Special , the subject of the award winning photograph.
There was a small Minor contingent at the 2018 LC&ES Summer Rally based upon Church Stretton in Shropshire. Peter Stubberfield‘s beautiful 1929 Tourer (VF 6700) was present as was Clive Hamilton-Gould‘s 1930 version (DG 325). Ben Maeers was also present in Minor Tourer PG 5664. The three images of VF 6700 appear courtesy of Mike Tebbett. Find them here.
St. Peter’s Hall, Suffolk the home of the world famous St. Peter’s Brewery played host to 22 Minors, 3 MG M Types, a Morris Eight, a Wolseley Hornet and an Austin Heavy Twelve last Saturday (9th). The brewery shop and tea rooms were opened early and exclusively to enable rallyists to make use of the facilities and purchase their wares!
There are more photos on the newly launched 2018 Rally Galleries page.
The annual gathering of the clan began early on Friday evening with a get-together at the Swan Inn, Hoxne. There were some epic journeys undertaken to get there including a 200 + mile jaunt from Lymington in Hants by Toby & Linda Sears, with Ken & Kate Martin’s 190 mile trip from Marlborough not too far behind. Halbe Tjepkema from the Hague had a shorter road trip, the ferry trip from The Hook to Harwich making up most of the journey!
1932 Eustace Watkins Hornet Special GY 3131 was owned by Miss C. Labouchere and was competitively used throughout 1933. Here her car is in London having been driven the 680 miles from John o’Groats on 21st January 1933, the first leg of the crew’s epic attempt to get to Monaco as competitors in that year’s Monte Carlo Rally. Both driver and co-driver appear weary in this night-time shot while their Hornet is covered in road dirt, testament to the trying conditions. Sadly, they failed to make Monte Carlo and were one of the 58 retirements from among the original 129 car entry. (Autocar photo scan 27/01/33 – courtesy LAT Images)
The countdown to the Network’s 2018 rally is underway. While many owners will be engaged in last-minute fettling before ‘the off’, there are at least three owners who are in a serious race against time in order to finish major repairs or rebuilds before Friday’s Hoxne Swan pub meet. (The photo was taken at the last rally to be held in Suffolk in 2014.)
Click the image to see it full size.
PS 782
This Minor Fabric Saloon was one of nine such Zetland registered cars in the year 1929. Remarkably, Morris Minors represented almost 14% of all new vehicle registrations that year which of course includes motor cycles, goods and public service vehicles. This Fabric Saloon PS 782 was first registered on 1st May to a Mr Robert Henry and retained this registration until 1946. Thanks to forum member ‘Crashbox’ for the research and the Sheland Photographic Archive. (Photo reference NE 04262)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A trio of MG PA Midgets were entered by Capt. George Eyston for the 1935 Le Mans 24 hour event. Unusualy, his car’s were to be crewed by an all female team of drivers that came to be known as Eyston’s Dancing Daughters. The three teams all finished the race in 24th, 25th and 26th positions with the Barbara Skinner – Doreen Evans car (no 55) covering 1285 miles over the 24 hour day/night/day period of 15th and 16th June. Here Doreen Evans is seen at the wheel while the car is routinely serviced by her pit crew. (LATfilm C6558)
Eric Mouser’s 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon DX 8826 was photographed while taking part in the ‘Felixstowe Run’ earlier this month. His car is fitted with Trafficators, a precursor to the flashing indicator. These semaphore signals are intended to indicate in which direction the driver is intending to turn, however, the mechanical mechanism involved does not always function as it should…
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This 1933 Carlisle registered MG J2 Midget HH 6753 is a long way from home. The car is seen here competing on a crowded Beggar’s Roost in Devon during the 1936 MCC Lands End Trial, while being driven by K W Mahany. This car/driver combination were to go on and win a Premier award. (LATplate C8315)
Click the image to see it full size.
Henley’s Gymkhana
Throughout the early thirties the Henly’s dealership held an annual motoring gymkhana on Heston Aerodrome, located just to the west of London. The event was popular with their customers who attended in some numbers to watch the many events. One such arena game was ‘car musical chairs’ as portrayed in this LAT image (LATplate C911) taken at the 1933 event. The women driver of the 1932 Minor Family Eight is either slow vacating her chair or quick to be seated depending upon whether the music had stopped or just started again!
Quote: “Strictly speaking, the new car ceased to be a secret about three weeks ago.”
Quote: “It is ridiculous to say that my intention in making the car was to compete with the Austin Seven.”
Both of these very interesting quotes were reported in the 23rd May 1928 edition of The Motor Trader and were directly attributed to William Morris, although only one of those statements is believable! On the basis of that Motor Trader report it’s fair to say that the Morris Minor can now officially be declared 90! The photo is from the Jennifer Parson’s collection and shows her father, Harold Taylor alongside William Morris with Minor Fabric Saloon prototype UD 2071 at that very first, late April-early May 1928 photo-shoot.
John & Jo Nagle have been forced to withdraw from the forthcoming Pacesetters Rally with a recurring blown head gasket issue on their 1934 Minor Two-seater (OW 4224). The latest occurence took place while car and crew were participating in a Morris Register sponsored trip to Torquay, Devon. (Photo: Kate Martin)
Although the majority of Hornet specials were open cars, plenty were constructed as sporting saloons or coupes. This particularly handsome example of a sporting two-door saloon was constructed by Patrick Motors of Bournebrook, Birmingham sometime in 1933 and was photographed in this leafy outer-suburbia setting for The Motor magazine. (LATplate Motor 519-2)
Click the image to see it full size.
JG 785
Very little by way of additional information can be added to this simple family snapshot. The car is a 1930 Minor Saloon registered in Canterbury, Kent as JG 785 and like so many of the photographs of the period it depicts the family partaking in a roadside picnic. It is quite possible that the car is the fabric skinned version of the model and that the photo was taken some time later that decade if the almost bald tyres are anything to go by.
This photo of a Minor speedometer was taken by Kate Martin on a recent drive from Marlborough to Torquay with husband Ken at the wheel of their 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon VX 4590. The car was travelling at the legal limit on an open stretch of arterial road and viewing the speedo needle against its stop is an unfamiliar sight for the vast majority of Minor owners
Most of the United Kingdom was basking in wall-to-wall sunshine over the bank holiday weekend. The New Forest in Hampshire was no exception and Toby Sears saw this as an opportunity to take a pre-rally run-out in his 1932 Minor Two-seater PJ 5155. The New Forest is one of the UK’s National Parks which despite its name, has large tracts of open heathland with hardly a tree in sight!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
D. G. Evans is photographed here in his MG ‘N’ Magnette (BLL 493) on Darracott, North Devon during the course of the 1935 MCC London-Lands End Trial held over 19th & 20th of April. With 313 cars starting the event, Evans was one of the 102 who gained a Premier Award that weekend. (LATplate C5776)
Click the image to see it full size.
Cowley – late 1933
This recently discovered image of a Minor chassis passing along the production line at Cowley was probably photographed in the autumn of 1933. The plate’s emulsion has been marked, recording that the car is a 1934 Morris Minor while the radiator surround is identical to those fitted to the 1933 season model along with those from the early part of the 1934 season. It’s interesting to see that a document wallet is attatched to the n/s bulkhead to rad support bar, presumably held in which are the dockets that accompany the car down the line. (LATplate Motor X-899)
Ten years ago this week saw the stuttering birth of a new website targeted at enthusiasts of the pre-war Morris Minor. The PWMN came into being because a small group of Minor enthusiasts sought to provide a relevant internet platform for a growing and active community of new Minor owners who were prepared to forego some of the encumbrances associated with a traditional car club. Within weeks the new site’s visitor counter was recording 30 to 40 ‘hits’ a day and in the autumn of 2008 a new discussion forum was added. That forum now contains 59,000 posts while the site’s web counter has recorded 767,000 hits. A heartfelt thanks to all who have supported the Network along the way. (Chris Lambert)
This photo of a 1934 Wolseley Hornet EW Daytona Special was taken on the Whittingham & Mitchell stand at the 1934 Olympia Motor Show in London. W&M were a Chelsea based coachbuilding firm, who under contract from Eustace Watkins, (Wolseley main dealers and also located in Chelsea) constructed bodies for the Hornet Special chassis. According to Nick Walker (author of the A-Z of British Coachbuilders – Bay View Books 2007) W&M were eventually acquired by Eustace Watkins, although not exclusively to build bodies for Wolseley cars, the firm providing bodies for a variety of marques.
Click the image to see it full size.
Minor art
This extract from a full-page Morris Motors advertisement for the Minor first appeared on the front cover of 12th April 1932 edition of The Motor magazine. This was not unusual in that the Minor featured on magazine covers on almost fifty occasions while in production. Many of the famous graphic artists of the period painted and drew the Minor including the likes of Morton, Steerwood, Shuffley and the acclaimed Harold Connolly. These cover images are all available to view in the Member’s Area of the archived site.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A caption is required for this recently discovered LAT image (LATplate L5870) of a 1933 MG Magnette.
(Could this be Eyston’s 1933 Mannin Beg car as it’s carrying the correct racing number?)
Click the image to see it full size.
Wartime McEvoy
TJ 1876 is a 1933 McEvoy Model 60 Minor Special owned at one time by the late Bev Hicks, who was a founder member of what is now the Morris Register. This photograph was taken during WWII when the car was in the custodianship of an RAF Observer. A known survivor, the car was last seen ‘For Sale’ in Belgium in 2015. (Image courtesy of the Harry Edwards archive)
Images from those taking part in this year’s Drive-it-Day event can now be found at the foot of the 2018 Event Galleries page here
Ken Martin took this shot of those taking part in a Morris Register organised mid-Wiltshire run from Devizes to Box on Drive-it-Day (Sunday 22nd April). Alongside Ken’s familiar 1930 Coachbuilt Saloon VX 4590 is another Essex registered Minor VX 7312, a 1932 Two-seater owned by Henry & Di Harvey. There were plenty of other Morris cars taking part along with an MG and an interloping motor cycle! (View more Drive-it-Day images at the foot of this page.)
Click the image to see it full size.
Here is an official Morris Motors shot of their 1933 Minor rolling chassis. This is not the image used in the 1933 Operation Manual but the four-speed gearbox, cable brakes and handbrake lever easily identify it as such. This particular viewing angle shows off the conical shape of the Minor’s silencer to good effect. (The mark on the n/s front wheel is damage to the emulsion on the glass plate negative.) LATplate E2760
( Edited on 21st April: James Ashford correctly points out that this is a long wheelbase Minor chassis.)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
DG 2327 is a 1931 Gloucester registered MG M Type Midget, identifiable as such by its angular wings. This photo was taken on the Isle of Man and is one of a sequence of a dozen or more shots, some of which were used for a subsequent Autocar ‘touring’ article. This image was taken in the centre of Douglas and is one of the few where the driver’s face can be seen and the car’s two-tone colour scheme is apparent. The re-positioning of the spare wheel was no doubt made to optimise luggage space in the small boot. The newsagent located immediately behind the car is carrying an advertisement for the latest paperback by Edgar Wallace, priced at 9d. (LATplate E3917)
Barry Parker from Tasmania, found this 1934 Morris Minor Saloon in an Australian scrapyard and is slowly progressing its restoration. He urgently needs help sourcing the dimensions of the body frame timbers and if you can help please email the webmaster here.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This atmospheric shot of an MG Abbey bodied Magna Coupe appeared in a June 1939 edition of The Autocar. GX 827 was first registered in London during the spring of 1932 and was already seven years old at the time this photograph was taken near Kenworth(?), according to the caption on the rear of the photo. (LAT photoscan)
UD 2268
This sequence of four images of UD 2268, a development model Minor Fabric Saloon, were shot at Cowley in a section of the factory that was used for this purpose for many years. These early development Fabric Saloons differed from the production versions that followed in many detailed ways and first started to appear in the late spring of 1928, four such cars appearing in the promotional material of the time. Some years ago an internet debate took place in which it was speculated that these images were all of the same car, simply fitted with differing number plates. (LATplates L3935, 3936, 3941 & 3942)
On Sunday 13th July 2008 eleven Minors, a Singer Nine and an Aston Martin Le Mans set out for a run to the coast during the course of that year’s VMR Rally. Their destination was Southwold, Suffolk’s favourite seaside resort where five Minors can be seen parked behind the town’s famous beach huts. A similar run is due to take place this June at the forthcoming PWMN rally, although the destination (for now) remains under wraps.
Click the image to see it full size.
1931 Belgium 24 Hour Race, Spa-Francorchamps
Minors were no strangers to big international races. There were Minors entered in the 1929, 1930 and 1931 Australian Grand Prix, Whelan coming 9th in the 1930 event, while William Sullivan competed in his Minor ‘Sullivan’ Specials from 1932 to 1934 in a number of internationally renowned events, both in his native Ireland and elsewhere. Perhaps the most successful Minor was that entered by a Belgian Morris dealership for the 1931 Belgium 24 Hour Race, held at Spa over the weekend of 4th/5th July 1931 and driven by Abel Blin D’Orimont and Robert Goemans. They competed in the under 1100cc class against six other cars, a factory team of three twin-cylinder, two-stroke DKWs, a Salmson, a Rally and Tractor. Amazingly, they beat their opponents winning their class, covering 1660 kilometres at an average speed of 43.4 mph. The LAT archive contains three images of the Minor taking part that weekend and this shot shows the car at the La Source hairpin with a DKW just ahead of it on the road. (LATplate B6734).
The Arrow body upon the Hornet chassis of JD 1953 was constructed by coachbuilder A. P. Compton in late 1930 at their works in a former tram depot in Hanwell, West London. Compton’s products at this time were all known as Arrow specials, their cars being identifiable by a stylised arrow attached to the radiator core of the host car. Miss P.D. Goodban was the owner of JD 1953 and she competed extensively in the car throughout the 1933 season. The two images seen here capture her and her car at the 1933 running of the Scottish Six Day Trial which took place between 15th and 20th May whereupon she won a bronze award for her efforts. From 1934 onward Miss Goodban’s name continued to be mentioned on the results pages of motoring magazines, but she was by now driving a Singer Nine. (Images courtesy of LAT – plate numbers C322 and Motor Box X274 476 -2 )
After 56 years in the ownership of the same family this 1929 Minor Tourer (MT 3286) is reluctantly being put on the market. The car was purchased by the late Roy Hogg in 1962 and has been used in recent years by Ronald, Roy’s son. The asking price is £11,500 and further details can be found on the Cars for sale sub-forum here.
Janie Maeers and Geof Wilson organised a Good Friday ‘run’ through the Leicestershire countryside for friends and family along with their vintage and classic cars. One of the stops on their Dot-to-Dot Tour was the farm shop at the Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co. in Upton, where a range of craft cheeses were available to taste and purchase. Some of the many interesting cars driven by participants can be seen through the farm shop windows. (Photo Wilson/Maeers)
Clive Hamilton-Gould grips the passenger door of his 1930 Minor Tourer (DG 325) while being driven by his daughter at the start of a sharp descent during the course of the recent VSCC LC&ES Welsh Weekend event. Thanks goes to both Steven Kent and Mike Tebbett who have each provided further photos many of which have been added to the foot of the 2018 Event Galleries page here. This photo courtesy of Mike Tebbett.
Ten images taken at the LC&ES’s Welsh Weekend have been added to the foot of the 2018 Events page. Many thanks to Janie Maeers and Geof Wilson for providing the photos which can be found here.
Click the image to see it full size.
Tickets please!
AG 6521, a mid-1931 Ayr registered £100 Minor was taken on charge by the Western Scottish Motor Traction Co as a vehicle to be used by the company’s inspectors. Over the next 30 months the car covered a total distance of 185,000 miles which equates to almost 6200 miles per month or over 200 miles each day. The short article alongside was scanned from the July 1934 edition of Morris Owner magazine.
Mid-Wales played host to the cars from the Light Car & Edwardian Section of the VSCC over the weekend of 24th/25th March. Stretching their legs during the course of Saturday’s tour Janie Maeers and Geof Wilson can be seen alongside VJ 1756, Janie’s 1929 Minor Tourer. View a short video shot during the course of Saturday here and see more stills at the foot of this page here.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Another scene from the 1933 IOM Mannin Beg race around the streets of the island’s capital, Douglas. Here Mansell in MG C Type no.4 leads the Ford-Baumer C Type no.12 along a residential road on the outskirts of the town. (Image courtesy of LAT Images)
Janie Maeers, seen here in ‘Prudence’ her 1929 Minor Tourer VJ 1756 is about to leave the Metropole Hotel car park in Llandrindod Wells to take part on the second day of the LC&ES Welsh Weekend on Sunday 25th March. Janie was perpetuating a family tradition in that thirteen years earlier her late father, Brian Maeers competed at this same event , also in VJ 1756. (Photo: Geof Wilson)
The name of the venue for the most recent gathering of the Home Counties section seemed entirely innapropriate as the ten jovial attendees at The Grumpy Mole, Brockham, Surrey were displaying no such signs when this photo was taken on 19th March. From left to right: Keith Durston, Philip Butland, Kenneth Allen, Paul Brigden, John Emmett, Alister Reid, Malcolm Eades, Malcolm Bailey, Michael (surname unknown), Phil Sowry, Timothy Edwards Photo:Keith Durston.
For those in the worst affected areas, the wintery weather conditions across the UK throughout most of March will live long in the memory. The lying snow didn’t stop one or two intrepid Minorists taking to the highways as proven by this latest photo taken by Toby Sears, who drove his 1933 Minor Saloon YG 2017 to the hills skirting the Hampshire – Wiltshire borders to capture this shot.
Thanks to members Steven Kent and Geof Wilson for providing the latest photos for the website’s 2018 Event Galleries. Both were in attendance at the VSCC’s Herefordshire Trial held over the weekend of 17th & 18th March. See there contributionsat the foot of this page.
The VSCC’s Herefordshire Trial was hit by the weather over the weekend of 17th/18th March, however it didn’t spoil the fun for David Rolfe in his Riley Nine engined M Type special (VU 7908). David and ‘bouncer’ are seen here negotiating a particularly tough elevated section. (Photo courtesy of Steven Kent)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
An LAT image (LATplate Motor 779-33) depicting a scene from the 1934 RAC Ulster TT. (1st September 1934) The photographer has placed himself in front of Ards Town Hall to capture shots of the competitors crossing the square with the town hall as a backdrop. This surviving image shows two eventual non-finishers, Ashton-Rigby in his MG Magna leading Langley‘s Singer Nine across the square at precisely 12:32 PM according to the town hall clock.
Click the image to see it full size.
Ledbury – Market House
Described as the jewel in Ledbury’s crown, this magnificent Grade I listed timber-framed building took 51 years to finish, eventually being completed in 1668. Its beauty has attracted photographers for many years and the pre-war Minor has featured in a number, including the two Birmingham registered saloons to be seen among this quartet of shots. The first of these is 1929 Fabric Saloon OF 2118 seen partly obscured by the tree at the roadside. The second such image portrays Coachbuilt Saloon OG 4483 which was first registered in 1931, towards the tail-end of swb OHC Minor production. The final two images shows a scene outside the Market House from circa 1930 and a recreation of the same vista by Kate and Ken Martin while on a recent visit in their 1930 Coachbuilt Saloon VX 4590.(Photographs courtesy of Kate Martin, Judges and LAT Images)
Joe Rayner (Aka Oilyrag) has submitted three fully illustrated technical articles which have been published in the Member’s Area today. The first of these is a thorough guide to rebuilding the the three-speed Minor gearbox. In his second article he covers the tricky matter of clutch adjustment bringing some innovative thinking to the topic and comes up with a novel (and practical) solution. Finally, he tackles the replacement of the main copper oil line on the 31-34 SV Minor with a flexible hose solution. The first two articles can now be found in the ‘Gearbox’ section while the third is resident under ‘Engine’.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
MG C Type Midget RX 8303 is pictured here at Brooklands during the course of the Brighton & Hove Club race meeting in the summer of 1931. The car is stopped adjacent to the pits where the crew can be seen changing a wheel. (LATplate B7078)
Click the image to see it full size.
SW 4154 1933 Minor Family Eight
This lwb Minor and its occupants survived what was potentially a serious mishap when it fell twelve feet and landed upon its roof. The image caption relates the tale. (The only visible damage in this July 1933 Morris Owner snippet is the offside headlamp which appears askew.)
Some smart detective work by member Toby Sears ensured that David Newlands (Cambs) would achieve his wish to know the whereabouts of his father’s Morris Minor, a car purchased ‘new’ in 1931. The current owners of the vehicle are Jill and Vaughan Jackson, (Hants) UR 9776 having been in their family’s custodianship for over fifty years. Contact between the two interested parties will be made shortly.
The son of the very first owner of this 1931 SV Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (UR 9776) is attempting to track down the current custodian in order to pass on some important historical data. If you can help please email info@prewarminor.com
While Sunday 4th March saw most of the snow in the south of the U.K. disappear following a rapid thaw, plenty of the white stuff remained earlier in the day. Here Janie Maeers and her Lurcher, Maisie, took to the lanes of Leicestershire in ‘Prudence’ her 1929 Minor Tourer (VJ 1756) to discover for herself the joys of Minor motoring in the snow. (Photo: Geof Wilson)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1933 running of the Mannin Beg race around the streets of Douglas, Isle of Man took place on Wednesday 12th July. While 20 cars entered just 14 started, including ‘Billie’ Sullivan’s Morris Minor. Sullivan and ten others failed to finish the gruelling 50 lap, 230 mile race, the eventual winner being Freddie Dixon in his Riley. Two C Types Midgets finished, second place going to car number 4 (Mansell), with the Ford/Baumer car (no.12) finishing third. Here Hamilton’s Magnette (16) trails the Ford/Baumer C Type at St. Andrew’s Church on the corner of Finch Road and Prospect Hill. Although Hamilton set the fastest lap time of the race he was to retire after 35 laps with a back-axle problem. This superb image is available from LAT Images – quote reference LATplate C1044 when enquiring.
NB Why the single front wing on the Ford/Baumer C Type?
Click the image to see it full size.
1930 Minor Semi-Sports GK 3661
Another eBay find. This wartime snapshot of London registered Minor Semi-Sports GK 3661 was taken when the car was at least ten years old. The blackout cover over the offside headlamp confirms the period while the nearside lamp had been removed completely (not an unusual practice at that time), while the hood was also missing. It’s pure guesswork as to the location, although the grazing sheep and windmill might indicate somewhere on the South Downs.
Thanks to Mark Berry from Windmill World the location has subsequently been identified as Burton Dassett in Warwickshire.
Malcolm Buc submitted this eighties image (taken on the Isle of Man) of what originally was an OHC Minor. ‘Jemima’ was owned at that time by Geraint Owen who built the competition special, it’s believed with the help of his father. Geraint is a long-term VSCC member and competitor. Unfortunately, by the time this photo was taken the Minor had already ‘lost’ its original registration and had been re-issued with an age-related number by DVLA. The special was powered by an air-cooled ‘V’ twin JAP engine and was dressed for competition with taped headlights, timing strut and a competition number. (Thanks goes to James Ashford for providing the revised information.)
Most of the UK is currently feeling the effects of an icy blast from the Urals. The editorial Midget was readied for a photo session in brilliant sunshine but the onset of a sudden heavy snow shower was enough for driver and car to seek the comparative warmth of the garage – at least until the snow had abated.
The second of a short series of hints and tips from The SU Co. has now been posted to the carburation section of the Technical Bits pages. It’s accompanied by a ‘Running hints in pictures’ article scanned from the June 1934 edition of The Morris Owner entitled ‘Clearing and re-centring the jet of the SU carburetter’.
Click the image to see it full size.
A 1931 car radio
This scan of a heavily retouched photograph first appeared in a February 1931 edition of The Autocar. The fur-coated model is seen adjusting the controls of a radio installed in a Crossley saloon. It’s clear from the radio’s position on the nearside of the dash, that for a driver travelling alone, re-tuning while on-the-move could prove to be quite a distraction. (LAT photoscan from The Autocar 20th February 1931)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A total of 69 cars took part in the Light Car Club’s 1931 inaugural Relay ‘Grand Prix’. The conditions were awful and a large part of the race was run in torrential rain. This photo shows the start of the race with the ‘scratch cars’ from Littlewood-Clarke’s MG Midget team and the Randall led Austin Seven trio about to come under starters orders. A full report on the proceedings can be found on the Austin Harris website here.
(Editors note: This image had always intrigued me, as the head of the crew member in the Austin Seven seen staring straight at the camera, always struck me as looking like a bodyless cardboard cut-out! An opportunity to examine a high-resolution image reveals that he is wearing a white racing overall which against the smoke of his car’s exhaust makes his torso virtually invisible.)
This representation of a 1934 season Minor Saloon was found on an American fine art website, and is currently for sale at £1891. The image, painted in acrylics, is by Dutch artist Paul Meijering
Almost every edition of the popular motoring magazines of the pre-war period contained illustrations by graphic artists. While many drawings have been lost, some still remain intact in archives, while others were photographed, their images captured on glass plates. The majority of these drawings are unsigned but the names of Ferguson, Millar and Pratt feature on many others. Isn’t it about time that their skills were more widely recognised? This unsigned drawing of a lwb Minor, scanned from a positive print, appears here courtesy of LAT Images.
Advertisements can be informative. In 1933 the SU Company commissioned a short series, of what today would be called advertorials, in which they provided maintenance tips for users of their products. One such advertisement from the July 1933 edition of Morris Owner magazine now appears under ‘Carburation and fuel’ in the Technical Bits section of the website.
Russ Salisbury from Texas, USA owns a 1930 Midget (MG 442) with a Brooklands racing pedigree. His car has been ‘off the road’ for well over forty years but has been subject to recent attention and is seen here on it’s second ‘debut’, its first being 88 years previously!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A dramatic scene from the 11th March 1933 BARC meeting at Brooklands. Wright’s ‘C’ Type Midget was taking part in the Weybridge Junior Handicap, a race over a distance of just six miles. According to Motor Sport the Midget had not been running well and was in the process of being retired at the fork when the car caught fire causing much smoke and mayhem. Apparently ‘the Pyrene men’ came to the rescue although two of these individuals look very much like policemen. Meanwhile, Wright looks on. (LATplate B9639)
Hopefully, we in the northern-hemisphere are approaching the tail-end of what seems to have been a long winter. Thoughts are now turning to the pleasant prospect of lengthy warm days with productive time spent in the garage, while trips in our Minors will be undertaken without the need for the protective comfort of thermal underwear!
Click the image to see it full size.
Bluebird or Blue Bird?
In 1924 a former Royal Flying Corps pilot made his first attempt at the world’s land speed record on Pendine Sands, South Wales. By the spring of 1935 he had broken the record on eight separate occassions which led to much national acclaim and the bestowal (in 1931) of a knighthood for this magnificent achievement. The cameo captured here took place at Brooklands, Surrey where Campbell himself can be seen alighting from the cockpit of Blue Bird in front of the assembled British media. The photo was taken over the winter of 1934/5 prior to his fifth and last visit to Daytona Beach, Florida USA where on the 7th March 1935 Sir Malcolm Campbell‘s latest Blue Bird car, a 36.7 litre Campbell-Railton (powered by a supercharged Rolls Royce RV12 engine) raised the record to 276.816 mph. Later that same year Campbell journied to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA where, on 3rd September, a longer course enabled him to propel Blue Bird past the 300 mph mark to record a remarkable aggregate of 301.337 mph over the two-way record setting run. This was to be Campbell’s ninth and last land speed record breaking attempt. (LATplate Motor 778-60)
The Technical Bits section within the Member’s Area has been updated with two new items. The first of these relates to the fitting of headlining to saloons and coupes (How to ‘do’ headlining) – a skill which is a black art to many while the second PDF displays more ‘Originality’ (Originality 2) images, this time relating to the 1934 Two-door Saloon model. Both items were submitted by Guy Harris, to whom grateful thanks.
The 2017 Pre-war Prescott event was the venue for the coming together of two Coupes that surely originated via the draughting skills of the same designer. GG 3949 is the well known 1931 MG Sportsmans Coupe owned by Roger Burnett while 1932 Wolseley Hornet Coupe JH 1446 is said to have been commissioned by London Wolseley main dealer Eustace Watkins and built in the coachworks of the Folkstone based body builder, Martin Walter. Thanks goes to Hornet Coupe owner Nigel Stroud for the photograph via the good offices of Network member Keith Durston.
Click the image to see it full size.
Freddie Kindell’s 1930 Le Mans Midget
Sir Francis Samuelson and Freddie Kindell both drove modified Double-Twelve MG Midgets at the June 1930 running of the famous 24 hour race. While neither car was classified among the finishers they performed admirably, the model eventually spawning the MG ‘C’ Type which went on to much racing success in 1931 and ’32. This photo was found on eBay, the original print having been folded in half. Thanks to a Photoshop repair effected by Ken Martin it can now be viewed as the photographer intended. It’s Kindell’s car that is featured in this photo.
The second Light Car Club Relay Grand Prix took place at Brooklands on Saturday 16th July 1932 with 29, three car teams taking part. Among this 87 car strong field was a team entered by Eustace Watkins sales manager Stanley Hutchens. His team consisted of two of the new EW Hornet Daytona Specials (driven by Hutchens and Bertram Wickens) and an earlier 1931 EW Hornet International driven by Edward Erith. A complex handicapping system ensured that racing was close over a full 90 laps of the famous Surrey circuit. Each car was required to finish 30 laps before handing over to a team mate. The Hornets performed impeccably and won the race. This image shows the three drivers (left to right – Hutchens, Erith and Wickens) recieving congratulations from the Earl of March. (LATplate B8744)
In the absence of Kenneth Allen, Paul Brigden organised a highly successful Network gathering at Brooklands on 8th February. Paul reports that thanks to Bob Webb those with pre-war cars were permitted to park in front of the famous clubhouse while the club bar facilities were also made available to them. Here, some of the throng wait patiently while John Emmett answers a question from a Brooklands Museum visitor. Paul’s report can be found on the forum. (Photo – Paul Brigden)
Restorers – take note!
Thanks goes to Toby Sears for photographing the interior of an unmolested 1934 Minor Four-door Family Eight Saloon. The car had been laid-up since the sixties and has remained untouched since then. Six images can now be seen on a PDF to be found under the ‘Body’ section of the Technical Bits page, entitled Originality – 1934 Minor four-door saloon.
LV 5437 is a 1934 season Minor Saloon which was first registered in Liverpool in late 1933. This delightful autumnal image was taken by an unknown photographer and was discovered on the internet. In recent times ‘LV’ was owned by Tommy Jardine from the border country and some time prior to that by new member Guy Harris – it was he who was recently reunited with his Minor Two-seater after a a fifty year gap. (see IOTW no.414)
Click the image to see it full size.
A long story with a happy ending
The short article ablongside appeared on this website back in July 2009 and details some of the early history of VG 2007, the 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon which Dutch owner Halbe Tjepkema has just returned to roadworthiness. (To read the article click on the image)
2018 Jaipur Rally
A small gallery of images taken at the Jaipur Classic Car Rally over the weekend of 3rd and 4th February can now be seen on the 2018 Event Galleries page.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
1934 RAC Ulster TT – Ards Circuit. This extract from LATplate C4620 shows Dodson crossing the finishing line at the wheel of Geoge Eyston’s MG NE Magnette, winning the 500 mile race at an average speed of 74.5 mph. For those in the UK the BBC have this excellent newsreel clip to view, while the full results can be found here.
The Jaipur Classic Car Rally took place over the weekend of 3rd-4th February. Network member Kartik Lunia attended along with his 1930 Minor Tourer USJ 1795 the car gaining the accolade ‘Best maintained vintage car’, yet another award to add to a lengthening list. Seen here with Kartik is another sub-continental Minorist and Network member, Parth Mehd, who joined Kartik for the weekend having made the twelve-hour drive from Ahmedabad.
Following the long awaited return to roadworthiness of 1929 Minor Fabric VG 2007, when will 1930 Fabric Saloon UX 6403 appear in a similar condition? The car was discovered and purchased last May by Gareth Jerman, and its condition at that time can be seen in these images – so it’s re-appearance is not going to be anytime soon. Gareth however can count on the support and help from member’s of the Network throughout the forthcoming restoration journey.
Click the image to see it full size.
What’s the occasion?
Another eBay snapshot purchase with very little to go on. The car is a 1932 season Minor Family Eight in what looks to be very good condition, which in turn may indicate that the photograph was taken prior to WWII? The two young men are dressed for an occasion, maybe a wedding (is that a buttonhole?) or a garden-party.
Yet another image from the 13th May 1933 Donington Park meeting which on this occasion features an MG Magna sandwiched between two EW Hornet specials. The years 1932 and 1933 were particularly successful for the Hornet and the factory made ‘Special’ chassis with a number of notable successes both on the track and in trials and rallies. Here car number 19, driven by J. Tatton-Ridd leads C. C. Martin driving his MG Magna (no.9) with Dr. E. Hawes in another Hornet at the rear of the trio.(LATplate C454)
While one Minor departs these shores bound for Malta, following its sale to Joseph Zerafa, another is being prepared for its rally debut following restoration. The Tony Gamble restored Semi-Sports, KJ 607, is seen here being loaded upon a transporter to begin a long road and sea journey to its new Mediterranean home. Meanwhile in the Nederlands, Fabric Saloon VG 2007 owned by Halbe Tjepkema is nearing the end of a ten year restoration journey and can be seen undergoing final preparations at the MG Workshop, Monster, in readiness for its hoped-for PWMN rally debut in June.
Event images
The new 2018 Event Galleries page has been launched and opens with a selection of images from the recent VSCC Brooklands Driving Tests event.
The VSCC’s New Year Driving Tests are held each January at the Brooklands Museum, Weybridge in Surrey. The site has undergone significant change since the 2017 meeting following the reinstatement of part of the former circuit’s ‘start and finish’ straight. Clive Hamilton-Gould is seen here negotiating test 3 in his 1930 Morris Minor Tourer DG 325. Find further images from the event here.
Minor Family Eight CG 5446 is a late 1933 (34 season) Hampshire registered car that was unearthed by Network member Toby Sears last year. It is now for sale on ebay and has already attracted a maiden bid. While requiring much work to restore to a roadworthy condition this almost complete car will make for a very gratifying project to the individual ‘up’ for the task!
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Another image from the 13th May 1933 Donington Hall meeting. Little is known about either of the two cars seen here. The J2 is carrying a registration of AMX 650. Any further information appreciated. Please email info@prewarminor.com This is an edited extract from LATplate C461.
This response from Cathelijne Spoelstra: No. 80 shows Eddy Hall in C0268 at the May meeting at Donington in 1933. There were three 850cc Midgets entered that day which doesn’t really help when trying to allocate the J2. Unfortunately the database has no record of the registration number.
Click the image to see it full size.
Guy Harris was recently re-united with his 1933 Minor Two-seater FS 5294, a car he first owned as a student in 1958. He writes: The (recent) picture was taken when I had it picked up (on the back of a flatbed). I was given the lead by Ian Grace of Vintage Minor Register and followed it up. The car had lived within 30 miles of where I have lived for many years. I have since turned the headlight brackets round as it looked rather weird – the brackets had been put on the wrong sides for some reason. It is in quite good condition as you can see, but various bits need de-rusting. I ran the engine briefly on January 1st after fitting a new coil, rebuilt carb as needle was corroded and bent, rebuilt distributor etc. Probably needs rewiring as a lot of the wires look original and a bit tatty in places. Hood needs replacing sometime as the remains of the hood that came with it looks like the John Wrigley hood I fitted in 1959 – cost £6-17-6 according to the invoice that was still with the car. A note on the invoice from JW states – “ sorry about the price increase” !! Yes all my invoices from 1958 to 1961 were still with the car, along with the original buff logbooks, which indicates that only 3 people have looked after the car since I sold it in 1961 for £15, after 10,000 miles, one replacement crankshaft, Bowden cables on the front etc. The crankshaft broke after a “race” along the Dorking by-pass with a Morris 8 when an indicated 60mph was noted briefly – quite exciting as the car did not have any shock absorbers (pre- MOT), but the two main bearing crank obviously protested reasonably enough.
I am looking for a petrol tank cap, plus drawings of side screens and a good photo of the door pockets of the 2 seater, as the originals have been replaced with flat fabric covered door cards. Hopefully somebody may be able to oblige? If anyone can help Guy, please contact chris@prewarminor.com in the first instance.
Joseph Zerafa, who lives on the island of Malta has purchased Minor Semi-Sports KJ 607 from Tony Gamble. The car was completely rebuilt by Tony after he had purchased the remains of the vehicle from the late Roy Hogg many years ago. It’s hoped that the new owner might be persuaded to attend the Network’s rally this coming June.
Last June this 1931 Eustace Watkins Wolseley Hornet Special (GP 7373) was sold via an internet auction site. The photograph of the Hornet seen here was taken in its 50+ plus year resting place which looks to be a farm outbuilding. Few early CF3 versions of the Hornet survive and this one looks remarkably complete. If the new owner reads this please contact info@prewarminor.com
The second International Relay Race was held at the Brooklands circuit in 1932. The winning team of three Hornets was made-up of two 1932 Eustace Watkins Daytona Specials and an earlier 1931 Eustace Watkins International model. The International was driven by Edward Erith who is seen here in the same car as he drove that day – GO 6468. In May of that year Erith took his Hornet to Lewes in Sussex having entered the annual speed trials on the downs. Alongside Erith in this paddock shot is a late 1931 Kent registered Swallow Hornet Special while yet more Hornets await their turn behind the leading duo. (LAT Motor Sport negative)
A journey that began 10 years ago this month is now nearing completion. Halbe Tjepkema rescued this 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon from a Bungay barn in January 2008 four years after the cars initial discovery. VG 2007 could pass very close to its old Bungay home if the car is successfully completed in time to take part in the Network’s 2018 Pacesetters Rally which is to be based at Thorpe Abbotts, just 13 miles from Bungay.
Click the image to see it full size.
An ‘opposition’ showroom
This glorious early thirties photo of a car showroom full of Austin Sevens is very much of its time. The draped opulence, chandeliers and palm fronds provide the art deco feel while the Mulliner two-seater and Swallow Saloon are the complimentary automotive glamour alongside the more mundane models. (LATplate Red 7380)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A 1933 Somerset registered 1933 MG J2 Midget (YD 6854) is seen here taking part in the driving test section of the 1935 MCC Torquay Rally & Trial. The details of this rally are not recorded in Donald Cowbourne’s book ‘British Rally Drivers – their cars and awards’ therefore the crew of car number 173 will have to remain unnamed. This is a restored version of LATplate C7066
Using an open car at this time of year takes determination, forethought and many layers of clothing in order to brave the vagaries of the British winter. Not so the Minor Saloon owner. Warm the engine, climb aboard and within a matter of minutes, the cabin is as warm as toast. Note the evidence of this cosseting fug on the windows of Martin Gregory’s 1931 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (UF 7090) parked-up during the course of a recent winter’s excursion to Stony Stratford, Bucks.
There can’t be many, more dramatic images of a Wolseley Hornet than this one taken by Tineke Roest on 5th January. The Roest’s Jarvis Special (AM-62-91) is pictured high in the Austrian Alps, stationary on a snow-covered pass while car and crew compete in the Planai-Classic Rally.
Back in September 2010, the crews of the three Minors seen here visited The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirby to view Avro Lancaster B MKVII NX 611 ‘, Just Jane’. The hangar doors were rolled open to permit a series of photographs to be taken of which this is just one. Currently, ‘Just Jane’ is undergoing re-commissioning work which eventually will lead to this mighty aircraft taking to the skies once again. Somewhat ironically, ‘Just Jane’ was originally constructed by Austin Motors at Longbridge, Birmingham.
Click the image to see it full size.
1930 Minor Fabric Saloon
Another eBay sourced period snapshot, this one of a 1930 Hertfordshire registered Minor Fabric Saloon UR 7203. Despite the small enprint being of poor quality sufficient detail is visible to establish that a small pump-type extinguisher is attached to the running board and that the man is cradling a pipe with a very long stem. Unusually the photograph was taken in the winter at a time when many cars were ‘laid-up’. Perhaps this man was a commercial traveller?
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Little is known about the car and crew in this paddock image. It was taken at Donington Hall on the occasion of just the second race meeting to be held at the venue on 13th May 1933. The man standing behind the car has a cardboard tag hanging from his lapel labelled ‘Mechanic’ while both crew members pose for the camera in their crash helmets. The remainder of their attire is more appropriate for a trip to the pub rather than 20 laps around a race circuit. (LATplate C460)
Click the image to see it full size.
PN 8736 – 1932 Minor homebuilt special
This vehicle was first registered in East Sussex in early 1932 and possibly started life as a Minor 5 cwt van, the door shape and height providing the clue. The van rear section and roof look to have been modified to resemble a shooting-brake, although this is not clear. The photograph was probably taken in the late fifties or early sixties as is indicated by the attire of the young men (students?) present. The radiator mascot appears to be a plastic goldfish while the leather strap and bulge on the bonnet top are possibly un-necessary adornments, affixed to indicate that something with more than 19bhp lies hidden beneath.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This image perfectly illustrates the genetic ties that exist between the pre-war Morris Minor and the first MG Midget. The photo was sent to the Network in early 2009, just a few months after the website was established. The limited information captured at that time included the name of the correspondent, a Mr Norman Edwards and the vehicle’s chassis number 2M/651. This of course identifies and dates the car as a 1929 MG Midget, the vehicle registration confirming this and identifying its place of registration as being Manchester. While the photo is undated and could have been taken at any time during the last thirty years, it’s clear that it has been heavily modified at an earlier stage in its life, someone fitting what looks to be a home-built body while also replacing the original Midget radiator with that from a 1932 Morris Minor. The Minor radiator badge has also been removed and replaced with that from an MG. The much-revised car’s front valance is of later construction and was not an original fitment on either model. Although not listed on the Triple M Register (at least, not with this chassis number) the car is known at the DVLA, their database recording it as being first registered in October 1929. It, therefore, seems likely that it is still out there somewhere. Let’s hope so.
The winner of the 2017 Photograph of the Year competition is this fabulous shot entered by Arie Roest from the Netherlands entitled ‘Mont Blanc view’. The car in question is a 1930 Jarvis Hornet special. Congratulations Arie and a big thank you to all who have taken part. A list of those entries included on the Network’s 2018 calendar can be found on the website’s forum here.
Calendars can be ordered at £11.50 (13 Euro) each by emailing your requirement to info@prewarminor.com
Click the image to see it full size.
1930 SV Minor Two-seater JO 764
This car is the £100 Minor prototype which currently languishes in a Devon Theme Park awaiting a long overdue restoration. It was also this particular model that until this month the VSCC had excluded from its PVT list despite the fact that the prototype was a true vintage car i.e. constructed before 31st December 1930. The one hundred pounder was without doubt a pared-down model, devoid of many embellishments, most notably a lack of chromium plated parts and a spartan paint finish resembling battleship-grey. However, JO 764 is arguably the most important surviving Minor, yet it is in a parlous condition with no guarantees that it will be sympathetically restored when the time comes. It still retains some very important original (and unique) features which can be found in this interesting Harry Edwards article.
It really is about time that the Morris movement got its act together and saved this unique vehicle. I’m sure that one of the two national Motor Museums would accept such an important car as part of their collection. Perhaps the MVA (Morris Vehicles Association) could be galvanised into action and that the funds required for its purchase and eventual restoration could be raised at local and national Morris gatherings. Come on the Morris Minor Owner’s Club, Morris Register, Vintage Minor Register and even the VSCC. Isn’t it time to pool resources and come up with a plan?
This is the last of this year’s ‘A Minor a day’ series. Thank you to all those who have contributed images without attribution.
1933 Minor Two-seater S.V. 31826 aka AMG 30 and 289 UXG
This is a very well known car within club circles. With a post-war history reasonably well-documented and going back to 1964, AMG 30 was owned for a number of years by forumist, Alister Reid (Highlander). The valuable original (AMG 30) Middlesex registration was stripped from the car by an earlier owner and is now held on retention, presumably awaiting a wealthy Mercedes Benz owner. Alister’s height caused him to reconsider ownership towards the end of the last decade and the car was passed on to Simon Tuke a Surrey neighbour. Having covered very few miles during Simon’s ownership the car was then purchased in 2013 by one of this forum’s moderators, Roger Lucke. The car is now used regularly and is of course meticulously maintained, as would be expected!
Click the image to see it full size.
OU 6930 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon
This was the editorial Minor from 2002 until 2014. The car was sold in November 1930 by Wadham Bros. in Southampton to a serving RAF officer based at nearby Calshot. His steed during the day was a Supermarine Southampton flying boat whle he drove home in his new Minor. OU 6930’s history is somewhat sketchy from then on but it was laid up during WWII and was subsequently owned by a builder in South London. By 2002 it was located in Bromley, Kent in a part renovated state which is when it came into the author’s hands. The car was returned to a roadworthy condition over that winter and then covered 7500 miles over the next 12 years. During this time it had a brief competition history and took part in a number of VMR rallies and the very first Network rally. It was sold to Simon North in 2014 who in turn sold it on to the Vintage Petrol Pump Co a few months later. Sadly it has now gone to ground.
Click the image to see it full size.
LJ 4435 1930 Minor Semi-Sports
This Minor has associations with the Hambros Bank concern but when found certainly didn’t look a million dollars, as can be seen by the first image in this gallery. A lengthy and detailed restoration was carried out by Ian Grace who at that time was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan USA. The car was completed in time to be shipped to the UK for the 2007 VMR rally in Dorset although it didn’t take part in the two organised tours. Its owner returned to the US leaving LJ 4435 behind, initially in storage but it was later sold. Very little was heard of the car for a year or two, it next surfacing on a prestige vehicle trader’s website. Here it remained for four years, its price fluctuating between £16,000 and £18,000 before being sold earlier this year. Its current whereabouts is unknown.
Click the image to see it full size.
FH 7622/YWG 771 1932 Minor Sliding-head Saloon
This is something of a sad tale concerning a lovely Minor Saloon that has been horse-traded in recent years. The car first emerged ‘For Sale’ on the carandclassic website in September 2012 when it sold very quickly to Paul Critchley. Paul joined the Network and attended our 2013 rally in Marlborough, Wilts. As a succession of rally images show alongside, the car suffered from some unreliability issues over the rally weekend, which in truth were of a minor nature (no pun intended). Shortly afterwards the car was sold and then quickly passed through the hands of its long list of short-term owners. In fact over a four year period FH 6722 was sold on at least five occasions loosing its original registration in the process and becoming YWG 771. The DVLA have the audacity to call this an ‘age-related’ registration while future custodians of this vehicle will struggle to discover anything of its early history as a result.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This superb cutaway image of a 1932 MG F1 Type Salonette first appeared in the 11th September 1932 edition of The Autocar magazine. There is little else to add other than to say the drawing was authored by noted technical artist, Max Millar.
The passage of time can be unkind, so at 76 years of age some allowances can be made for the odd accident on the driveway. The same excuses however can’t be made for 1933 Minor Saloon YG 2017‘s owner Toby Sears, seen here looking extremely youthful in 2009 and holding a Vintage Minor Register award, although almost ten years later he now can’t recollect why it was given to him?
Click the image to see it full size.
WP 1085 1931 (32 season) Minor Two-seater
Continuing the longevity of ownership theme, common among a number of Minors and their owners as featured here, WP 1085 has been in the custodianship of Mike Rose since the sixties. The images from that decade tell their own story and WP 1085 or ‘Moonlight Frolic II’ was certainly a draw – or maybe it was Mike! The car has subsequently been beautifully restored and Mike used ‘Frolic’ while attending the 2012 Network ‘Forester’ rally in Hants in June that year.
The editor would like to take an opportunity to thank the many photographers who have contributed to this feature without attribution. In the vast majority of cases the images have been published here previously at which time due recognition was given.
Click the image to see it full size.
LV 975 1933 Minor fixed-head Saloon
Peter and Tilly Yates are further evidence (if it were needed) that Minors are for life. Peter has owned the car since his student days in the sixties and following a restoration, has continued to use the car regularly for local Morris Register events around Loughborough and more recently at Network rallies. Unfortunately, drive train issues curtailed the car’s involvement in the 2016 and 2017 Network rallies but it didn’t seem to stop the car’s occupants seeing both rallies through to their conclusion. It is hoped that Peter, Tilly and LV 975 will be attending the 2018 Network rally and that Suffolk proves to be a more hospitable county than either Dorset or Rutland was for their Saloon.
Click the image to see it full size.
RT 8431 1932 Morris Family Eight Sports Coupe
RT 8431 has been with the Miles family from Mendlesham, Suffolk for around 30 years and until the winter of 2010/11 had lain dormant in a barn for the greater part of that period. Over the winter Andrew Miles, who was then 16 years of age, decided that it was about time his father’s car took to the road once again. He then set about renovating a vehicle that hadn’t turned a wheel in anger for over twenty years and looked like it never would again. Andrew joined the Network’s forum at this time and asked many questions of the forumists while they watched on in awe of Andrew’s enthusiasm and determination to complete the task at hand. By the spring of 2011 the car was in running-order with Andrew taking to the wheel on a private airfield to understand and resolve the inevitable teething problems – of which there were many. Since then RT and the Miles family have regularly attended the Network’s rallies and are also ‘ever-presents’ on the annual spring Felixstowe Run. As a result of Andrew’s efforts that winter he became the inaugural recipient of the club’s Harry Edwards Trophy in June of 2011.
Network rallies are not competitive in any way and are all about having fun with friends while also providing an opportunity for meeting fellow enthusiasts. Early June is (usually!) a great month for exercising almost 90-year-old machinery on roads that ideally suit our cars. To find out more visit our 2018 rally page here.
Click the image to see it full size.
UY 1196 Austin Twelve Clifton
This car has attended so many Minor events it has long since been regarded as an honorary Morris Minor. Cambridge based owner Mike Taylor has missed just one annual Network rally since their inception in 2010. The association started way back in the early part of the last decade when Mike would bring his Clifton along to VMR pub meets at Barrington and Thriplow on the outskirts of Cambridge. Lasting friendships were struck and Mike has continued the association, always driving his car to our rallies, no matter where they are situated.
Click the image to see it full size.
APC 484 1933 Minor Two-seater
This is the second car to feature in this spot that currently resides in the village of Marnhull, Dorset. The car’s owner Dan Brockway, a near neighbour of John Nagle, purchased the car at the tail-end of 2014 from Devon, following its appearance in a carandclassic internet advertisement. Just a few months later APC 484 was used to convey Dan’s bride to the reception following their marriage at a local church. Since then the car has been used extensively attending Morris Register meets and participating in the Network’s 2016 rally which was based upon his village. The car has been laid-up of late but is shortly due to take to the highways once again.
Click the image to see it full size.
UN 6979 1934 Minor Two-seater
This is a very well known car in Minor circles, having been owned by Trevor Wilkinson for over twenty years. Trevor and UN 6979 are one of only four ‘ever-presents’ at all eight annual Network rallies while also attending a number of VMR rallies prior to that. ‘UN’ or Ewan has been on tours to Ireland and Wales and has never been trailered, being driven to all events. Notably reliable and quick, the secrets hidden beneath the bonnet have never been revealed.
Click the image to see it full size.
SL 9739 1929 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon
Now pay attention as making sense of what follows will be difficult. SL 9739 is from a DVLA reissued sequence, the car’s original registration (W 808) having been lost. Clive Hall purchased ‘SL’ on eBay and commenced its restoration before selling the incomplete project to Steve Lewsley. (SL was one of the very first Coachbuilt Saloons to leave Cowley with a body number of M030, which it transpires is different to the bulk of the coachbuilt saloons that followed.) Steve did not want many of the car’s body parts as he was intent on building an MG M Type replica which he proceeded to do. Mike Houston in Tunbridge Wells was in need of a Saloon body as the body of his own Saloon (VG 3260) was beyond salvation. A deal was struck and Mike acquired the early body from Steve and restored it beautifully. However, Mike had a Semi-Sports to restore and couldn’t find the time for both so sold VG 3260 to Tony Gamble in Selby. Tony needed a chassis upon which to erect his beautiful Enrique Llinares CMS Super Sports body and used VG 3260’s chassis to do so. Tony then sold on, the by now, fully painted early Coachbuilt body to a gent in Nottingham and then his Part completed CMS to Brian Arnell in Lincolnshire. After finishing the car in fabric, Brian sold his newly re-registered VG 3260 to Bob Kellock, who I believe resides in the West of England. Steve Lewsley meanwhile had retained SL’s original bonnet which the writer then acquired for his Arrow Minor Special project. After gathering a kit of parts and realising that running a website was almost a full-time job the Arrow project was sold on to Tony Gamble bonnet et al. Which just leaves the current whereabouts of SL’s original (and very important) body? It’s believed that this has also made its way to the West Country where I suspect that the current owner does not appreciate its importance or its chequered past.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1935 RSAC Scottish Rally took place between the 10th and 14th June. Sixteen MG’s took part including Midget BXA 23 which was driven by D.R.B. Duffy who bought it home in eighteenth position of the forty-one cars in his class that made it to the finish. The rally was as much a test of endurance than of skill as the event ran for four days through some of Scotland’s most picturesque but demanding terrain. (LATplate C6404)
Click the image to see it full size.
1930 Coachbuilt Saloon UX 6524
Paul Rogers purchased his Minor in the early years of the last decade. It was very much a ‘project’, having been dry stored for a number of decades. Paul and his father Barry, commenced a very rapid restoration that saw the Minor traverse the perimeter track at RAF Colerne in July 2002 in an incomplete state. By 2003 Paul had joined the VSCC and had begun using UX 6524 in competition, taking part in LC&ES trials and the annual Brooklands Driving Tests. Throughout the middle of the decade Paul’s saloon became a familiar sight at these events, achieving some notable results. Following Paul’s acquisition of a Vauxhall 30/98 the Minor took a back seat but remains in his ownership and is seen out and about from time to time.
Arie Roest from the Netherlands is preparing his 1930 Wolseley Hornet Jarvis Special for the three-day Planai Classic Rally in January 2018. The car’s cockpit boasts some interesting items of equipment including a Tripmaster and an old alarm clock. (Note the similarity between this dashboard layout and that of the contemporary Morris Minor – excluding the recent add-on’s.)
Click the image to see it full size.
VJ 1756 1929 Minor Tourer
Brian Maeers was something of a giant in the pre-war Minor world. His infectious enthusiasm for the model knew no bounds and this certainly rubbed off on those with whom he came into contact. He used his four Minors at every possible opportunity, running regular pub meets in his home village of Peatling Magna, Leics, setting up impromptu tours around his holiday home in Holme-next-the-sea plus attending both PWMN and VMR rallies. Today his 1929 Tourer, VJ 1756, is featured here. Known as ‘Prudence’, Brian used this car competitively, often being accompanied by his friend Dennis Johnson. Following Brian’s death in December 2013, VJ passed into the very capable hands of his daughter, Janie, who continues to campaign the car in a very similar manner to that of her father.
Click the image to see it full size.
KJ 3553 1931 (32 season) Minor Two-seater
KJ 3553 is a beautifully well-preserved example of the 1932 season Two-seater, many believing that this model is the best looking Minor of all. With a chassis number of SV8558 it was constructed in October 1931 and was registered soon afterwards in the county of Kent. The car first came to the Network’s attention in September 2011 when it appeared on eBay with a Manchester address. The following year it was clear that the car had been repatriated to Kent as an image of the car and its new owner was found on a Faversham newspaper website. In 2013 Tim and Avril Ovenden attended the Network’s White Horse Rally in Wiltshire and have been a permanent fixture at all of the subsequent events. It should also be said that Avril and Tim are regular attendees at the annual Morris Register Rally and also participated in the ‘Around the Edge’ charity run.
The news of the 31-34 S.V. Minor’s inclusion on the VSCC’s PVT list may have come too late for an example to take part at last weekend’s Winter Driving Test event at the Bicester Heritage Centre, but surely early enough for a member to enter with a SV car for the forthcoming Brooklands event on 28th January? Who is going to write this small piece of motoring history?
Click the image to see it full size.
WV 4924 1934 Minor Two-seater
This 1934 Minor has been known to the Morris Register since the sixties. The car was first registered in Wiltshire in the spring of 1934 with a chassis number of 34/MS/41071. The earliest (colour) photo here was taken in 1974 when the car may have been in the ownership of Les Leach. By the time Ken Martin took the second (b&w) photo at the Morris Register National Rally at Stamford Hall in 1979 Les was confirmed as the car’s then custodian. Its history over the next thirty years is not recorded in the Network’s archive, the car next surfacing for sale at Malcolm Elder‘s emporium in Oxfordshire in late 2009. The car remained on the market for a number of months until acquired by Clive Hall of Sisland, Norfolk in March 2010. The car has remained in Clive’s ownership ever since, taking part in two Network rallies and the circumnavigation of the East Anglian coastline in May 2011.
Click the image to see it full size.
OW 4224 1934 Minor Two-seater
Yet another Minor with an interesting history inexorably interwoven with the life of its present owner. John Nagle first purchased OW 4224 in 1959 and owned it for four happy student years until the arrival of a company car in 1963 forced its sale. Fast forward 45 years and the car entered John’s life once again, not before also passing through the hands of another Minor enthusiast and member here, Paul Harris. Paul saved the car from the scrap man back in the late fifties before coming across it once again in 1973 when he used OW as his main form of transport for a number of years, eventually selling it in 1979. After passing through a series of hands John N. eventually rediscovered and purchased the car from Derek Powell in 2008, restoring it to its present pristine condition and completing a cycle that had started almost 50 years previously.
Click the image to see it full size.
1929 Minor Tourer MT 3286
Like the Sears Minor featured here yesterday, this is also a well-known car within Minor circles remaining in the same family for many years. Roy Hogg bought the car well over 50 years ago and campaigned it extensively. Roy and the car were famously involved in the recreation of the MCC London-Exeter boxing night trips from the Slough Trading Estate to the West Country in the sixties. Roy’s Morris Register colleagues described his driving style as ‘enthusiastic’, MT being notoriously quick in his hands. After Roy’s death his son Ronald inherited the car and continues to attend events. MT was last seen out and about at the Network’s rally in June 2016. The four images to be seen here feature both father and son using the car while just a few years ago MT was almost the star attraction at a wedding.
Click the image to see it full size.
1932 Minor Two-seater PJ 5155
To many of us, this is a very familiar car indeed. It has has been in current owner Toby Sears family for many years (forty plus?) and has travelled up and down the country attending the Network’s rallies as well as covering several hundred miles in the 2015 Around the Edge Challenge. His car was once the resting place of choice for Toby and Linda’s dog Riz, as can be seen in one of the four images here
This 1931 Minor Two-seater BR 8606 has been a familiar sight at VSCC sporting events for many decades, this courtesy of an OHC Minor engine under the bonnet where an original SV unit should nestle. Thanks to a recent ruling by the VSCC other 1931-1934 SV Minors will now be able to compete alongside Sue Woodward and her £100’er.
LAT plate C440 is dated 13th May 1935 in the LAT portfolio but was almost certainly taken on 13th May 1933 as the plate number places it among the May 1933 sequence. This dramatic shot of car no. 19, a 1932/33 Wolseley Hornet Eustace Watkins Daytona Special was taken at Donington Hall at only the second ever car meeting to be held there, the first such meeting taking place just two months earlier. The outcome of this incident is unknown.
Peter Brock found this reference to the incident in Motor Sport:
Round they came again, and this time J. T. Ridd went onto the grass. Somehow all the cars got round and we waited for the next circuit. Patrick was well in the lead, followed by Briault, who came up to the bend at a great speed. He clapped on his brakes, the tail of the Hornet decided to become the front, and with a screech of tyres the car turned right round. Briault took his bearings, and set off, but not before Doctor Hawes on another Hornet had robbed him of second place. The crowd, with typical British disregard for the niceties of driving, gave Briault a rousing cheer.
Click the image to see it full size.
WD 1430 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon
Stuart Clark from Bromsgrove, Worcs owns this lovely Coachbuilt Saloon and has used it extensively, particularly while attending the Network’s rallies. The car has been known and ‘on the scene’ for at least three decades and was regularly seen out and about when in the custodianship of the late John Seddon. Following an accident in 2016 the car underwent repairs to its rear which entailed the body shell being repainted.
This is the first of a daily series of short profiles of our cars. if you have an unpublished photo of your car please forward it to info@prewarminor.com and it will be included here in the run-up to Christmas.
Following-on from what has already been a momentous day for the pre-war Morris Minor I can now also announce that the 2017 POTY Competition is open for entries. The competition runs until 24th December, upon which day the winner will be announced although the entry list closes at midnight on December 20th. As in previous years LAT Images will contribute an A3 sized print selected from any of the images to be found on their website or from LAT images to be found in this website’s galleries, while Stewart Miller & Peter James Insurance will contribute a £50 voucher. It should be noted that the voucher can now be spent on any of the insurance services the group provides and not just on vehicle insurance. The winner of course is also awarded the LAT Plate which is usually presented at our rally dinner each June. LAT have also agreed to continue as competition adjudicators and a panel of three judges will sit to select the winning image.
While the prizes may attract some to enter, the real purpose of the competition is to provide a little light relief in the run-up to the festive season. Not all of us are expert photographers but we do all share a passion for the pre-war Minor, ‘M’ Type Midget or Wolseley Hornet and no doubt have a photo or two of our cars that we particularly like. If that is the case, then submit them for entry (up to a maximum of three per individual) and they will be included in the POTY gallery. You can email them to me at chris@prewarminor.com or post a hard copy print (address supplied on request). If you haven’t entered in previous years but have enjoyed viewing the entries please take the time to participate this time around. I for one am looking forward to viewing your images. The webpage with rules can be found here. http://www.prewarminor.com/2017-poty-competition
After many years of lobbying, the Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC) has finally agreed to add the 1931-1934 Side Valve Morris Minor to its list of Post Vintage Thoroughbred (PVT) cars. This means that the S.V. Minor can now compete in VSCC events alongside its thirties adversary, the Austin Seven. There are further important ramifications for the model to be considered by owners which will no doubt be discussed on this website’s forum.
It is possible to get lost on a rally. The majority of rallyists have done so at one time or another. In the resulting confusion drivers tend to blame navigators and vice versa, all of which invariably leads to a heightening of blood pressures and sharp words. A map isn’t a cure-all but it will get you home. Ordnance Survey can now provide Custom-made maps, tailored to cover precisely the area you need.
Morris Group heiroglyphics
Some of the major components on Morris, MG and Wolseley cars were stamped with a series of numeric codes, which until recently were all something of a mystery. Sam Christie has carried out an extensive study of these codes and wrote a fascinating article for the Triple M Register’s 2016 Year Book in which he details his findings. He has permitted the article to be seen on this website where it can be found in PDF form in the Member’s Area, under Technical Bits/Miscellaneous. Many thanks Sam.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This photo was taken in July 1935 during the course of the Eastbourne Concours D’Elegance or Coachwork Competition. The event was one of a series of south coast ‘beauty pageants’ held each summer in the resort towns of Brighton, Ramsgate and Eastbourne. They attracted huge crowds and large entries throughout the thirties and it was to these events that the equivalent of today’s motoring exotica gathered. This rather overdressed MG, owned by a Captain Short is being examined by Eastbourne’s Lady Mayoress, while Major Gowen from Fawlty Towers looks on. Can anyone recognise the model hidden behind the plethora of badges? (LATplate C 7041)
Click the image to see it full size.
OU 961
This photograph first appeared in the 16th June 1939 edition of The Autocar and its brief caption tells us that the image was taken at Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, perhaps on the A1000. By then, the Minor (OU 961) was already a ten year old vehicle having first been registered in Hampshire during 1929. It’s difficult to determine the time-of-year although the haystack and ploughed field might indicate early autumn, while the heavily laden lorry could be carrying sacks of grain. (LAT Photo-scan)
White Minor in post-war competition
Thanks to former White Minor owner Robert Potter and current custodian David Baldock there now exists conclusive evidence that the White Minor took part in competitive events in the post-war era. Up until recently it was believed that the car’s competitive activity ceased in 1937, but that was not the case. Three important images have been added to the galleries along with a March 2017 Morris Monthly article which provides the background detail.
Arie Roest makes good use of his 1930 Jarvis Hornet special, taking part in a number of long distance ‘classic’ rallies while also using his car for his summer holiday transport. This photo of Arie and canine passenger was taken on the Col du Galibier in the French Alps at a height of 9324 feet earlier this year. Arie and his wife along with their Hornet are entered for the Planai Classic Rally in Austria on January 18th of which more here.
The former 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon MM 9326, which later in life adopted a Tourer body, has now acquired a polystyrene tub which is due to act as a template for a new aluminium sporting body to be constructed by current owner, Geof Wilson. The coffee cup to be seen on the bonnet is not part of the intended design which shares some characteristics with the White Minor Skinner Special and is all the better for that.
Mike Summers from Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk first bought 1932 Minor Two-seater OJ 1865 back in the mid-sixties, keeping the car for fifteen years. He then sold it at the end of the seventies and forgot about it until 2012. After deciding that he wanted a back-up to his 1931 SV Minor Saloon he tracked down OJ 1865 in Scotland and managed to persuade the owner to sell it to him. The car has been subject to a long-term re-commissioning program in preparation for a debut (hopefully) at the 2018 PWMN Rally at Thorpe Abbotts. It’s seen here just prior to delivery to a local paint shop where it’s due to receive several coats of fresh paint.
The world’s largest airship has suffered a further mishap while moored at its Cardington, Bedfordshire base. Trevor Wilkinson spotted the crumpled gas bag while out for a ‘run’ in his 1934 Minor Two-seater. The craft, colloquially know as ‘The flying bum’ was involved in two earlier incidents in 2013 and 2016.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This atmospheric night shot was taken in the early hours of 28th December 1935 near Shaftesbury in Dorset. The occasion was the 21st running of the MCC’s London-Exeter Trial, the cars having left the start in Virginia Water, Surrey a few hours earlier. The three recognisable cars here are are the Midgets of N.E. Bracey (‘P’ Type BPL 999) and J.H. Summerfield (‘P’ Type JB 4611). The Ford V8 3.6 litre behind the two MG’s is that driven by F. Allott. While Allott and Bracey both went on to win Premier Awards, Summerfield retired his car before the finish. (LATplate C7825)
Click the image to see it full size.
A recent eBay find, this snapshot reveals very little. The Minor is a 1929 Tourer model, that much is deduced from the presence of a ‘Morris’ script on the radiator, an item the Minor wore for just that first season. The design of the tax disc on the car’s windscreen indicates that the photo was taken prior to 1961 (velologists may know more) while almost nothing can be determined from the driver’s attire. It seems most likely that the photo was taken in the thirties as the car’s paintwork appears to be in excellent condition and the Dunlop triple stud tyres look almost new. Is that a horn on the scuttle or something else?
This 1930 Gordon England Two-seater Minor special was first registered in Bradford, Yorks in mid-1930. Fred Dobson owned KW 8071 throughout the 1940’s while living in Weymouth, Dorset during which time the car was used extensively. It’s known that both of these photographs were taken while Fred and his wife were on holiday in Northwich, Cheshire, some 240 miles distant from Weymouth. The Minor looks to be in reasonable condition and up to the task of transporting the couple around the Cheshire countryside. Period photographic evidence suggests that Gordon England produced more than just a few G.E. Two-seater Minor specials although none are known to have survived into the 21st century. (Images courtesy of the Harry Edwards archive)
Here is a tantalising glimpse of 1932 Minor Tourer SV 14881. The car is located ‘…somewhere on the island of Sri-Lanka‘, the jewel that nestles in the Indian Ocean just below the tip of the sub-continent. Parked alongside the Minor is a 125 cc BSA Bantam carrying a 1940’s Gateshead registration. Intriguingly, nothing more is known about either vehicle.
JHT 400 is an MG Magna engined Wolseley Hornet Special. Originally registered in Birmingham in 1931 as a Wolseley Hornet Saloon (OG 7528) it was initially rebuilt as a plywood bodied trials special in 1936 by owners T.C.G. Butler and C.C. Evans. The car was then campaigned both before and immediately after the Second World War. Evans named the car ‘Ophelia‘ after hearing a comment by a passenger bouncer “Oh, feel your wheels gripping” following its second conversion when the seats and hence more weight was moved further to the rear. Ophelia and crew achieved some success and notoriety while taking part in many national reliability trials during this period. The first of the three images to be seen here (competition no. 65) was taken in Gypsy Lane during the course of the 1946 Colmore Trial while the Motor Sport snippet caption tells us that OG 7528 was appearing in the 1937 event of the same name. The venue and date are not known for the third image.
There remain a limited number of available spaces on the Network’s 2018 Rally which is being held in the north-eastern corner of Suffolk next June. To find out more visit the rally page here. (Photo: Maeers/Wilson)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Little is known about this LAT plate C7830 except that it was taken in January 1936 and shows The Three Musketeers team, both cars and crews, prior to an event. Please contact the Network if the event or crew members can be identified.
MG enthusiast Mike Bradbury writes: The three MGs in the photo are the 1935/36 Musketeer Magnette/Magna specials. JB 6865 (Athos) usually driven by MacDermid; JB 6866 (Porthos) usually driven by Bastock; JB 6867 (Aramis) usually driven by Langley. These cars were built on L type Magna chassis’s and were a mixture of the best parts of L, N, J and P types. It seems that only Aramis is known to the Triple M Register and is with John Reid. Their chassis Nos were Comp/N1,2,3 respectively. I’ve no idea where the pic was taken but it is possible that the three drivers mentioned above are the gentlemen in the picture.
1930 Jarvis Minor Coupe
First seen in late 1929, the Jarvis Coupe was a luxurious version of the Minor. In order to justify its £187-10s-0d, it was equipped with Mosely ‘float-on-air’ seat cushions, a burr walnut dashboard and door cappings, a wind-up/down passenger door window and fitted carpets. Although Jarvis later sub-contracted the building of their special bodies to other coachbuilders these Minor coupe bodies were almost certainly built in-house. The images featured here originated from Temple Press, publishers of both the Light Car and The Motor magazines. The individual standing alongside the coupe is Harold Hastings, the Light Car journalist. (Images courtesy the LAT Archive.)
Click upon an image to view it at full size.
Kevin Walsh is an accomplished transport artist and illustrator, his work appearing on Christmas cards, jigsaw puzzles and metal signs. Among his hundreds of transport themed scenes the Minor features at least once as can be seen in this thirties tableau of the Flying Scotsman and a hybrid GPO van. A further two of his paintings feature MG ‘M’ Type Midgets. Thanks to John and Jo Nagle for spotting this.
This most recent image of Tony Gamble’s 1930 Minor Arrow ‘special’ looks, on-the-face of-it, as if this project has gone into reverse. A previous update showed the car with its Garry Waiting built Arrow body in place. However, that temporary fitting was simply a test to establish clearances etc. Since then genuine progress has been made with the sourcing of a bronze SU carburetter and the fabrication of a one-gallon sump. Therefore, the engine is now very close to running once again after an interval of four years.
With winter just around the corner, this Arthur Bell shot of his 1933 Minor Saloon JJ 9069 provides a reminder of the summer recently past by perfectly capturing an August dawn. The composition skill of the photographer and his use of the early morning light combine to produce a surreal impressionist painting effect.
Hornet four-speed box
‘Thanks’ go to Hugh Barnes for providing a 1951 ‘Motoring’ magazine article which details the steps required in order to dismantle a Hornet four-speed gearbox. The article can be found in the Member’s Area, Technical Bits section of the website under the ‘Gearbox, clutch & differential’ sub-heading.
Click the image to see it full size.
EX 135
The original incarnation of EX 135 was built for George Eyston who used it for both road and circuit racing as well as a Class G record attempt vehicle. Built in 1934 on a K3 Magnette chassis it was acquired by Goldie Gardner in 1937 where it was fitted with the Railton designed body as seen in this Autocar cutaway drawing by Max Millar. This beautifully streamlined bodyshell enabled the MG to reach a speed of 186 mph over the ‘flying mile’. EX 135 was taken to Dessau in Germany during 1939 where it raised the Class G record to 203.5 mph on a new section of German autobahn. (LAT photoscan)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1933 Brighton-Beer Trial was held on 25th June with six observed hill sections. The entry of 102 cars was dominated by MG’s which made-up almost a quarter of the 102 cars that started. Car no. 37 (UF 7254) is a 1931 Brighton registered Jarvis Midget, although the names of the crew are not known. Any further information concerning this LAT image C959 gratefully received.
A total of eighteen cars, 14 x Minors, 2 x Hornet Specials and 2 x M Type Midgets along with their crews have so far entered for the 2018 PWMN rally next June (8th-10th). Ensure a place by entering today. Download an entry form here. Photo: Kate Martin
The 2018 rally page has been updated with further venue details here. Just 48 hours after the entry list opened 14 of the 25 available 25 slots have been booked.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The MG Midget Sportsman’s Coupe was launched in 1929 and provided the template for later MG Coupe versions which were to arrive on the scene from late 1931 onward. RX 6257 is seen here exiting Church Loft in West Wycombe, Bucks before joining the main A40 London to Oxford Road. Apart from the traffic and parked cars, this stretch of the A40 has changed little in the intervening 87 years.
Church Loft was built in the 15th century. It was here that pilgrims stayed as guests of the church. Since then it has been the village jail, stocks, and in more recent years as a venue for events. The building is timber-framed, with later brick in-fill To the left-hand side is an arch to Church Lane which contains the Village lock-up and whipping post. The building has a bell turret, and a particularly fine clock (dated 1668) overhanging the street. The recently restored clock’s mechanism remains within the Church Loft and now chimes once again. The clock was restored in 2003. (Summary, courtesy West Wycombe village website.)
The Swan Inn, Hoxne will host both the Friday and Sunday evening pub-meets at the Network’s rally, next June. The recently renovated 15th century coaching inn has a 40 seat restaurant and a large car park. The Network last visited The Swan in 2010 where three Austin Sevens, two Minors and an Aston Martin ‘Le Mans’ can be seen in this photo taken at the time.
Click the image to see it full size.
Hornets and ladies
There are a number of thirties cars that were advertised to directly attract the attention of potential female customers. One such car was the MG Midget Sportsman’s Coupe (perhaps it should have been named the Sportsladies Coupe?) while another was the Wolseley Hornet. This photo and caption of actress Miss Jane Welch and her 1930 Hornet Saloon MY 4875 first appeared in a January 1930 edition of The Autocar and was among a series of what can only be described as publicity photos of Hornets and attractive females. A recent Hornet Specials image (no.21) from the same period was another case in point while further examples reside in the website’s archive. The first of the two images featured here show the original artwork for the photo feature, while the second is a cutting of the item itself.
The entry list for the Network’s 2018 ‘Pacesetters’ rally is now open. Find the new rally webpage along with an entry form here. (Ken Martin photo)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Just 44 Montlhery, or ‘C’ Type MG Midgets were built in 1931-32 and a surprising number survive to this day. One such survivor is a 1931 car RX 8306, currently owned and still used competitively by Chris Cadman. This photo may or may not be of Chris’s car. It was taken at the spring 1932 MAC Shelsley meeting and shows a C Type with its number plate partly obscured. It’s established that another C Type was registered as RX 8586 and so this photo may be of that car (LATplate B8591)
Thanks to Cathelijne Spoelstra for the additional information to be found below:
Click the image to see it full size.
UD 2483
UD 2483, a 1928 Oxford registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon was one of a series of development cars that were extensively used by the company for publicity purposes from late 1928 and into 1929. This particular car is known to have undertaken two tours, the first of which was to East Anglia, the second during the summer of 1929 saw the car touring Scotland. It was while on the second of these trips that this photo was taken, the image appearing in an August 1930 edition of The Autocar. (LAT Images Photoscan)
It’s time to begin thinking about your entry for the 2017 PWMN Photograph of the year competition. Start combing your computer’s photo folders for an image of your car that catches the eye or just take to the road and find a suitable backdrop to show off your car’s best features! Competition entries will be accepted from 1st December onward. This memorable photo was taken by Ken Martin on the 2013 ‘White Horse’ Rally and features the 1933 Minor Two-seater OJ 4733, currently owned by David Hockley in Cambs.
Pictured here entering the car park of The Noel Inn, Whitwell are Charles Crisp and Rachel Miles in the Crisp owned 1934 Minor Two-seater (AXV 51). The photo was taken during the the course of the Network’s 2017 Rally in Rutland. The clubs 2018 rally will be based on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and will take place over the weekend of 8th-10th June. A rally entry form will be published shortly.
Click the image to see it full size.
The Semi-Sports Two-seater filled a gaping hole in the Minor line-up when it was first announced in July 1930. At that time the range consisted of just three models, the 1928 launch models of Fabric Saloon and Tourer which had been belatedly supplemented by a steel-panelled Coachbuilt Saloon, added in the late summer of 1929. The saloons were of course the big sellers for Morris Motors but the coachbuilding trade had spotted the lack of a two-seater model and were successfully selling a wide range of models to those prepared to pay a little more for the individuality these cars offered. One such coachbuilding concern in Wembley (Gordon England) were consulted on the design of the new Morris two-seater, the resultant development car (JO 132) pictured alongside. Produced for just one season, the company built a total of 744 cars over the course of the 1931 model year. (LATplate Red 8648 & Motor 549-3)
Pictured above is PJ 37, a 1931 Surrey registered Abbey Hornet special. The occasion was the 1932 running of the MCC Sporting Trial which took place on 15th October that year, centered upon Buxton in Derbyshire. In this photograph the car was being driven by J.J. Kennedy who was one of 28 drivers to collect a Premier Award from among the 80 crews that started the event. Compared with other national trials organised by the MCC, the Sporting Trial was a short half-day affair comprising just five observed sections (three of which were covered twice) over a distance of only 46.5 miles. (LAT Motor Sport image)
Located in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla this 1934 lwb Minor Tourer is a rare survivor of its type. Imported by York Motors in Sydney in 1934 and bodied by Holden this is only the second of its kind recorded by this website. The car was originally painted blue and was owned by a proprietor of an ESSO service station in Sydney for 32 years from 1936 until 1968. More about this car here.
While the Austin Motor Company developed their Seven for racing and other competitive work, William Morris refrained from sporting sponsorship of Morris cars, leaving that to a business he personally owned, The MG Car Company. However, there were Morris products that were used in competition, the Minor in particular winning many awards when entered by their owners. In this image Alistair Bond rounds ‘Pardon’ in his 1930 Minor Semi-Sports (IA 9142) at the Bugatti Owner’s Club Prescott hill-climb venue, the photo redolent of that period when privateer Minor owners tested their cars and themselves in competition.
Click the image to see it full size.
Devon 1933
Charles Wynn wrote a weekly column for The Autocar throughout the early thirties period entitled Touring Topics. His column was invariablyy headed-up by an appropriate image and occasionally this would be a Minor. His column for 19th May 1933 edition of the magazine featured this 1933 Minor Two-seater parked on the road overlooking Thatcher’s Rock in Devon, the car being notable for the bumpers fitted front and rear. (LAT photoscan)
An extremely rare 1934 lwb Holden bodied Minor Coupe is currently for sale in Australia. One of just two known survivors, this historic car will reward its restorer with its handsome period looks. Further detail can be found on the website’s Discussion Forum here.
This photo was taken on 1st June 2013 at the Ulster Riley Club’s Cultra Hillclimb event. The Robert Andrews owned SV 1933 Minor Special is being piloted by noted motoring artist Debra Wenlock. Examples of her work can be found on her website here.
It’s easy to forget that access remains available to the old website and all that it contains, including many of the front page stories dating back to 2008. The site operates on an Adobe Flash platform and requires users to download Flash Player to view the website properly. The site continues to accept new members despite its archive status. Find it here or through the link further down this page.
Click the image to see it full size.
Airborne Magnette
This photograph features in a December 1935 edition of The Autocar and shows N.K. Crawford’s airborne MG Magnette (JW 5703) rapidly ascending Nailsworth Ladder in the Cotswolds. This excellent image was taken by an unknown photographer during the course of the MCC’s London-Gloucester trial. Author of the book ‘Wheelspin’, C.A.N May was driving an identical Magnette (No. 53) and this very photo appears in his book while a sketch of the scene adorns its front cover – see the second image. (LATplate C7773)
1931 McEvoy Hornet Special GK 4084 was owned by A. J. Bochaton and appeared in a series of national trials between 1934 and 1936. In this photo, the car is being enthusiastically driven at the MCC’s London-Gloucester Trial (held on 7th December 1935) while climbing a narrow green lane somewhere in the Cotswolds. The Network’s photo archive holds three further images of this car/driver combination and in each photo, the car is trailing a smokey exhaust, which in view of the car’s age, already four years old at this time and its competition pedigree could indicate the need for imminent engine surgery. If that was the case on 7th December 1935 it didn’t hinder Bochaton as he went on to win a first class award for his efforts.
Dan Brockway from Marnhull, Dorset is selling his 1932 Minor Saloon (MV 6146). It’s pictured here parked alongside a 1935 Gilbert-Scott K6 telephone kiosk, a design icon from the period. Further details on Dan’s car can be found on our Discussion Forum here.
Thanks to the British Film Institute archive, moving images of Morris Minor production at Cowley from 1929 can still be viewed. A 21 minute silent film shows many of the steps in the production process and features the 1929 season Minor Fabric Saloon model. This still image from the film shows a body in the process of being covered in wadding followed by the car’s fabric outer skin. The complete film can be viewed here.
Click the image to see it full size.
Pre Health & Safety!
This Getty image from the Hulton collection shows a 1932 Minor Saloon crossing the River Adur at Shoreham via a steel girder bridge which carried the A259. It was first erected in 1922 and replaced by the current concrete bridge in 1987. The photograph above shows a gang of 12 painters plying their trade on a structure that remained open to traffic, with no warning signs in place and the only visible protection on view being their dungarees – these being worn to protect their clothing! A far cry from today’s safety standards.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1931 MG C Type Midget was a supercharged short stroke 746 cc racing car. Fourteeen examples were built prior to the third and final JCC Brooklands Double Twelve race of 8th and 9th May 1931, five of these cars occupying the top five places at the race’s conclusion. Just a few weeks later two C Types took part in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, neither car being classified as a finisher. The C Type driven by the Hon. Mrs Chetwynd and H.H. Stisted completed just 30 laps while that driven bt Sir Francis Samuelson was disqualified for failing to complete the final lap in under 30 minutes. The car pictured above is that driven by Samuelson. (LAT Motor Sport negative)
After an absence of eight years the PWMN Rally is set to return to its first ever venue – The 100th Bomb Group Museum at Thorpe Abbotts, South Norfolk. The museum’s management team and the landowner have kindly agreed to our request to use the venue as our rally HQ over the weekend of 8th-10th June 2018. Further details will be published here in October. (This photo was taken from the roof of the watch/control tower over a July weekend in 2008)
RT 8431 a 1932 Minor Sports Coupe has been in the custodianship of the Miles family of Mendlesham, Suffolk for almost three decades, having been restored by Andrew Miles seven years ago. The car was recently the star of a photoshoot for Timeline Events, one such image being seen above. (Image copyright: Timeline Events)
Click the image to see it full size.
Dutch Rally September 2009
Halbe Tjepkema hosted a Minor centric rally adjacent to The Hague in September 2009. Six of us attended from the U.K. and had a tremendous time over the long weekend. We stayed on Kaag Island and in order to reach our destination it was necessary to negotiate a stretch of Dutch motorway which has a minimum speed limit of 50 mph. On the flat this wasn’t a problem and as much of this part of the Nederlands is very flat indeed and so most of the time we kept within the law. However our fully laden Minors did not like any inclines at all and this brought the wrath of the truckers upon us, but thankfully not that of the police. (This photo wwas taken by Roger Lucke on 12th September 2009)
Chris Lambert
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
With snow on the ground, J. F. Kemp pilots his 1932 Birmingham registered MG J2 Midget (OJ 6978) along a frozen and rutted section of byway. The date is 23rd February 1935 and Kemp is taking part in that years running of the SUNBAC Colmore Cup Trial. He completed the course and gained a Third Class award. (LATplate C5309)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
1933 MG J2 Midget JH 4140 is seen here taking part in the 1935 running of the MCC’s ‘Edinburgh’ trial while being driven by O.M. Dixon. The car is negotiating Wrynose Pass on 8th June in the Lake District National Park where gradients of 25% can be expected. In 1935 this pass was an unmetalled road or loose gravel track which proved to be a real test for many of the cars. Dixon won a Bronze Award for his efforts. This seven minute YouTube video shows a ‘modern’ tackling the pass in October 2011.(LATplate C6347)
Click the image to see it full size.
This Getty Images shot of Piccadilly Circus was taken in May 1932 and features a Minor Fabric Saloon in the middle foreground and a Wolseley Hornet Saloon at circa three o’clock. There are other Morris cars to be seen along with a Green Line coach that plied its trade between Chesham and Croydon, crossing the centre of London to do so.
Forum update
The site’s discussion forum has been updated by Tapatalk and has moved to new servers. Familarisation with the new layout may take a little time but patience will be rewarded as there are many subtle improvements. Should you have difficulty logging-in to the revised forum then please email the administrator here
This website’s forum has a new unfamiliar format. However, once access has been gained (go to trhc of forum homepage and click ‘Log-in’) all the usual sub-forums are available on the index page. Follow this link and dip your toes in …
If you are in the market for a pre-war Morris Minor there are currently plenty available to buy. This montage represents just a small selection, with many more detailed on our forum.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
By January 1936 Essex registered 1931 MG Midget VX 6845 was four and a half years old and some way distant from the model’s competitive heyday in the early years of that decade. However this M Type was far from alone. There were plenty more representatives of the the early Midget taking part in competitive events up and down the country throughout this period – and not just in club competitions such as this one. Cowbourne’s epic tome, British Trial Drivers – Their cars and awards 1929-1939 includes a photograph of Bacon’s 1931 M Type CV 5127 taking part in the 1939 ‘Exeter’. The photograph above (LATplate C7834) was taken at the Kentish Border Trial in January 1936 although the names of the crew are unknown.
Click the image to see it full size.
KJ 5909
The 1935 MCC London-Exeter Trial took place on the 27th & 28th December 1935, competitors starting from Virginia Water in Surrey. Cars commenced leaving from 11:27 PM on Thursday evening onwards, travelling through the night to the breakfast control point in Exeter. Minor owner J Lyle was a regular competitor at these national trials in his 1932 Two-seater (KJ 5909). The two images shown here were both taken on Simms Hill in Devon where the Minor clearly needed assistance in order to scale the summit. Had the climb been unaided Lyle would have qualified for a ‘Simms Hill’ Trophy to go along with his Silver Award presented by the Motor Cycle Club. (Images: LATplate C7803 & Morris Owner clipping from February 1936 edition)
Toby Sears has unearthed this 1933 lwb Minor Family Eight CG 5446 discovered in a metal ‘lean-to’ in Lymington, Hants. Although in need of complete restoration the car is largely complete and is being offered for sale at £700. Full details can be found on this website’s forum.
Just a few days ago this website was bemoaning the potential loss of another Minor to obscurity following the sale at auction of AGP 288 last March. Fortunately the car’s whereabouts is now known thanks to Brittany resident and Minor special owner Philippe Prigent who confirms that the 1932 Two-seater is now in the hands of his friend, Roger Appere, who also lives locally to him. Roger has now joined this website’s forum, where hopefully the cars progress back to eventual road worthiness can now be followed.
Autocar Trophies
Throughout the thirties, The Autocar magazine donated trophies for many of the national motoring events of the day including both the RAC and Scottish rallies. Unlike conventional trophies of either a plate or a cup The Autocar preferred small art deco figurines. The two statuettes featured here were awarded to competitors who took part in the Scottish Rally in 1935 and 1937 respectively.
Frank Ashby & Sons along with V.W. Derrington, James Grose, Brown Bros, Halfords, Gamages and others sold a vast array of accessories for the pre-war car owner. No one was better catered for than owners of cars with sporting pretensions. This Frank Ashby half-page ad from the 23rd June 1933 edition of the Light Car & Cyclecar was aimed directly at these owners with their ‘Brooklands’ range. It’s interesting to note that their fully-flexible steering wheels were standard equipment on a host of sporting models.
Surviving Minor Tourers are few in number and are usually snapped up by prospective buyers whenever they (infrequently) appear for sale, which makes the simultaneous availability of two such cars a very unusual and opportune occurence for those in the market for a Minor Tourer model. To find out more about the two cars shown above, visit this website’s forum here.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The Bugatti Owner’s Club held regular events on Gold Hill Common, Chalfont-St-Peter, Bucks throughout the early thirties. The gravel byway from the village to the top of the hill provided the track, with competitors generating thick clouds of dust as they negotiatiated the bends. Here 1930 MG Midget MG 764 commences the climb with an unknown driver at the wheel.
Click the image to see it full size.
Finchingfield, Essex
The beautiful village of Finchingfield in North West Essex is set in a shallow valley through which flows the Finchingfield Brook. Its village green provides a focal point and its around this central feature that the village grew and expanded. The Network’s 2014 rally passed through the village during the course of its Saturday tour and many rallyists stopped to take photographs. Philip Butland was one such photographer and he captured the green and its surrounds immediately after a thunderstorm. The second b&w image here was taken in early March 1937 and apart from a distinct lack of traffic it seems that little has changed in the intervening 77 years. (B&W image courtesy of LAT Images – An Autocar photo scan)
Arthur Bell from Wymondham, Norfolk had a Belleville washer that was required by fellow Minor enthusiast Peter Brock, a resident of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In order to save on postage Arthur decided to deliver the item in person and drove to Newcastle in his 1933 Minor Saloon JJ 9059. Not content with that, he then drove on to the Scottish border for a photo opportunity, prior to returning to Wymondham, thirty hours after his departure, while covering 600 miles in the process. (Photos Peter Brock & Arthur Bell)
This great photo of Arie Roest’s 1930 Jarvis Hornet special (AM-62-91) is a precursor to the launch of a new page celebrating the amazing variety of Hornet specials that were built from the summer of 1930 to the end of the 12 HP engine era. The page contains over 100 Hornet special images, many of them recently unearthed from a photographic archive.
Click the image to see it full size.
An unusual view
TJ 1876 was a 1933 McEvoy Minor Special, which during the course of WWII was owned by an RAF Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. This image from the late Bev Hicks collection is one of seven depicting the car during this period and is unashamedly of the car itself, with no individuals featured. Photos of our cars taken from above only ever appear infrequently and there are fewer still of Minor specials. From this angle it’s clear that the area behind the McEvoy’s rear seats was destined to be primarily used for luggage storage and not for the conveyance of passengers. The nearside wartime headlamp shroud also helps date the photograph.
1932 Eustace Watkins Daytona Wolseley Hornet Special: Eustace Watkins were the London main dealers for Wolseley cars throughout the thirties decade and significantly contributed to the growth of the Wolseley brand via their ‘special’ bodies fitted to the Hornet chassis. The majority of these bodies were open sporting types which sold well and in the right hands went on to capture numerous awards at the popular club and national trials then in vogue. The bodies were not constructed by Eustace Watkins and were sub-contracted to the coachbuilding trade, much of the E.W. work going to Abbey Coachworks of Merton and later, Acton. This drawing by ‘Ferguson’ for The Autocar appears on an undated glass plate (LATplate L5613) and depicts a 1932 season model.
A small collection of images taken at the recent Morris Register Rally at Thoresby can be viewed at the foot of the 2017 Events page here.
Contemporaries…
Various versions of the DeHavilland Moth were built at the company’s Stag Lane, Edgeware facility throughout the whole of the Minor’s production life. Old Warden Airfield in Bedfordshire played host to the DeHavilland Moth Club’s annual ‘Gathering of Moths’ on Sunday 31st July and members of the vintage motoring community were invited to join them. Four Minors and a number of Midgets attended while member Martin Gregory took some interesting images which are now resident at the foot of 2017 Events Gallery
Old Warden airfield in Bedfordshire was the venue for the DeHavilland Moth Club’s ‘Gathering of Moths’ on Sunday 30th July. Four Minors attended, those of messrs Wilkinson, Ovenden, Harris and Gregory, the bonnet of the latter’s car being visible in this photo, with a DH87b Hornet Moth G-AELO in the background. (Image Martin Gregory)
M.R. spares…
A new, easy to read, Morris Register spares catalogue and price list is now available to view on this website. While many of the items are for other pre-war Morris models there is also an excellent selection of Minor spares from which to choose. It should be noted that this service is only available to Morris Register members.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This is one of two Motor Sport images of this Abbott bodied MG Magna DHC taken at the company’s plant in Farnham, Surrey. E.D. Abbott survived the recession of the early thirties and continued to produce vehicle bodies up to the outbreak of war and for a short period after the cessation of hostilities.
Click the image to see it full size.
The Minor’s nemesis!
In February 1932 the Ford Motor Company launched their new ‘Eight’ model in the U.K. Designed in Dearborn, Michigan, the first prototypes began arriving at Ford’s new production facility in Dagenham, Essex during October 1931 with full scale production beginning at the new plant early in the new year. Within a matter of months the new Ford was outselling all other 8HP competitors, including the Minor which was having its most successful sales year to date, following the launch of the long wheel base models in the autumn of 1931. Less than two and a half years later the Minor was history with Morris launching a new Ford Eight inspired range, their own ‘Eight’, the car going on to become the company’s most successful pre-war model. This image of the 1932 Ford Eight, taken at its launch is a scan from the LAT Images archive (LATplate E2152)
In 2008 this 1931 Minor Saloon (VG 3260) was rescued by a former Network member. Today the car is being offered for sale on the Car and Classic website as a CMS Minor Special replica. Further detials can be found on the website’s Discussion Forum. (To view either image in its entirety just drag the ‘pointers’.)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Little is known about this LAT plate scan (C2544) other than it was taken at the 1934 running of the WASA Chiltern Trial. The car looks to be an MG F Type Magna (MG 1316) which is seen negotiating a by-way in the Chiltern Hills, almost certainly a section of The Ridgeway. If anyone can provide further information concerning the crew, then please send an email to info@prewarminor.com
2017 Pre-war Prescott
A new gallery has been added here with shots taken at the recent Pre-war Prescott event. (Scroll to the foot of the page)
Click the image to see it full size.
While images of Minors, Midgets and Hornets taken in action at sporting events, along with those issued for publicity purposes by the manufacturers, provide vital information for enthusiasts and restorers, so also do those taken as family snapshots. While the photographer has dated this image, the Minor and nearside front quarter of the MG Midget on view would have provided significant clues to an historian or researcher had that not been the case. The indistinct image of a Minor Coachbuilt Saloon in the background is either a a 1930 or 1931 OHC model (rectangular chromed radiator surround, low headlights and front opening doors) while the hooded guards and original wheel centres on the Midget indicate a 1931 season model, the later strengthened wheels centres being introduced by Morris for the Minor in October 1930 and presumably for the Midget at the same time. Other clues as to the date of the photograph could well be established via a knowledge of women’s fashion of the period, something beyond the scope of the writer.
N.B. The saloon could also be an early (1930/31) Wolseley Hornet, the two models sharing the same body and very similar radiators.
In the early nineties Colin Lambert found and re-built, over a four-year period, one of only five known surviving Double Twelve 8/45 MG Midgets. Over the next ten years he competed extensively in GG 3340 until he hung up his driving gloves and sold the car to Henri de Jong in the Netherlands. Pre-war Prescott was the venue for a happy and unexpected reunion with the car, seen here being driven by Cathelijne Spoelstra, with the surprised ex-owner standing alongside.
Mike Taylor from Cambridge has owned his 1927 Austin Twelve for many years and has attended all but one of the Network’s rallies. His car is such a familiar sight at our gatherings that it has been bestowed with ‘Honorary Minor’ status, a huge accolade for a Longbridge product. Mike and his car will always be welcome whenever pre-war Minors gather. (The Nevill Inn car park 24th June – image Chris Lambert)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This sequence of eight images was taken by accomplished automotive photographer W.J. Brunell and are part of a collection of his images held at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu which can now also be viewed on the Getty Images website
The car in question is a 1929 MG Midget registered as MG 1930 and was owned by C. I. Robinson, who used the car to compete in a trio of national trials in 1929 (Exeter/Sporting & Lands End) along with the ‘Lands End’ of 1930. This car and driver combination featured in a number of photographs taken at these events, with images appearing in both the Light Car and The Autocar. It’s not clear for what purpose this particular series of photograph were taken.
To view each image in turn click upon the grey bars beneath the gallery.
Click the image to see it full size.
A holiday snap?
Yet another eBay sourced snapshot – this being one of a series of three. It’s not clear if this is a pre, or post-war image, either from the attire of the subjects, or from the appearance of the car itself. The 1933 Minor Saloon (OJ 3933) was first registered in Birmingham in the latter half of that year but had subsequently seen non-standard headlamps and sidelights fitted. The two front tyres are almost devoid of tread while an interesting vent has been fitted to the side of the n/s bonnet – perhaps to aid cooling? The shingle base upon which the accommodation has been constructed indicates that the property is a ‘seaside-let’ and that this is yet another family holiday photo.
Temporary forum outage.
For a short period the forum will only be accessible via this link
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
M.F.L. Faulkner’s supercharged 1931 MG Midget is seen here competing at the February 1931 running of the Inter Varsity Speed Trial at Branches Park in South West Suffolk on the Cambs/Essex border. The driveway of Branches Park House was used as the track. The house itself was demolished just 26 years later in 1957. This scan is taken from a Motor Sport negative (Courtesy LAT Images Ltd.) See also Triple M Corner no. 31
Network member Toby Sears is selling his 1932 (’33 season) Minor Saloon YG 2017. The car has been known to the club for nine years and has attended many rallies and pub meets. Full ebay details can be found here.
Click the image to see it full size.
Very little is known about this re-touched image which first appeared in an October 1937 edition of The Autocar. The derelict £100 Minor IH 30?? is just six years old and was registered in mid 1931 in County Donegal and must have led a hard life, perhaps as a hire car as suggested by the cryptic and crooked sign. The range of hills or mountains in the background may provide a clue as to the location of these derelict vehicles. (LAT photo scan)
Thanks to the efforts of Tony Gamble this original Kent registered 1930 Minor Semi-Sports (KJ 607) has now joined the small band of road going OHC Two-seaters. Tony writes: I would like you to dedicate this image to the memory of the late Roy Hogg who initiated the project way back in the mists of time, ” I hope you like it Roy. Sorry it has taken so long !” Tony goes on to add: Many thanks to lots of people who have helped along the way , especially Garry Waiting.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
Four images of the 1931 launched Supercharged MG Midget have appeared hear previously. This fifth LAT plate image (E1922) provides an excellent close-up of part of the cockpit, including the dash panel and instruments. For example, it’s clear that a Smith’s model PN speedometer was used.
A rally report ‘for the record’ has been added to the rally gallery page and can be viewed here.
Click the image to see it full size.
KP 5624 is a 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon that was at one time owned by Capt. Ian McLeod from Broxbourne in Hertfordshire. It has some notoriety in the Minor world as a well known and rare example of a saloon being fitted with a supercharged engine. This photograph illustrates some of the changes that Capt. McLeod incorporated when he replaced the original engine with the supercharged unit. Most notably the fuel tank has been moved to the rear of the car – the fuel filler being visible on its flank. The triangular firewall brakets have been removed, although the reason why is not apparent, while the cast aluminium rocker cover is from an M Type Midget. The supercharger is also clearly visible thanks to the raised bonnet. The photo was definitely taken post 1960 as a blue MOT badge can be seen attached towards the top of the windscreen to the nearside. The snow on the ground might indicate the winter of 1962 but that is just conjecture.
NB Ken Martin has subsequently pointed out that the engine installed in KP 5624 looks to be from an MG PB, which with a three bearing crank is longer than the standard Minor unit, hence the re-positioned firewall and lack of triangular fire wall brackets.
A series of images taken by Arthur Bell have been added to the Ralley Gallery page, including this one of three tin-tops.
Rally host (or should that be hostess?) Janie Maeers acknowledges the photographer while driver Geof Wilson uses the rear view mirror of 1929 Minor Tourer VJ 1756 (Prudence) to keep an eye on procedings. This photograph was taken on the Saturday leg of last weekend’s PWMN Rutland Rally by Kate Martin.
More rally images from noted photographers Ken & Kate Martin have been added to the Rally Gallery Page today. Find their contributions towards the foot of this page.
A gallery containing images contributed by various rally attendees is now available to view here. This shot was taken on Saturday morning, prior to the start of the long tour and shows the 1929 Minor Tourer owned by John Paternoster tangling with Trevor Wilkinson’s 1934 Minor Two-seater on the B664 outside The Nevill Arms at Medbourne. (Image Chris Lambert)
Click the image to see it full size.
1930 Gordon England Minor Two-seater special
Gordon England had an aeronautical engineering background and used these skills to good effect during the twenties when his lightweight bodied Austin Seven ‘Gordon England Cup’ models achieved much competition success at Brooklands. In 1929 he launched two Morris Minor special models, a Stadium Saloon and this pretty open two-seater. The Morris factory did not have such a model in their range and it is reported that Morris Motors approached the Gordon England concern with a view to G.E. designing a version that could be produced in volume at Cowley. The resultant model was named the Semi-Sports and 744 were eventually produced upto July 1931.
VO 4346 was a 1930 Nottingham registered car and had been fitted with polished wheel discs, a popular accessory at that time.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
J. B. Carver and his 1930 London registered MG Midget GC 5505 featured in many trials during the early thirties. This Motor Sport image shows him about to leave the car park of the Crown Inn, Marlow on a wet November morning prior to competing in the 1932 running of the Inter Varsity Trial between teams from the Oxford and Cambridge universities. His motoring activities could not have left much time for study as the club badges adorning the front of his Midget would indicate that he had a passion for sporting motoring. The r/h LAT sourced scan was taken from a celluloid negative retained in their archive, while the l/h image is a scan taken directly from the December 1932 edition of the magazine. (Page 52)
N.B. To see the respective images in full – drag the arrows to either the right or the left.
A “youthful” Trevor Wilkinson (All things are relative!) proffers a few words of advice to those with their heads buried under the bonnet of Colin Lee’s 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon. Their muttered responses are not recorded. This scene was captured in a pub car park at the 2008 VMR Rally which was based at the 100th Bomb Group Museum Thorpe Abbotts in Norfolk.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
During 1930 and 1931 the original MG Midget was entered for many trials and at most events outnumbered other popular models . The 1931 running of the London-Gloucester trial (12th December) was one such event where 13 Midgets took part, including that of N.H. Cole, his car (OU 3146) being registered in Hampshire in 1930. He is seen here piloting OU 3146 up Ferriscourt which was a timed section on this trial. He finished in the awards winning a Silver Cup for his efforts. (LATplate B5246)
Click the image to see it full size.
Just a prop!
This is not the first IOTW that has featured this Blackpool photographer’s Minor ‘prop’. The eBay sourced photo shows either a family or group of friends seated in the shell of an OHC Minor Tourer while a second image in the archive shows the same Minor and backdrop with two teenage girls onboard. A third image, taken later, once again displays the same backdrop but in this one the Minor has been replaced with a 1935-37 Ford Model C 10hp tourer. (Thanks to Mike Costigan for this information) Clearly, street photography was a lucrative trade in Blackpool in that early post-war period.
The Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum in the New Forest was the venue for the third PWMN Rally in 2012. This Kate Martin image was taken on the morning of Sunday 17th June just prior to the start of the ‘short’ tour and shows a section of the line-up of Minors in a reserved part of the museum’s car park.
Although our annual Photograph of the Year competition doesn’t take place until December there is no better time than now to take some eligible images. With long summer days and good light, your Minor as subject matter and a digital camera, all the necessary ingredients for some excellent shots are in place. Get shooting! (Image Arthur Bell)
The Network’s Home Counties pub meet has been an all-male preserve to date, although that is no longer the case as evidenced by this hurriedly taken image snapped at the Eight Bells in Bolney on 5th June. It transpires that the pub temporarily lost a member of its bar staff thanks to the lure of John Emmett’s 1933 J1 Midget which resulted in a stand-off. “A spin around the village or no beer?” It was of course difficult to say no, while Kenneth Allen looks on disapprovingly! (Photo Malcolm Eades)
F.H. Boyd-Carpenter made his name tuning and racing Austin Sevens from the mid-twenties onward. In 1926 he established his own coachbuilding business in Kilburn, N.W. London and from 1928 produced a pointed-tail Austin Seven Special. This was to be followed by the ‘Junior’ model, an unglamourous (and inexpensive) Morris Minor special in 1930. His company were quick off the mark when the Wolseley Hornet was launched in April 1930 when just a few months later this good looking special (based upon his Austin Seven design) took to the streets. By the standards of the day it was an expensive Hornet option with a £232-10s price tag, although surviving images testify that at least three found customers. (LAT Motor Sport nagative)
1929 Schneider Trophy
The 1929 Schneider Trophy speed trial was held over a triangular 350 kilometre course around the Solent off the south coast of England. These bi-annual events attracted huge crowds along the shoreline and these images show a coastal car park at Gosport, Hants. One of Britain’s entries in 1929 was the Supermarine S6 (forerunner of the 1931 trophy winning S6B), the float-plane winning the trophy by achieving an average speed of 328.64 mph. The second of the two images here is an enlargement of part of the frame of the first shot. It depicts a young couple using the roof of their 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon as a vantage point to view the competing aircraft. How many other Minors were parked here that day?
Tim & Avril Ovenden are rally regulars, transporting their 1932 season Minor Two-seater KJ 3553 to the respective rally HQ’s in a horse box! Captured here through the lens of Kate Martin’s Nikon, they can be seen about to descend one of Dorsets notoriously steep hills while on the Saturday morning leg of the 2016 Jurassic Rally. Note the celebrity pose from the canine passenger.
…the process of adapting to the ways of the MG Midget. With the Rutland Rally just three weeks distant the editorial 1930 Midget GH 6758 was put through its paces by Spencer Lambert, its driver for that weekend. This photo was taken on the former 388th Bomb Group airfield at Knettishall Heath, where the MG’s freshly adjusted brakes were thoroughly tested.
The first Network rally was held in June 2010 based around the former USAAF 100th Bomb Group base at Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. The weekend kicked-off with a pub meet at The Swan in Hoxne but the twilight journey back to base was not without incident. Here the Roger Lucke owned CMS Minor Super Sport special is seen parked up and awaiting rescue on an unlit roadside, a broken rear spring being the cause. Clive Hall in his hi-viz vest directed traffic.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1933 running of the MCC London-Gloucester Trial took place on Saturday 9th December with the 149 competitors (a record entry) leaving the car park of the Bridge House Hotel, Staines, Middx from 12:01 AM. The crews were then tasked with completing an all night drive before arriving in Cheltenham for their breakfast stop from 5:00 AM onwards. Competitors were then further obliged to complete the 12 observed test hill sections before finishing a gruelling almost 12 hour drive at Rodborough Common, Glos. The MG J2 Midget JD 2741 seen in this image was driven by T.C. Taylor who went on to collect a Silver Medal, one of only 14 such awards that day. (LATplate Motor X789)
Click the image to see it full size.
An unnessary demise
Christchurch, N.Z. based John McDonald sent this early fifties newspaper clipping telling of the theft of a Minor and the extreme lengths to which the thieves went to disguise its origins. The car was stolen in Aukland but was found 175 miles further south at Taumarunui. Although the Minor was already 20 years old at this time its butchery almost certainly meant that it didn’t survive for too much longer.
The Network’s 2017 rally is now less than a month away with the prospect of a full weekend’s worth of vintage motoring to anticipate. Twenty three cars and their crews are taking part and just two entries remain available. Entries close on 16th June, so don’t miss out on the fun and download an entry form here.
GP 8217 was registered in London during 1931 therefore one of the early Swallow built Hornet Two-seater specials. The car is seen here taking part in the 1932 MCC London-Lands End Trial with C. F. Harris at the wheel. This image was shot at an unknown location on 26th March 1932 by a photographer using celluloid film in his camera, the resulting negatives producing far less detail than that seen on glass plates. C.F. Harris failed to collect an award and retired from the event. (An LAT Motor Sport image)
Click the image to see it full size.
1934 WASA Trial
This photograph was taken on a cold March day in 1934 above a sunken lane in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire. The occasion was that year’s running of the WASA Trial, an all women affair. The queuing London registered 1933 Minor Two-seater is JJ 9444 which is located immediately ahead of the Morgan Super Sport, all the cars in view awaiting their turn to start the next observed section. The archive contains another shot of JJ 9444 being pushed up a steep gradient at this same event, although it’s very apparent that the person in the driving seat is a male. (The names of the entrant/crew are unknown) LATplate C2539
Geoff Lane from Halstead in Essex has recently purchased GU 1342, the ex David Roscoe, Semi-Sports replica. The car originally left Cowley at the end of March 1929 as a Tourer but was rebuilt as a Semi-Sports model by Dorset restorer David Cooksey in the early part of the last decade. (Photo Geoff Lane)
1932 Wolseley Hornet March Special
Kevill-Davies & March of Bruton Street, London W.1 marketed a number of ‘specials’ from early 1932 onwards. One of their earliest designs was an open two+two body for the Wolseley Hornet chassis as seen in this April 1932 Autocar image, with a body supplied by the coachbuilder John Charles of Kew. There is a strong claim that these Freddie March designed bodies were the first to feature fully swept front wings, a styling cue that was to become a design hallmark of British thirties sports cars. (LATplate E2670)
Click the image to see it full size.
PO 4843 1932 Minor Two-seater
There are six images of this late 1931 West Sussex registered car in the archive. All were purchased as a single lot on eBay some years ago and are uncaptioned on their reverse. Dating them is not an easy task, unless of course you are an historian of twentieth century female fashion. To the uneducated eye of the writer the photo could have been taken at any time between the late thirties and mid-fifties, with the word ‘Jerry’ painted on the bonnet perhaps indicating that it was toward the latter end of this period. Regardless of the date the sepia tones of this photo make for an appealing snapshot.
Trevor Wilkinson along with his 1934 Minor Two-seater (UN 6979) visited Cardington airfield recently and witnessed, in flight, Airlander 10 the U.K.’s largest aircraft. It has been calculated that 432 Minors could fit into the interior ‘envelope’ of this enormous craft. (N.B. That calculation was carried out on the reverse of the same envelope.)
This long wheel base 1932 OHC Cunard Calshot Minor Special MU 5674 is now ‘available to view’ at Mike Rolls MG Car Sales emporium in Gillingham, Dorset. Just three such cars are known to survive and one of these is subject to a long-term restoration. Therefore this car’s availability represents a rare opportunity for someone to purchase an important piece of Minor history. More images and further details are available on this website’s forum. www.prewarminorforum.com
Swallow Hornet Special
Arguably one of the prettiest Hornet Specials to leave a coachbuilder’s workshop was also one of the earliest of this variant to be built. The Swallow Hornet two-seater (£225) made its first appearance in November of 1930 to be joined the following October by an open four-seat model. It was sold exclusively by the Henlys concern who heavily advertised the vehicle in The Autocar, The Motor & The Light Car and soon versions were to be found taking part in the major sporting events of the day. Two of the striking features that made the Swallow Hornet two-seater stand out from the crowd were its three-piece raked windscreen and Alvis like beetle-back rear end. The finish on this later (1933) car looks magnificent in this photograph taken immediately outside the Henlys showroom in Great Portland Street, Central London. (LATplate E2071)
Click the image to see it full size.
Canvey Island 1953
This poignant snapshot of a marooned Austin Seven Saloon was recently found on eBay. It’s simple caption of ‘1953 floods’ masks the horror of the night of 31st January 1953 when a high spring tide combined with a storm surge in the North Sea resulted in devasting floods along the east coast of the U.K. and along the west coast of northern Europe. There were 307 deaths in England, 19 in Scotland and a staggering 1836 lives were lost in the coastal regions of Holland. Belgium didn’t escape unscathed and 28 citizens lost their lives in West Flanders. Canvey Island in Essex was badly hit when the inadequate sea defences were breached by the surge, resulting in 59 deaths.
Neil Elder’s Minor special features regularly on this page. Neil lives in the Christchurch area of New Zealand and is seen here recently competing (rather enthusiastically) in the Hadstock Driving Tests event. Local PWMN member John McDonald reports that although greatly outnumbered by Austin Sevens the Minor performed magnificently. The event results are yet to be published.
The West Region of the Morris Register have been holding their annual motoring break, this year in and around the city of Hereford. Four Minors took part including those owned by Toby Sears and Ken Martin, both of whom are seen here just prior to departing on their separate journies homeward. (Photo Kate Martin)
Clive & Bren Hall have owned 1931 Minor Saloon NG 850 for almost half a century, during which time a chicken shed collapsed on the car during a storm resulting in the car’s bodywork being completely wrecked. Since then the car has been stripped to its bare chassis frame pending a rebuild, which after a false start or two has now commenced, the chassis ‘rolling’ for the first time in 45 years just prior to this photo being taken.
Click the image to see it full size.
Unmistakably a Kent location for this weeks IOTW offering. The Oast House on Stocks Green Road, Hildenborough is famous for directing customers to the Old Barn Tea Rooms where “Oceans of cream” can be taken with their afternoon teas. This early thirties photo shows two models in which we have an interest, a 1931 Wolseley Hornet Saloon PL 2347 and a 1932 lwb Minor Sports Coupe KJ 7465. This saloon is without doubt the most photographed Hornet version with over 100 images of PL 2347 resting in the archive. The reason for this proliferation is that the car was owned by an Autocar staff photographer who included an image of his car in as many shots as he possibly could when on an assignment. The Sports Coupe is is one of just 450 produced in 1932 and these OHC versions are very few in number today. Note the petrol pump behind the chain fence. (LATplate E3543)
Four Minors and their crews have been taking part in a Morris Register (West Region) tour of Wales and the borders. The Minors are examples owned by messrs. Martin, Nelson, Nagle & Sears and the Ken Martin owned 1930 Coachbuilt Saloon VX 4590 is seen here at the Hereford Water Works leading a procession of pre-war Morris cars. (Photo Kate Martin)
1933 Jensen Hornet four-seat Sports Saloon Special
Such is this car’s shape that a quick glance at its profile could lead the viewer to believe that he was looking at a two seat Hornet Coupe. The stylish back windows provide the clue to the additional rear seats while the vinyl covering to the roof and dummy pram-irons are period fashion items. The opening boot and trafficators indicate that this is a well-equipped version of the genre while its rear-hinged doors hark back to the twenties but none-the-less permit far easier access for rear-seat passengers. Jensen built other Hornet special types including a detachable trunk version of this model. (Image LAT E plate – reference obscured)
The airship located in the background of this Trevor Wilkinson shot is the Airlander 10, Britain’s largest aircraft. However the star of this show is UN 6979, Trevor’s 1934 Minor Two-seater, a car he has owned for almost two decades. Unfortunately the aircraft has locally acquired the nickname of ‘the flying backside’ or at least a variation of that expression.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This 1931 MG Midget (DG 2327) may be familiar to those who view this page regularly as it has previously featured in an IOTW (no.377). As reported there these images were all captured on the Isle of Man and were taken to appear in an as yet undiscovered article in The Autocar magazine. This photo was taken in the centre of Douglas perhaps at the junction of Prospect Hill and Victoria Street and provides an interesting view of the car, resplendent with a full set of badges including that of the Junior Car Club together with a ‘lucky’ horseshoe. The motorcycle combination JW 1656 was almost certainly the property of another island tourist in that it was first registered in Wolverhampton in 1932. (LAT Plate E3928)
This photograph was taken in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India in 2012 and shows 1934 Minor Two-seater owner Parth Mehd and his wife leaving the Army Club “…after a quiet breakfast”. This photo has lain dormant in the forum’s archives after an upload failure five years ago but definitely deserves an airing.
Click the image to see it full size.
What the ..?
This very unusual car was photographed in the the Iliffe (publisher’s of The Autocar) car park in central London during early 1933. Look closely and it’s apparent that it is not a three-wheeler as it first appears to be. Does anyone know anything about this vehicle? (LAT plate E6171)
Drive-it Day images
The 2017 Events Gallery page now includes more images from Sunday’s Drive-it-Day gatherings. Scroll to the foot of this page.
Although we are well into spring this winter image demands publication. It was taken by either Kate or Ken Martin on an early morning run to Hackpen Hill, Wiltshire in VX 4590 and was among a batch of unsuccessfully posted items to the forum, all of which have since been deleted, freeing-up storage space in the forum’s attachment archive.
Peter Field lives in the Nelson Region of South Island, New Zealand and like many here in the U.K. celebrated Drive-it-day by taking his 1931 Minor Two-seater (AT 6795) for an early autumn airing. Here his Minor (with wife Steph in the passenger seat) is seen parked adjacent to Waimea Church, a wooden structure first opened in 1867, that is now a Category One listed building.
Sunday 23rd April is the date for the 2017 Drive-it-Day celebration. Established by the FBHVC, this annual event provides a timely excuse (if one were needed) to use our Minors, Midgets or Hornets as they were intended, as well as for showing the wider world just how much fun owning and using historic vehicles can be. There are events being held the length and breadth of the U.K. including Network supported ‘meets’ in Hampshire (Royal Oak, North Gorley) and Suffolk (Black Swan, Homersfield). If you use your car on Sunday please don’t forget to take your camera. (Further details of the two Network meets can be found on the forum.)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This 1932 Wolseley Hornet Special (GX 6560), driven by a female, is seen here taking on an MG F Type Magna (GX 430) at the June 1932 running of the BARC’s Inter Club Meeting at Brooklands. There is another LAT image (B8511) of the two cars together on the starting line. If the names of the crews are known please contact the website at info@prewarminor.com (LATplate B8509)
Postscript: Thanks to Dick Serjeantson’s booklet Hornets at Brooklands (Wolseley Hornet Specials Club) it can be revealed that the female driver of the EW Daytona is none other than Kay Petre who was making her Brooklands debut. The driver of the Magna was Doddy Moncrieff.
Click the image to see it full size.
1934 Minor four-door Family Saloon
This eBay image provides few clues as to the photo’s origins. The lwb Minor Family Saloon has seen better days therefore the image is likely to be dated toward the latter part of that decade while the officer’s khaki drill uniform and the local architecture indicate that the photo was taken in warmer climes – but where?
Biggles & co. return
It was extremely unlikely that Biggles and his cohorts would reach old-age as the odds against survival were stacked against them on countless occassions throughout their illustrious service and civilian careers. That they did is something of a miracle and this latest tale from the pen of Clive Hall explains how in old age ‘Biggles lands on his feet’.
Scroll to the foot of the page and click upon the blue title button.
After 40 years in storage this car has today (12th April) found a new home. 1930 Minor Fabric Saloon UX 6403 is a particularly rare find and is one of just four Fabric Saloons to have surfaced within the last 10 years. The car has a Gittin’s of Oswestry suppliers plate attached to its dash board. (Image Gareth Jerman)
During the early part of the thirties decade ‘concours d’elegance’ events were an important part of the motoring scene while that held in the south coast town of Eastbourne, Sussex each September was perhaps the most popular of them all. Tens of thousands attended these events which were effectively beauty pageants for cars although some did include a driving test element. This beautiful 1932 Kent registered E.W. Hornet Special KJ 6644 was a prize winner for its owner and his glamorous companion at that years running of the event. (LAT Plate E3898)
Click the image to see it full size.
IOM Midget
MG Midget DG 2327 was first registered in Gloucestershire in mid-1931. It had a two-tone colour scheme with wings a lighter colour than that of the body. It looks to be a fabric skinned version which by mid-1931 remained the most popular body covering outselling the metal clad car by a ratio of 5-1. As can be seen this car carries its spare wheel on its tail no doubt to free-up boot space for the luggage carried by the pipe-smoking driver and photographer. This image was taken in the late summer of 1932 and is one of a sequence of 20+ all taken on the Isle of Man, mainly in and around Douglas at that time. The photos were presumably taken to illustrate an as yet undiscovered article for The Autocar. (LAT plate E3926)
The home counties ‘chapter’ held their Spring Pub Meet at the Eight Bells, Bolney, West Sussex on 10th April welcoming newcomer Paul Brigden from Amersham, Bucks to their membership. Although without a roadworthy car Paul did bring along a steering wheel from his Midget project to confirm his bona fides. John Emmett’s superb replica Le Man’s Midget also made its debut as can be seen in this photo of a very merry throng. (Image Malcolm Eades)
The ex Mouldsworth Museum/Jim Peacop owned 1932 McEvoy Minor has sold at auction for £23,000 + premiums. This is almost certainly a new record price for a pre-war Morris Minor. Brightwells chose the Bicester Heritage Centre as the venue for their latest auction which was held on April 6th. (Image – Brightwells)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This 1933 MG Magna has been fitted with a removeable coupe hard top, built in this workshop probably somewhere in West London, which at that time was the heart of the coachbuilding trade. The LAT Images Plate (E4470) yields no further clues as to the coupe top’s origins.
Click the image to see it full size.
Arson?
This is one of a sequence of images found in an unexplored section of a photographic archive. They all depict the same fire which involves a number of cars that were originally built in the twenties. There are no clues as to why the cars are being deliberately incinerated or why they are then being consigned to the river or lake. (Photo courtesy of LAT Images Plate E4723)
Images taken at the recent pub-meet have now been added to the 2017 Events Galleries page here.
Three Minor Two-seaters are all very close to becoming roadworthy after lengthy lay-offs. The first of these is a 1931 Minor Two-seater (MU 3272) which was discovered in a Norfolk orchard in the latter part of the last decade, which along with an original 1930 Semi-Sports (EC 9889) have been rebuilt by Les Beardmore in Lytham-St-Annes, Lancs. The third such car is a 1930 CMS Super Sports replica (VG 3260) built by Brian Arnall in Lincolnshire using a Llinares frame. VG 3260 started life as a Norfolk registered saloon.
Click the image to see it full size.
1932 Minor 5 cwt van
Vans undeservedly feature infrequentlyhere. After all, the 5cwt van was the second best selling pre-war Minor model, outselling the two-seater car versions with almost 10,000 of them fnding customers in their five year production life.
This 1932 model was operated by the Electricity Department of Salford City Council and was registered as RJ 419 in the early part of that year. It’s interesting to note that this particular local authority were in the electrical equipment rental business. Perhaps that was not unusual in the early part of the thirties decade? (LAT plate E2526)
Sanction numbers & data sheets
Nine official Morris Motors data sheets have been added to the website’s technical area today thanks to the generosity of Dick Weeks who supplied the PDFs.The data sheet topics range from among others, CWP meshing, anti-squeal brakes and special service tools through to the care of the synchromesh gearbox.
In addition Sam Christie has compiled a spreadsheet of Wolseley sanction numbers cross referencing them to to the make and model of the vehicles to which they were originally fitted. This item can be found in the Technical bits Miscellaneous section. Thanks goes to both Dick and Sam for these contributions.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
RX 8306 is a 750 cc C Type MG Midget and is seen here in post-race condition at the Brooklands circuit in Surrey in 1931. This is one of a sequence of images taken of this car at the circuit that day another of which featured in Triple M Corner no.42 which can be found in the Snippets archive. In this instance the Hornet in the background is of significant interest. OW 275 is a factory built 1931 Hornet Coupe of which very few were constructed and even fewer photographed. (Lat Images Plate E1333)
Download the PDF from the vault: Download PDF
Keep shooting…
Photographs of our Minors, Midgets and Hornets will always find a home somewhere on the website. Today we have added a new 2017 Events Gallery page where images can be grouped together. To date the new page has shots from two VSCC events with more to be added as our spring pub meets occur. The new page can be found under the appropriate drop-down menu of simply by clicking here.
An early Sunday morning scene from the car park of The Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells with Steve Kent posing alongside his 1929 Minor Tourer MM 9385 just prior to the commencement of the day’s trial. Ali Bond’s 1930 Minor Semi-Sports is parked immediately behind with the driver just out of shot. (Image courtesy of Mike Tebbett)
It’s late March, there remains a nip in the air despite the sun being substantially higher in the sky than it was just a week or so ago. In this part of the northern hemisphere high pressure is dominant, there are blue skies aplenty and more of us out and about in our cars. If you do take your car for a spin please don’t forget your camera, smart phone or tablet and remember to take some images for the website…
Sue Woodward pilots her 1931 hybrid OHC Minor BR 8606 along a Welsh bye-way during the course of the 2014 LC&ES Welsh weekend. (Photo courtesy of Peter McFadyen) This weekend eight Minors are taking part in the 2017 running of the event with PWWN members Ali Bond, Jo Langford-Yates, Clive Hamilton-Gould and Steve Kent prominent among them. The weather is set fair, so lets hope a good time is had by all.
Rally latest
With just three months remaining before our rally over the weekend of 23rd-25th June it really is time to book! Find the entry form on our fully updated rally webpage and email it to info@prewarminor.com today.
Just three months to go before over twenty Minors assemble in Leicestershire for our 2017 rally. Now that the routes have been finalised, the rally page has been fully updated and can be found here. If you are considering joining us for what promises to be a great weekend of Minor motoring and socialising then download the entry form as just three rally places remain. The scene above was captured By Norma Lambert in the village of Holme, Norfolk during the course of 2015 rally.
Click the image to see it full size.
A 1934 holiday
This snapshot photo was purchased on eBay in 2012. The 1932 Nottingham City Borough Council registered Minor Saloon (TV 7488) had conveyed this family (or two couples) on a camping holiday to a location that is perhaps somewhere on the east coast of England. The lightweight caravan appears to be skinned in canvas although the Minor doesn’t appear to have a towbar in place and the long grass around the supporting block suggests that the caravan is a resident on the site. The caption on the rear of the photo simply reads ‘1934’.
Yet another Abbey Hornet 2+2 special, this one being a 1932 AS3 model. The close fitting front cycle guards on this model turned with the wheel ensuring that less road dirt decorated the car’s body sides, although the bottom quarter of the rear mudguards have been fitted with an aluminium cover to protect the paintwork. Unlike other Abbey Hornet models this car was not fitted with louvered side valences. (A Motor Sport road test of this model has recently been added to the Wolseley Hornet page here.) LAT Plate E1909
Hornet page updated.
A number of new items have been added to the Hornet Articles archive including Motor Sport articles and tests on the new Hornet Special chassis, Abbey Hornet tests on the Trophy and AS3 models, Hornet special coachwork as available in 1932 and Hornet Special ads as scanned from late 1931 and 1932 editions of Motor Sport.
Imagine your Minor in the foreground, add some summer foliage and this could be a scene from the Network’s annual rally which is scheduled to take place over the weekend of 23rd-25th June. Rallyists will encounter this view just a few miles into Saturday’s tour. It is still not too late to enter – simply download the rally entry form to be found a little further down this page
1931 Arrow Hornet Special PL 9592 was built at the A.P. Compton‘s works located in a converted tram depot in Hanwell, West London. The firm offered two further Arrow body styles on the Hornet chassis, these being a fixed-head and a drop-head coupe. All three models were effectively 2+2s and this seating arrangement was a particularly popular style and was adopted by many of the coachbuilders constructing Hornet special bodies at that time. The Arrow model illustrated was fitted with twin wipers, fold-flat windscreen, a fog light, Mosley ‘float-on-air’ seat cushions while the all weather equipment included a rear tonneau. Stone guards have also been fitted to the headlamps and radiator, partially obscuring the Arrow script attached to the honeycomb. (Plate E1875 courtesy of LAT Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
The 1938 MCC London-Lands End Trial was held over Good Friday & Easter Saturday 15th & 16th April. There were two sections for competitors to complete in the Blue Hills mine complex near St. Agnes, Cornwall on Saturday. As was usual throughout the 30s decade huge crowds assembled to watch the cars negotiate the famous test hills and the 1938 ‘Lands End’ was no exception. This retouched photograph appeared in the 22nd April edition of The Autocar and shows a section of the spectator car park at Blue Hills mine. How many different manufacturers products can you identify? (Photoscan courtesy of LAT Images)
Morris Motors did manufacture a steel bodied Coupe on the long-wheel-base Minor chassis and even had the audacity to include the word ‘Sports’ in its title for the model’s first year of production, subsequently changing its name to a more truthful ‘Special Coupe’ for the 1933 & 1934 seasons. However not all Minor Coupes were heavyweights and this ‘special’ offering from Hanwell, London coachbuilder A.P. Compton was a ply and fabric skinned car (1931 Minor Arrow Coupe) which invariably provokes a ‘Marmite’ response to its looks from present day afficianados. The car was lavishly equiped and sold for a very reasonable £159. (N.B. The editor likes both Marmite and this car!)
Click the image to see it full size.
Throughout the thirties decade a 1930 Hornet Coachbuilt Saloon appeared in many Autocar photographs. There are a number of instances of the car in question appearing in the background of photographs featuring other cars, while it also appeared as the feature vehicle itself on headings for the magazine’s correspondence section or on the banner for the regular ‘Touring Topics’ articles. The car appears even more frequently in The Autocar‘s photographic archive where the vast majority of images viewed have never been published. The car in question carries a 1930 Surrey registration (PL 2347) and is of the early (Morris Minor) body shape. It was almost certainly owned by an Autocar journalist or employee but to date the name of the individual concerned has eluded the writer. Whoever owned the car kept it for a considerable time as it continued to appear in Autocar photographs until the latter part of 1938 and even then looked to be well cared for. In this photograph the glass plate wasn’t marked with the location of the shot, but was found among a series of images featuring Devon and Cornwall holiday locations.
PL 2347 has a photographic gallery of its own and this can be found on the archived website at the foot of the page in question here.
Over the weekend of 25th, 26th March literally scores of light cars will participate in the LC&ES annual Welsh Weekend. The whole weekend is a grand celebration of pre-1931 motoring with a long Saturday tour followed by a Sunday trial over difficult terrain in central Wales. Here Clive Hamilton-Gould’s 1930 Minor Tourer DG 325 pulls away from the photographer after negotiating a difficult bend during the course of the 2014 event. (Image Peter McFadyen)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to 1936 via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The original MG Midget, conceived in the autumn of 1928 by Cecil Kimber, had its ‘last hurrah’ in February 1932 when the supercharged version was launched. A favourable road test report appeared in the February 12th edition of The Autocar and it is from that road test photo-shoot that this unpublished image was taken. The new ‘blown’ variant of the Midget had a top speed of 76mph (as tested by The Autocar) and cost £250, a full £65 more than the standard metal paneled version, which according to the test report now sported a wider body than the fabric skinned model.
This image (E1924) is from a newly discovered batch of plates in the LAT Images archive. As can be seen the clarity and overall quality is extremely high and its hoped to feature more from this cache shortly.
Click the image to see it full size.
The Global Minor
In the correspondence section (p756) of 6th May 1932 edition of The Autocar is a letter from a Japanese Minor owner, Isao Miyahara. Isao submitted an image of his 1930 Coachbuilt Saloon (16.339) parked-up alongside a dry river bed in the Hyogo prefecture of the Kansai Region, located on Japan’s main island of Honshu. While it’s not known if Morris Motors had an export arm located in Japan at that time the Minor’s reputation was sufficiently well established for at least one example to have found its way there. (This re-touched photoscan appears here courtesy of LAT Images)
There is still a place or two available on our summer rally which this year is being held on the Rutland-Leicestershire borders over the weekend of 23rd-25th June. With well over twenty Minors and crews already confirmed you could be part of a record breaking gathering. Accomodation remains available, so why not join us – having fun in small cars is therapeautic!
These two sketches were found on the artandcars website and were drawn by ‘Emily’. The Minor depicted belongs to member Martin Gregory, while the other car shown is a 1932/33 Swallow Hornet. Just £15 to have your car sketched in this style. Emily’s contact details are emily@artandcars.co.uk
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A further scene from the 1933 running of the Scottish Six-Day Trial (SSDT). Here D. Donaldson’s Edinburgh registered 1933 J3 Midget FS 6777 is seen negotiating a very sharp hairpin bend on an unmetaled section of mountain road with spectacular highland views as a backdrop. Just 35 cars entered the event (including the two Minors of Barge & Wagner) while Donaldson’s car was part of the prize winning three car MG team.
Eddie Wrigley was a true Minor enthusiast. Apart from successfully running a Minor spares business for twenty years after the end of WWII he also took part in a number of competitive VSCC events throughout this period. He is seen here (middle of photo) competing in his 1930 Minor Semi-Sports RP 9566 at Silverstone in the early fifties. Eddie had no particular allegiance to the OHC version of the car and drove a battered 1933 SV version in the immediate post-war years. An enlightening article about his car can now be found in the ‘From the vault’ feature which can be accessed via the link on the right.
Download the PDF from the vault: Download PDF
This Motor Sport article was first published in the September 1950 edition of the magazine. John Wrigley, universally known as ‘Eddie’, had a shop in Hounslow from where he retailed a vast range of Minor spares. His love of the pre-war Morris Minor is clearly evident from his very illuminating article, which is a must read for all SV Minor owners/enthusiasts. Just click on the button above to download the file.
Click the image to see it full size.
A second N.Z. special
Discovering a special bodied Minor is one thing, but discovering two such cars in the same photograph is quite another. The previous IOTW (no.369) captured a special bodied 1931 Coupe taking part in a local car club trial in hilly terrain near Christchurch on North island. Appearing further along that same line of cars was this SV Minor Special, almost certainly of similar 1931 vintage despite its partial disguise behind a chromed radiator surround. Sitting in-between an Austin Seven ‘Chummy’ and a Riley tourer only part of the car’s body is visible. The front portion of the car to the scuttle is instantly recognisable while the windscreen is mounted in the same fashion as that on a standard Minor Tourer model. However the windscreen is a single pane affair unlike the two-piece screen on the factory Tourer model. The low-cut shape of the offside of the body presumably aides ingress for the driver as no door is evident. Unfortunately the rear of the car is hidden and so we can only speculate as to its form. As mentioned in IOTW 369 this re-touched photo-scan first appeared in a February 1932 edition of The Autocar and appears here courtesy of LAT Images.
Although the successors to the original builders of M Type bodies (Carbodies of Coventry) remain in business to this day it is not that concern which is currently undertaking the construction of two such examples. This task is being undertaken by Garry Waiting in Kemble, Cumbria where he is using timbers from an original Carbodies constructed frame as templates for all the new formers and struts in the two bodies concerned.
The Hornet – saviour of the coachbuilding industry?
The Wolseley Hornet chassis was a firm favourite with coachbuilding firms during the decline of that trade throughout the thirties decade. In many cases it probably kept them in business and the some of the results of their skills can be seen and read about in a 1965 ‘Old Motor’ article which (thanks to Ken Martin) is to be found in the Articles library on the Wolseley Hornet page here.
More electric’ery
Having found the time to revise and fully update his very successful book ‘The Complete Morris Minor‘ (for a now available second edition), author and Minorist John Nagle set about writing an article for the benefit of the member’s of the Pre-war Minor Network. Entitled ‘Sat navs, flashing indicators and twelve volts’ it covers in detail how to set about these mods on the pre-war Morris Minor. The article is now available to view and download in the Member’s section of the website and can be found in the Technical Bits area under the ‘Electrical & wiring’ tab. Thank you John.
Stuart Clark from Fairfield, Worcs. had the misfortune of someone running into his 1930 Coachbuilt Saloon in what the insurance companies call a non-fault accident. As a result the car is being magnificently re-painted as can be seen here as well as on our forum.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
1930 MG Midget MG 703 (2M/1910) is seen here taking part in the Royal Scottish Automobile Club’s 1936 (RSAC Rally) which took place over 1st – 5th June that year. The car is being driven by Lt. Cdr. G.M.D. Maltby R.N. a member of the Kent based coachbuilding family. According to the caption on the rear of the photo the car is “awaiting 1st test” – Acceleration up hill at Boness. The Boness hill-climbing test was an innovation at this rally and took place early on the first day, shortly after the rally’s Edinburgh start. The car and crew did get among the awards winning the ‘Old Car’ prize. (The fate of the cyclist is unknown.)
The car is now in the long-term custody of Ian Judd, a member of this website and former Minor owner. A high resolution version of this image will hopefully adorn his office wall soon.
On February 8th 1932 George Eyston set a new flying-mile Class H record of 118.39 mph in his ‘Magic Midget‘ on Pendine Sands, South Wales. The electronic timing gear had failed to function earlier that day when EX 127 was hand timed at an even quicker 122 mph. His wind-tunnel tested, streamlined MG was powered by a 750 cc OHC engine, a development of that used in the MG C Types of 1931 which in turn were originally developed from the 1928 Minor power unit and subsequently fitted to the first MG Midget. The March 1932 edition of Motor Sport described the record attempt as “A very wonderful achievement”. (Autocar photoscan courtesy of LAT Images)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The 1932 MG F Type Magna was powered by a ‘disguised’ Wolseley Hornet six cylinder engine with a displacement of of 1271 cc. The version seen here is bodied by the coachbuilder Stiles and was one of 188 Magna rolling chassis that found their way to the coachbuilding trade. This model was constructed with a dickey-seat covered by a lid that also acted as a back rest for the occupant. Note the ‘dickey’ access step attached to the rear bodywork. This image first appeared in the 18th March 1932 edition of The Autocar. (LAT Images photoscan)
Click the image to see it full size.
1931 Minor Special
New Zealand was a significant market for the Minor with many cars being imported as rolling chassis prior to local coachbuilders constructing bodies that in the majority of cases echoed the shape of models available in the UK. However, a significant number didn’t follow this trend and locally designed, lightweight bodies began to appear. The example seen here is based upon a 1931 season car, its high headlamps and black radiator surround providing the clues. Unfortunately the rear of the car is obscured but enough of the well proportioned two-seater coupe body can be seen to assess its appearance. The image from which this extract was taken includes three Minors, all of which were taking part in a reliability trial in the Christchurch district of South Island during late 1931 or early 1932, the image appearing in a February 1932 edition of The Autocar. (Photoscan courtesy of LAT Images)
While the U.K. remains in the grip of winter with snow falling and daytime temperatures hovering around zero, a timely reminder that it ‘won’t always be so’ is called for. This image was taken on Sunday 5th June 2016 at about 10-30 AM in Shaftesbury, Dorset. The PWMN summer rally was in full swing and over 20 Minors and crews were enjoying a beautiful late spring morning. Bring it on!
Due to an unforeseen change of circumstance there will be a number of amendments to the published rally itinerary. The main changes being that the Blaston showground will no longer feature as a venue while the Rutland Belle optional trip has been moved to Sunday. The Nevill Arms remains as our main venue. A fully revised itinerary will be published here shortly and the rally page will be updated accordingly. A fully detailed ‘options’ booking form will be emailed to all crews by 28th February. Please accept our apologies for the necessity to make these changes.
Not a Minor or train in sight but the magnificent Seaton Viaduct (pictured here) will feature in one of our two tours. (Image: Martin Gregory)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This 1932 MG Magna DHC special with a body by Farnham sold for £325 when launched in 1932. The image is a photo-scan of a heavily re-touched print from LAT Images Autocar archive.
Click the image to see it full size.
1930 Minor Fabric Saloon
This snapshot image of a mid-1930 Manchester registered car (VR 8409) has little to commend it as it is typical of so many ‘car and their owner’ shots of the period. It was during the tail-end of the twenties decade and throughout the thirties that car ownership became far more widespread – while still bestowing a certain cachet upon the owner resulting in the plethora of similar images to be found today on eBay and elsewhere. In this photo the car may well have been owned by a company who provided it for their ‘commercial traveler’ or sales representative. The be-suited man leaning against the Fabric Saloon certainly has that appearance and even carries a pen and pencil in his waistcoat breast pocket.
Barbara’s steed
It was 80 years ago next June that Barbara Skinner last drove her White Minor in a competitive event. Her tragic early death aged just 30 in a wartime road traffic accident ended the possibility of further competition success once the war had ended. Thanks to David Baldock’s efforts the car is now close to its mid-thirties specification once again and a new web-page celebrating the car’s history and restoration can be found via the drop-down menu under the Member’s tab at the top of this page.
The White Minor Skinner Special made its first appearance in the spring of 1934 and over the next three years took part in a number of high profile hill-climb and speed trial events events at Shelsley Walsh, Lewes and Dancer’s End, Berkhampsted. Throughout this period it was driven by Barbara Skinner who won two Shelsley Ladies Cup awards, achieved a class win at the 1934 Lewes Speed Trials while adding a fastest time of the day at the Dancer’s End hill-climb in May 1937. Perhaps her greatest achievement was made on her debut at Shelsley Walsh in June 1934 when this driver/car combination broke the ladies record outright. Following a long and painstaking restoration by current custodian David Baldock the car is now very close to its original racing condition. To celebrate this achievement a new page has been added to the Member’s Area of the site and can be found via the drop-down menu under the ‘Members’ tab at the top of this page.
This may not be the most exciting photograph to have featured in this spot but it does tell part of a fascinating 83 year old story. If you believe that you know what this might be then either leave a ‘comment’ or post your thoughts on our Discussion Forum.
This image was first published in the 14th April 1933 edition of The Autocar. It shows a 1933 Windover bodied Wolseley Hornet Coupe special. The coachbuilding firm of Windover were based in Colindale, North West London having moved from their original premises in Huntingdon during the mid-twenties. They were historically renown for building high quality bodies on prestigious chassis although by 1933 lesser marques were receiving their attention and it is said that workmanship and quality dropped-off at this time. This Hornet Coupe Special is certainly pleasing on the eye and the coachwork looks to be outstanding. (Autocar photo-scan courtesy of LAT Images)
Click the image to see it full size.
1928 Minor prototype UD 2268
Just how many Minor Fabric Saloon prototypes were built in the spring and early summer of 1928 is frequently debated. The earliest known image is the famous shot of UD 2071 with William Morris standing alongside. However there are a number of other images particularly of UD 2268 (as seen here) and UD 2270, this car being the subject of a publicity photo-shoot in Bibery, Glos during the summer of that year. Additionally UD 2483 was photographed around the same time in Norfolk while other publicity photographs of the period show Minors with number plates deliberately removed. It has also been pointed out that the factory moved plates from one car to another with complete disregard to the law despite their ability to affix trade plates. While the answer to the question of how many Fabric Saloon prototypes or development cars were built is likely to remain unanswered, we do know that there were at least four evidenced by the images taken that summer, the big assumption being that number plates were not swapped around!
Our 2017 rally is just five months distant at which time England’s smallest county will be invaded by 20+ very small Morris cars. This was the scene last June in the village of Marnhull, Dorset just prior to the commencement of the Saturday tour. The venue was the car park of The Crown Inn where the crews can be seen discussing the day’s program and making final adjustments to their cars prior to departure. It’s not too late to sign-up for our Rutland Rally – see the panel ad and downloadable form below. (Image Kate Martin)
Click the image to see it full size.
1931 Swallow Hornet Tourer
When launched the four-seat Hornet tourer was priced at £225, just £5 more than its two-seat counterpart. By 1933 the prices of the (by now) very successful Swallow models had risen dramatically, with the two-seater selling through sole agents Henly’s at £255 while the price of the four-seater had reached £260. The Henly empire had grown significantly by 1933, with branches opening away from its London hub including a new outlet in Manchester. This undoubtedly aided sales of the all Swallow models including the Hornet variants. (The re-touched image is a scan of a piece of Autocar artwork and appears here courtesy of LAT Images)
In early 1931 the Swallow Coachbuilding Company of Foleshill, Coventry launched two versions of their Hornet coachwork. Both were open types, a boat-tailed two-seater and a flat-backed four-seater. Seen here is a heavily re-touched Autocar image of the beautiful open two-seater parked outside of one of Henley’s two Great Portland Street, W1 premises prior to their move to 385/387 Euston Road, NW1. The car initially retailed for £220, a full £5 more than the similarly specified Eustace Watkins offering. Swallow offered the models in a range of two-tone colour schemes which included matching interior trim and hood fabric. The firm’s Hornet models proved to be very popular and continued in production until early 1934. (Image courtesy LAT Images)
Winter has finally arrived with a vengeance here in the south eastern corner of the U.K. With freshly fallen snow on the ground and the majority of Minors tucked away in garages a timely reminder of warm summer days may help to lift the gloom. Here Ken Martin‘s 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon VX 4590 takes avoiding action in order to miss a prone photographer near the Dorset village of Ashmore during the course of the 2016 PWMN Rally.
In the immediate aftermath of WWII Ken Wharton successfully drove a hill-climb special which was built around a shortened lwb Minor chassis M36384. The car (GV 963) had been first registered in West Suffolk in 1932 as a Saloon.The KJW Special as it was known, was the forerunner of a number of highly successful British Hill Climb Championship winning cars that during the period 1950-1953 ensured that Ken impressively took the championship title in successive years. Ken then became a Grand Prix racing driver with a number of creditable finishes to his name before sustaining fatal injuries in a racing accident in his native New Zealand in 1957. (Image The Harry Edwards Collection)
This 1930 Minor Coachbuilt Saloon is owned by Charles Gillet of Beverley, Yorks and is seen here competing at the VSCC’s Cotswold Trial on 19th November last. This photo along with many others of the cars taking part that day can be found on the picssr website here.
Click the image to see it full size.
The Morris Eight
The Minor’s successor on the Cowley production lines was the Morris Eight. Surprisingly it wasn’t packed with new technology and even reverted to a three speed gearbox but it was a completely new car from the wheels up with a brand new three bearing crank, 918 cc engine. Its up to date styling mimicked that of the February 1932 launched Ford Eight Y Type Saloon and the outgoing Minor’s appearance looked dated alongside the thoroughly modern Eight. The car was a big hit with customers who seemed to far prefer the Morris version over competing models from Ford, Standard and Singer. The Morris Eight quickly became Morris Motors best-ever selling car with the Series E Eight continuing in production after WWII, with the last versions leaving Cowley in 1948. The car seen here is a 1936 Sliding-head two-door Saloon, this image first appearing in a June 1936 edition of The Autocar. (This is an Autocar photo-scan appearing here courtesy of LAT Images)
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
The last M Type Midgets were built during the first half of 1932 and were lightly tweeked in appearance for that last season. They were the recipients of new angular styled wings as seen on the D and F Type Midgets and on this factory demonstrator/press car example a windscreen wiper had also been fitted. Other interesting features to note are the short notched advance/retard lever as first fitted to the 1931 short season S.V. Minors along with the anti-shake rubbers fitted on the ‘B’ post. The long extended ‘double-bend’ gear lever is plainly visible as is the carpet fitting detail. This is a metal paneled model and the permanently attached hood brackets are just in shot while the shorter boot lid is not. (This is an Autocar photo scan image courtesy of LAT Images)
Kate Martin submitted the winning entry to this year’s Photograph of the Year competition entitled ‘Wonderful Wells’. The image was in fact taken by her husband Ken while they were passing through the City of Wells (Somerset) in their 1930 Coachbuilt Morris Minor. Hearty congratulations goes to both entrant and photographer! The names of the other winning entries can be found on the Discussion Forum.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
A seasonal image to conclude the Triple M corner series for 2016. This heavily re-touched shot of MG P Type Midget (BUV 140) was taken at the MG Car Clubs Chiltern Trial held in January of 1936. According to the caption E.J. Haesdonck is seen ‘crabbing up Maiden’s Grove’. The hamlet of Maidensgrove is located five miles north west of Henley-on-Thames, Oxon. The precise date of the trial was 19th January 1936 and this W.J. Brunell image appeared in the next Autocar edition which was published on 24th January.
Adam Brown from Craftmaster Paints has written an interesting and informative article on vintage car painting and the paints to use. The article, which was written for the Bullnose Morris Club, is reproduced (with the kind permission of the author) in the Technical section of the Member’s Area and can be found under the ‘Body’ sub-heading.
Click the image to see it full size.
Goggles
Head attire in an open car is an important consideration, particularly if the car is driven in all weathers and with the hood down. In the twenties and thirties drivers of competition vehicles were often subject to adverse weather conditions for many hours on end during the course of endurance races and trials. Many drivers used flying helmets in this period, long before the use of crash helmets and as a result fatalities at race meetings were a common occurrence. This elegant flying helmet was also adorned with wind driven wipers on the lenses of the goggles. Now this of course may have been an April fools stunt as the gearing required for the wiper blades to operate at anything other than at a frenetic speed would have been somewhat complex. It’s also interesting to note that the driver is wearing the latest ‘beat’ headphones built into her helmet while the leads are clearly attached to her iPad. Now this may have been a serious attempt at improving visibility for competition drivers but for those of us who know and use Rain X such a contraption is certainly not necessary today. This image can be found in the Getty/Hulton archive and is numbered 613501066.
During the 1933 outbreak of reindeer flu which affected herds both large and small across the northern hemisphere a number of suitably equipped Morris Minors were hurriedly prepared by Santa’s National Elf Service in order to ensure that presents arrived on time across the globe. One was recently taken out of retirement and spotted in a quiet Surrey suburb.
Tony Gamble has acquired a Minor Tourer body from Geof Wilson who is building a Minor racing special on the retained running gear. Garry Waiting carried out the movement of the body tub making a 400 mile round trip involving the towns of Kendal, Nuneaton and Selby. Although much work remains to be done, the transformation shown above took all of 24 hours!
Click the image to see it full size.
1932 Eastbourne Concours D’Elegance Competition
The ‘Eastbourne Concours’ was a famous motoring event which ran throughout the thirties decade. This scene, taken in Devonshire Place, Eastbourne was photographed during the course of the events third running on 7th September 1932. Three of the prize winning entries can be seen here. On the far left is an Arrow bodied Austin Seven while alongside it sits a similarly bodied Hornet – both cars being ‘Foursome’ models and entered by their constructor, Arrow Coachworks of Hanwell, London. On the right is a Eustace Watkins model built by Abbey Coachworks and entered by Miss C. Labouchere. This event attracted huge crowds, a small section of which can be seen in this LAT image – plate reference E1229.
The Triple M series of MG’s all belong to a family of models that commenced with the 1929 MG Midget and continued through to the mid-thirties via a long string of four and six cylinder OHC engined cars that forged the marques identity.
This MG C Type (RX 8306) features in many period images and was the actual car used by The Autocar at the time of its launch. The C Type was a production development of the Class H record braking Midget driven by George Eyston at Montlhery and Brooklands which was eventually partially destroyed by a fuel fire, Eyston thankfully escaping serious injury. The cars parked-up in the Brooklands car park are worthy of closer examination with two M Type Midgets visible along with an Aston Martin Le Mans and other notable sporting cars of the period. (LAT plate E1366)
Ronald Trumpi is selling his 1934 Minor Two-seater. This is a particularly fine example of the ultimate stage of Minor development, the model being replaced by the Eight in the late summer of 1934. Details of this car and other Minors currently for sale can be found by accessing this website’s Discussion forum here. (Photo taken at Pre-war Prescott earlier this year by Philip Butland)
