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IOTW

IOTW no.681

By IOTW

This Morris Motors press photograph of their 1932 season Morris Minor Sliding-head Saloon is just one of a sequence of images taken of the car in that photo session. Of the six years that the Minor was in production the 1932 models have long been regarded by many as possessing the most pleasing lines, accentuated by the fluted radiator surround. Unlike the clinical environments in which today’s automobiles are produced the oil-stained floor upon which the Minor is standing would appear to indicate that in the thirties drips of oil were of little concern.

 

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IOTW no.680

By IOTW

HD 4541 was a 1932 (’33 season) Dewsbury (West Yorkshire) registered Morris Minor Saloon photographed almost 100 miles south of its place of first registration in Tamworth, Staffs. To the right of the photograph can be seen a Taylor’s the Chemist shop, part of a national chain that was purchased by the Timothy White’s concern in 1935 becoming Timothy White’s & Taylor’s (The chain was eventually absorbed by Boots the Chemist in 1968). This fact enables the image to be dated far more accurately than is usually the case with postcards, as HD 4541 was a very late 1932 registration, so this was taken sometime in the intervening period prior to the Timothy White takeover.

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IOTW no.679

By IOTW

According to the caption on the reverse of this photo, it was taken at Hopeman in Morayshire on the 11th of August 1952. The car is a 1934 Morris Minor Two-seater (MU 8953 or 59) first registered by the main London Morris Motors dealer, Stewart & Ardern. Already eighteen years old, the car was a long way from London’s environs and may have made the long trek north as transport for a holidaymaking couple from the ‘smoke’. It was after all the peak holiday period.

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IOTW no.678

By IOTW

The vast majority of car owners today would not consider the passenger seat of a small saloon car as a suitable posing position for a family photograph. Nowadays it would have to be something fairly exotic to tempt the sitter to pose as this woman is. While car ownership in the West during the third decade of the twenty-first century is regarded as a right of passage, back in the recession hit U.K. of the 1930s it was a new experience for many working-class families and certainly worthy of a snapshot for the family album. This unidentified 1932 Morris Minor Sliding-head Saloon photo was sourced via the Internet.

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IOTW no.677

By IOTW

Lyme Regis is regarded as the jewel at the centre of the Jurassic Coast and in the 21st century attracts visitors from around the globe, thanks to its U.N. World Heritage Site status. This postcard was taken post-1933 (although not posted until 1950) as a Morris Cowley of that vintage can be seen parked second from the left while a 1930 Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon carrying a Dorset registration (TK 5024) is just a short distance away. On the opposite side of this car park (which continues in use to this day) is another Minor, a Sliding-head model from 1932 or ’33. Unfortunately, its registration plate is partly obscured.

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IOTW no. 676

By IOTW

Finding suitable images for this spot from internet auction sites can be very frustrating as well as rewarding. The frustration comes when someone outbids you for a particularly interesting item, while a poorly described gem means that it is possible to pick up extremely good images for next to nothing. What you see above is certainly not a gem but is an interesting photo of an early 1933 Oxford City Borough Council  £105 Morris Minor Two-seater (JO 6231). It has been fitted with the later 1934 radiator surround at some point, along with a pair of sidelights and what look to be oversized headlamps. It’s not clear when this photo was taken – it could be either pre or post war, while the caption on its reverse simply reads “Graham’s first car”.

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IOTW no.675

By IOTW

Here we have an excellent photographic postcard image of East Street, Bridport, Dorset which was taken in or around 1933, certainly not much later. The Morris Minor featured here is AKE 468, a 1933 model Sliding-head Saloon which appears to be the youngest of the cars on view. The town’s clock indicates that the time is almost 11:30 AM on a mid-summers day judging by the brevity of the shadows.

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I(s)OTW no.674

By IOTW

These internet sourced images of a 1931 Middlesex registered MG Midget (HX 3785) were both taken in the village of Raphoe, County Donegal in August 1931. The captions on the rear of the photos indicate that they were taken at the village’s rectory (the building survives), while the dog-collared village reverend stands alongside the car. The Midget is equiped for touring with a luggage rack attached to the boot lid and a GB plate, the car’s occupants presumably over from England for a holiday.

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I(s)OTW no.673

By IOTW

Finding images of pre-war Morris Minor specials is not an everyday occurrence. Two of these images have been resident in the Network’s archive for almost two years, while the third (top left) was discovered on eBay very recently. Coventry Motor Sundries built an indeterminate number of Minor Specials between late 1929 and early 1931.  John Grindlay a Managing Director of the company in October 1966 wrote to the Morris Register historian (Harry Edwards) informing him that “about 200” Minor specials were built, although some cast doubt on this figure. These photos are all of the same vehicle LG 4988, a late 1930 Cheshire-registered CMS Morris Minor Super Sports. The top right and lower images are from the late Tim Harding’s collection, while the third (the eBay souced pic) was clearly taken at the same time. Although these images have been separated from one another for some time it’s appropriate that they get to be reunited via our IOTW feature.

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I(s)OTW no.672

By IOTW

JF 2437 is a December 1931 Leicester City Borough Council registered 1932 season Morris Minor Saloon. The left-hand image originates on a 35mm colour slide recently purchased on eBay. The photo looks to have been taken in the mid to late sixties and the car, although apparently in regular use, is in a very sorry state. The doors have dropped, the scruffy paintwork is edged in rust and a large dent is visible on the rear wing. The second image was taken in 2018 at the Wilton Country Fair near Salisbury and here the restored car is being exhibited by its owner. According to the DVLA, it last changed hands in 2015 while prior to that it was auctioned by Richards Edmunds in 2012. There are other images of the restored car dating back to 2009 which are held in the Network’s archive.

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IOTW no.671

By IOTW

This recently acquired period factory photograph of a 1932 Morris Minor (sliding-head) Saloon illustrates the direction car design was taking in the early thirties. For Morris Motors that meant the removal of the roof overhang above the windscreen, which must have marginally improved aerodynamics, or using their terminology created an “eddyfree” frontage. The doors were also significantly larger than those seen on the 1931 season model, improving access and egress for the car’s occupants. The Pytchley sliding roof was similarly regarded as a big step forward when compared to its Kopalapso fabric forerunner as fitted to the 29-31 Coachbuilt Saloons, while the larger Dunlop Magna wheel centres were also an updated feature for the Minor. (Morris Motors negative no. 10126)

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IOTW no.670

By IOTW

Depicted here is an OHC Morris Minor Saloon in a scrapyard setting, the photo being taken in the early postwar years, possibly as late as the mid-fifties. The Minor version looks to be that of an early nickel-plated radiator Fabric Saloon, the clue being the dull rad-surround. Its n/s rear wing could also have white blackout paint on its outer edge. Sadly, the number plate is almost totally obscured hampering accurate dating. Thank you to Halbe Tjepkema for submitting the photo which he unearthed on Facebook.

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IOTW no.669

By IOTW

Seen here is what looks to be an almost new 1934 Morris Minor Saloon (JF 5851) sitting between its proud owners. The car was first registered in the spring of 1934 by the Leicester City Borough Council. The besuited male with his smart pin-collar shirt and the RAC membership badge attached to the radiator cap might indicate that he was a commercial traveller by trade. (Image ex the late Tim Harding collection)

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IOTW no.668

By IOTW

This lovely snapshot of Southend registered 1932 E.W. Wolseley Hornet special (JN 2189) was probably taken late into the thirties decade if the general condition of the car is indicative of its age.

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IOTW no.667

By IOTW

VO 6655 is a late 1931 (1932 season) Nottinghamshire-registered Morris Minor Saloon. The snapshot tells us little other than that the Minor has been fitted with a front bumper, a non-standard item, while the driver is seen holding a biscuit in his left hand. There is no caption on the reverse to enlighten us as to why.

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IOTW no.666

By IOTW

UG 8642 is a 1934 Morris Minor sliding-head saloon that was first registered in Leeds, Yorks. There are very few clues as to where or when this damaged image was taken, although it’s likely to have been in the pre-war years. For those of a certain age, familiar with UK television programs from the seventies, the character on the left of the photo bares some resemblance to Dick Emery’s son.

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IOTW no.665

By IOTW

JJ 6245 is a 1933 London-registered Wolseley Hornet Saloon. This family snapshot was probably taken in the mid-thirties on a warm summer weekend afternoon somewhere in the home counties. With the household’s small dog in the foreground and the car’s male driver behind the camera lens, this is an archetypical British middle-class image of the period. They may well have lived in Metroland, their six-cylinder Hornet Saloon an appropriate status symbol.

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I(s)OTW no.664

By IOTW

David Tennant from Ottawa, Canada recently contacted the Network enquiring about the whereabouts of VG 3260 a Coachbuilt saloon he owned in the mid-fifties. We know that David’s old saloon body now sits on a Minor chassis in Devon while VG’s chassis is now adorned with a CMS Sports body. The photos below depict VG 3260 when in David’s ownership in the fifties (TL), as a Semi-Sports replica (TR), as purchased by Mike Houston (BL) and with it’s restored body, before it was separated from the chassis and sold. David writes:

I obtained the car in about April 1956 from my brother, a car mechanic, who had owned it for 18 months or so (before this he had a 1931 or 32 MG F Magna). He gave it a pretty extensive engine overhaul and I think I paid him about 50 or 60 pounds for the car (about the same as the oil pressure when cold!), he in the meantime had gone upmarket to a 1932 4-door ohc model!
I was a sergeant in the RAF at the time stationed at RAF Langtoft near Market Deeping in Lincolnshire and my first journey was from my home in Belton near Gt Yarmouth to camp, about 100 miles or so. Over the course of the next 6 months or so it made numerous trips back and to Langtoft with never a missed beat and always getting 30 plus mpg with 3 occupants. As well, as I was in charge of the transmitting and receiving radio stations at RAF Langtoft and these were physically well separated, I used it as my daily transport between locations rather than using an RAF issue bicycle! The photo you attached may still have the Bosch windscreen wiper motor which I installed on it. When I bought it was Blue with black mudguards and I repainted it with Valspar enamel and it looked, to my eyes anyway, pretty good. In about September or so 1956, I part exchanged it for a 1937 Morris 8 series 1 with a fellow sergeant Albert Watchman. I was demobbed in Nov 1956 so I don’t know its history after then. Bert Watchman was a long-term regular airman so he may well have moved on from RAF Langtoft although I think he was nearing the end of his service. His home town was West Hartlepool. My right calf muscle is a little larger than my left likely as a result of the braking pressure required. The only other problem I recall was, I think a common one, that the oil seal into the cam box was nowhere near 100% effective and the dynamo performance suffered somewhat through leakage. However, at that time it was a maintenance problem although a previous owner had obviously cut down the oil feed to the cams and it showed. I think I replaced a couple of tyres 4.00X19 ( a contemporary upmarket wheel diameter!) When I had it the folding roof mechanism was still present but inoperable. You will note the photo I attached has been cropped. Somewhere or other I have the original. On the left was a split-screen post-war Minor and on the right was my brother’s 4-door 1932 Minor. Collectively in this day and age worth a bit! BTW I am now 88 years of age.

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IOTW no.663

By IOTW

Finding an image of a Morris Minor Semi-Sports is always cause for a small celebration. Just 744 were built in its one season of production (1931) although well over 500 of them were actually sold in the late summer and autumn of 1930. It was of course the launch of the £100 S.V. Minor Two-seater just prior to Christmas 1930 that was the cause of this rapid fall-off in orders for the £125 OHC car. RX 7482 is a late summer Berkshire registration, so an early example of the model. Little else can be gleaned from the photo other than to record that the six-light saloon standing alongside was a late twenties Liverpool registered car, while the building could be a single storey domestic residence, despite its corrugated steel roof.

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IOTW no.662

By IOTW

J.S. Fry & Son were a Bristol based confectioner with a history dating back to the late 18th century. During a large portion of the 20th century they were among the top three chocolate manufacturers in the U.K. having been taken over by the Cadbury concern in 1919. Perhaps their best known product was Fry’s Turkish Delight, a top selling confection well into the 1970’s. By the early 1950’s Fry was was the largest employer in Bristol and their chocolate was sold across the globe. This photo was taken at their (then) ultra modern and partially completed factory in Somerdale during 1931 and shows a line-up of six company liveried and locally registered Morris 5 cwt vans. The Bristol factory was closed in 2010 when Cadbury was purchased by the American food giant, Kraft. (Image courtesy Jonathan Barwick)

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I(s)OTW no.661

By IOTW

Here are two of a trio of photographs of a 1928 City of Lincoln registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon (VL 1379). It belonged to a wholesale firm of boot and leather traders known as Leslie E. Whattam Ltd who were located on the outskirts of the cathedral city. The third unpublished shot shows the front of the Minor along with what looks like a Cowley saloon with their noses protruding from a garage doorway. On the reverse of the image displaying the Minor in a seriously damaged state is a caption which reads: Accident occurred on September 27th 1929 at 9:50 on the Wragby Outer Circle road. The internet reveals very little about the firm but a very sad end (at least for the body) for what was one of the earliest Minors to leave Cowley.

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I(s)OTW no.660

By IOTW

BR 9151 is a late 1931 (32 season) Sunderland registered Morris Minor Saloon owned by a female driver as the handwritten caption on its reverse reveals. Occupying the rear seat is the owner’s pet dog, which according to the caption is only just big enough to accommodate the animal.

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IOTW no.659

By IOTW

This photo of a gathering of cars outside an historic building was probably taken in 1931 or 1932, The registration plates of the vehicles involved indicate that the building may have been a hotel as cars have gathered from the home counties and as far west and northwest as Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. The 1930 Surrey registered MG Midget (PL 2595), has its owner sitting astride the bonnet, although why is not apparent. If anyone recognises the building please make contact via info@prewarminor.com

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IOTW no.658

By IOTW

The photographer who took this snapshot has not made it easy to determine precisely which model of light car the subject is standing alongside. The man is positioned directly in front of the car’s rear end while his stance blocks the view of the offside back wheel where a glimpse of a hubcap may have provided an important clue. It has many of the hallmarks of a 1929 MG Midget, including the forward opening doors, the shape of the seat back and the curvature of the door top. The depth of the radiator surround and bonnet louvres again shout Midget while the lighting, windscreen glass and steering wheel are definitely not original to a factory M Type. However, the big giveaways are the side-valence louvres which are just about visible, confirming the car to be a MG Midget. Dating the photograph is also not straightforward, although the man’s attire indicates that is was probably taken in the forties or fifties.

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IOTW no.657

By IOTW

The Silver Jubilee of King George V marking his 25 years on the throne was widely celebrated on 6th May 1935. The owner of this barely recognisable 1930 Gloucestershire registered Morris Minor Saloon (DF 9932) had adorned his car with flags and bunting, along with two huge coins featuring the king’s head as part of his village’s celebrations. The photo appeared on page 926 of the 24th May 1935 edition of The Autocar. (LAT photoscan courtesy Motorsport Images.)

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IOTW no.656

By IOTW

This was a header photo to an article on parking which appeared in the 12th April 1935 edition of The Autocar (P627). The photo was taken at the Waterloo Place car park in London and is interesting on a number of counts, not least of which is the question of the photographer’s vantage point. However, there is one significant element of Morris Minor interest sitting immediately below the ‘I’ of the word ‘parking’. Here is seen a lwb Minor special in the shape of a Cunard Calshot. It’s not known how many Calshots were built, but there are just three known survivors. Could this be a photo of one of those? How many other Minors are in shot? (LAT photoscan – Courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.655

By IOTW

Here we have an unidentified 1932 Morris Minor Saloon with its extremities painted white in order to comply with wartime blackout regulations. Alongside stands an RAF Sergeant Frank and his sister, Eva. It’s probable that the RAF NCO was home on leave, very precious moments in a time of conflict. The photo appears here courtesy of member Paul Brigden, who writes: “The pic was taken in Dawlish and its pretty obvious ‘when’ with the hand painted blackout white stripes.  Cousin Frank was demobbed from the RAF post war and started a garage business offering petrol, car sales and repairs which he ran until his retirement, while Eva had a sweet shop.”

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IOTW no.654

By IOTW

Following on from IOTW no.652 taken in Mablethorpe, we have another Lincolnshire seaside town postcard shot, on this occasion taken 17 miles further south in Skegness. The photographer occupies a lofty position looking down over a junction where a police constable directs the traffic. Approaching the junction is a 1932 Morris Minor Sliding-head Saloon (VV 1523), a Northamptonshire registered vehicle.

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I(s)OTW no.653

By IOTW

Both of these images were discovered by Jonathan Barwick on a postcard site here. Coincidently, in each shot a 1932 Morris Minor Saloon is seen parked up outside of a pub. The left-hand shot shows a late 1931 Breconshire registered car (EU 4699) in the village of Llanfihangel-Nant-Melan, Powys, parked adjacent to the Red Lion, an establishment that survives to this day. Unfortunately, the number plate of the Minor in the right hand photo is illegible, although it’s known that the inn was named The Talbot Hotel, located in New Radnor. The Red Lion and the Talbot Hotel were just 3 miles apart, so could the same Minor be featuring in both photos?

 

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IOTW no.652

By IOTW

It really is amazing just how many Morris Minors featured on 1930’s postcards. Some of them don’t just feature, they are the main focus of attention, as is RY 7890 a 1929 Tourer in this image. The car was first registered in the City of Leicester, while the photo was taken in the seaside resort of Mablethorpe, Lincs, just 80 miles distant from the city in question. The photograph was almost certainly taken during July or August, at 5-55 PM, if the clock on a building to the left is correct, the shadows appearing to bear this out. The Minor is fully laden with four adults on board, with seemingly little or no space to accomodate the child standing on the running board. Despite the time of year, the car still wears a louvred/slatted radiator blind normally fitted for the winter months and then removed each spring.

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IOTW no. 651

By IOTW

The Enfield & District Motor Club held one of their club trials in early November each year, naming it the ‘Guy Fawkes’ trial for an obvious reason. In pre-war years it was always a well attended event, both by spectators and participants alike. This retouched Autocar photograph was taken at the 1933 event and features a 1930 Morris Minor Semi-Sports (WM 5679) negotiating a sea of mud. The car was first registered in Southport, Lancs, which may indicate the national appeal of the event, the motoring magazines always giving it a mention. The driver’s name is unknown. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.650

By IOTW

Thanks to Andy Brown for forwarding this snapshot image of AXB 458, a 1933 Morris Minor Post Office Telephones Linesman’s 5 cwt van. The van was registered in London at the tail-end of 1933 and its body was probably built by Duple, the GPO contracting much of its specialist body construction work to this company at that time. Note the bulb horn on the scuttle and extendable ladder strapped to the vehicle’s roof.

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IOTW no.649

By IOTW

This sketch of a 51 year old William Morris (as he was then known) by automotive artist Algernon Rowe was drawn in August 1928, the month in which the Morris Minor was officially launched. He went on to become a peer of the realm, eventually being honoured with the title Viscount Nuffield in 1938 for both his industrial achievements and his philanthropic funding of institutions and research facilities. He died, aged 85 in August 1963. (Photoscan courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.648

By IOTW

Morris Register member Neil Truslove submitted this family photograph from the mid-thirties. The car is either a 1932 or 33 Morris Minor Saloon, the couple standing alongside hiding the model-year tell-tale signs. The image is so redolent of the period, in that the family car featured in so many snapshot images from the twenties right through to the sixties. In the 21st century ‘selfies’ seem to dominate and unless you own a Porsche or some other form of exotica, a car is rarely deliberately included in the shot.

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IOTW no.647

By IOTW

This extract from a larger Autocar print shows a Morris Minor Arrow Two-seater Special lined-up alongside an M.G. Midget at  the Eastbourne Concours Event in September 1930 (magazine edition dated 19-9-30). Both cars will have been relatively new at that time, the first production Midgets leaving Oxford in February 1929, with the first A.P. Compton bodied Arrow Minors appearing in the late autumn of that year. While no production statistics are known to have survived from the various concerns that inherited the Arrow name, the motoring magazine ‘small ads’ columns of the period  clearly indicate that Morris Minor Arrow bodies were by far and away the most popular ‘special’ type to adorn the pre-war Morris Minor chassis. (Photo extract courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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I(s)OTW no.646

By IOTW

Hawkes Bay in New Zealand is best known for its wine and magnificent coastal scenery. Back at the end of July 1987 the local vintage car community were celebrating the return to competition of 80 year-old Bart O’Rouke. The Hawkes Bay Car Club arranged a special sprint event to mark their 40th anniversary and Bart ( a founder club member) got to drive the car in which he first competed back in the 1950’s. His 1931 Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (M24532) had been sold to NZ Minor enthusiast Neville Wilson three years earlier, and he was very happy to permit Bart to be reunited with his old saloon for that special occasion.

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IOTW no.645

By IOTW

Why does a Valentine’s postcard of a 1933 Morris Ten-Four (– 2007) feature this week? A good question, answered by stating that at the time of purchase on eBay it was believed to be that of a Morris Minor. Closer inspection revealed the tell-tale Lucas Altette horn centrally affixed to the wingbrace cross-member along with the car’s headlamps. The family likeness is apparent in the similarity of the Ten-Four’s front profile with that of the Minor. The photograph is also well worth seeing, providing an interesting period view of Winchester High Street, framed by the city’s West Gate.

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IOTW no.644

By IOTW

Following on from IOTW no.643 here is another Birmingham postcard image, this one taken in Tyburn Road and forwarded to the Network once again by  Mike Tebbett. (Thank you, Mike.)  OC 3315 is a 1933 or ’34 season Morris long wheelbase Saloon. The car has certainly seen better days, the likelihood being that this photo was taken in the years immediately following  WWII if the signage and clothing fashions are anything to go by. The city’s early tram network closed in 1953, so this image pre-dates that time. Parking that close to a roundabout on a busy main road would prompt a very speedy response from the constabulary, should anyone be foolish enough to do that today.

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IOTW no.643

By IOTW

Thanks goes to Mike Tebbett for forwarding this postcard image of a 1931 Surrey registered Wolseley Hornet Saloon (PJ 441). The car looks to be the fabric bodied version as there is no evidence of the Kopalapso roof, which was a standard fitment on the Coachbuilt model. The postcard’s caption is missing, therefore the location is unknown. Could this be a Croydon suburb, the overhead trolleybus cables providing a small clue, along with the car’s Surrey registration plate? Thanks to Jonathan Barwick’s detective work, we now know that this photograph was taken on Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, which is where The Waggon & Horses pub is located. This link provides the lowdown: www.francisfrith.com/sheldon/sheldon-wa … 7_s1018503

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I(s)OTW no.642

By IOTW

Gordon England was a noted automotive personality throughout the Twenties and well on into the Thirties decades. His car designs owed much to his WWI aviation background. His use of  lightweight timbers and body bracing cross members coming directly from that experience. His ‘England’ Specials, produced at Wembley, all had rubber mounted bodies to help isolate the occupants from bumps and other uneveness in the road surface. The two models seen here were available to purchase from late 1929 to the early spring of 1931, the two-seater providing the inspiration for the Gordon England designed 1931 Morris Minor Semi-Sports model.

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IOTW no.641

By IOTW

Another postcard image, this one featuring the town of Maldon in Essex. The photo was taken on Monday 5th June 1933, at the town’s Whitsun parade. The brass band is being followed by an open 1933 Morris Minor and a Rover saloon, the cars possibly advertising the services of the Maldon Garage in Station Road, Morris agents for the town.

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IOTW no.640

By IOTW

This Morris Motors image of the engine used in their newly launched Morris Minor, graced page 444 of the 14th August 1928 edition of The Autocar. The same photo was used in the 1929 and 1930 editions of The Morris Minor Operation Manual for the model despite the production engines possessing slightly visually different features. (Autocar photoscan courtesy of Motorsport Images)

 

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IOTW no.639

By IOTW

This eBay sourced image is difficult to date precisely. HN 7026 is a very late 1929 Darlington registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon. The be-suited young man may be a commercial traveller, the Minor being his company vehicle.  The car looks to be in good condition and could still be wearing its original three-stud Dunlop tyres.

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IOTW no.638

By IOTW

What could be more mundane than a picture of a factory and one of its car parks? This Excel Series postcard image however will be of interest to those who hold the Morris marque in esteem along with the cars that left these works in Cowley, Oxon. Could the car park be for the shop floor workers at the factory or for those in management roles? From what can be seen, none of the cars are post 1932 models and plenty of them appear to be Minors, with no non-Morris models evident. If they were shop floor worker’s vehicles, then Morris Motors were well paying their staff, as the recession was biting particularly hard at this time.

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IOTW no.637

By IOTW

UP 4425 is a 1930 Durham registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon. It has been photographed here in mountainous terrain, perhaps in the English Lake District, or as seems more likely, the Scottish Highlands; the tartan kilt worn by the seated female providing the clue. Progress through the mountains must have been slow if any distance was travelled along that mountain track. (The photograph forms part of the late Tim Harding‘s collection)

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IOTW no.636

By IOTW

The Austin Seven will always be associated with the term ‘Baby car’ and for good reason. Its open four-seat version was dubbed ‘Chummy’, another reference to the model’s diminutive stature. The 14th October 1927 edition of The Autocar went one step further and attempted (by  cut and pasting photographs) to make it appear even smaller. (LAT photoscan courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.635

By IOTW

This is an official Jensen Motors image of a 1932 season Jensen Minor Special. It’s know that it is a Jensen model as the rear bumper bar is clearly marked thus. It’s also know that RC 300 the McEvoy Minor Minor prototype sits upon chassis no. 7012 which was the 58th 1932 season rolling chassis (as opposed to a complete vehicle) to leave Cowley on 20th October 1931. The Jensen brothers were renown for their body designs and were commissioned by their friend Michael McEvoy to design and produce such a body for his tuned Morris Minor engine. Could one of the 57 earlier chassis to leave Cowley have arrived in West Bromwich prior to 7012? Which raises the possibility that the Jensen Brothers first iteration of their design was ‘badged’ as a Jensen, and that this was the resulting photograph?

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I(s)OTW no.634

By IOTW

Two postcard shots of OHC Minor Saloons feature this week which co-incidently were both taken in Kentish towns. The top image was taken in Maidstone town centre with an Essex registered 1930 Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (VX 7593) holding the photographer’s attention. The lower, (badly) hand coloured photo looks to have been taken later in the thirties decade in Hythe, on Kent’s south coast. Here a 1931 Morris Minor Fabric Saloon (KJ 1658) has been poorly parked at the kerbside outside an Estate Agents. Neither registration is currently recorded on the DVLA’s database

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IOTW no.633

By IOTW

This eBay sourced image depicts what may simply be a mother and son who have exchanged hats, or perhaps a music hall act posing by the roadside, both carrying a set of golf clubs? It’s of interest to us as the car behind them may or may not be a 1934 Morris Minor Four-door Saloon, or possibly a 10/4. What does our forum panel think?

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IOTW no.632

By IOTW

This 1930 Southampton registered OHC  Morris Minor special (TR 9693) was a surprising find among a batch of Motor 35 mm negatives, particularly as they were dated February 1939 and taken at the Chiltern Car Club’s annual trial. A little research in the archive revealed that the car was owned by H.S. Pearson and used competitively by him from 1937 onwards. Other images of this car (which has a squared-off tail) appeared in in a 1938 edition of Light Car while a third can be found among the Bill Brunell collection held at Beaulieu. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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I(s)OTW no.631

By IOTW

Here we have two internet sourced images of 1933 Morris Minor Two-seater XJ 6716, a February 1933 Manchester registered car. The photos look like they were taken either just prior to, or just after WWII if the condition of the vehicle is anything to go by. The Two-seater has been fitted with a luggage rack along with a spotlight and bumpers, the latter two of being favoured add-ons by owners.

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I(s)OTW no.630

By IOTW

Two period postcards, both with unidentified Minors provide the subject matter for this week’s IOTW. The first of these sees a 1931 scuttle tank SV Minor Coachbuilt Saloon parked-up in the market square of Stourminster Newton, a small Dorset village, nestling in the Blackmore Vale. The location for the second postcard image is Dunfermline in Fife, several hundred miles further north from Dorset. Here a 1933 long wheelbase Morris Family Eight Saloon sits below the town’s Abbey walls. (N.B. Dunfermline has very recently been granted city status)

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IOTW no.629

By IOTW

John McDonald has been a rich source of Minor images for this slot, all of which have originated in New Zealand. John believes that this image dates from around 1935 and was taken in Kauwhata and was found in the BNZ archive. It features a 1932 Morris Minor Family Eight (X19.738) but arguably the most interesting element in the photograph is the versatility of the wooden building, alongside of which the car is parked. It appears to serve at least four purposes. Clearly a branch of an NZ bank, it also dispenses petrol, serves as a hairdressing salon and houses the office of a local solicitor!

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IOTW no.628

By IOTW

Yet another New Zealand Minor photograph, unearthed (as on many previous occassions) by John McDonald. The image captures the opening of a new facility for the Maungaturoto Dairy Company, Northland, N.Z. on 23rd November 1934. The parked 1932 Morris Minor Saloon is dwarfed by the large American built Fords, Buicks and Dodges, the models from Detroit and Dearborn massively outselling the British imports in New Zealand at that time. (Note the even smaller Austin Seven) The image can be found  in The Auckland Memorial Museum.

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IOTW no.627

By IOTW

TM 4531 is a 1929 Bedfordshire registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon. The image is uncaptioned but it’s apparent that the photograph was taken during wartime as the car’s headlamps are shrouded in accordance with the law, while the wing edges have also been painted white. The Minor is showing its age with the lower section of the door having been subjected to a poor fabric repair. Is the tall young man a student or perhaps someone in a reserved occupation? As always, many unanswered questions! (Photo ex Tim Harding collection)

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IOTW no.626

By IOTW

This is another great photo from the late Tim Harding’s collection. Here Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (TK 4394), a Dorset registration) provides the centrepiece for a family album snapshop captioned “Bere Regis 12th April 1931”. Perhaps the occasion was a christening for the child perched upon the bonnet? At that time the Minor would have been just under a year old. Today, Bere Regis is a small rural community of under 2000 inhabitants with just a solitary shop according to Wikipedia.

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IOTW no. 625

By IOTW

MM 7873 is a 1929 Middlesex registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon which was owned in the thirties by a family of optimists/masochists. It’s clear that they were determined to enjoy the picnic they had prepared despite the prevailing weather conditions of rain and what looks like a heavy sea mist or fog. Overcoats, umbrellas and deck chairs; it could only happen in Britain. This image was from a collection assembled by the late Tim Harding.

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IOTW no.624

By IOTW

Like the south coast concourse events, caravan rallies were another Thirties speciality. Here a rarely photographed 1931 Wolseley Hornet Coupe, carrying an Edinburgh registration (FS 494) is seen with its proud Scottish owner alongside, who, it is likely will have travelled the over 420 miles to Minehead, where this Autocar sponsored event was taking place. (LATplate B8983 – Courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.623

By IOTW

This uncaptioned image is one of two of this car from the late Tim Harding’s collection of historic automotive photos. WO 611? is a 1932 Monmouthshire registered Morris Minor Two-seater and that really is about all we can gleen from the photo. The second image, which is in very poor condition, shows the car in profile passing a railway arch with even less detail apparent. What we can determine from this photo and the smile on the owners face, is  that he was enjoying his time behind the wheel of his Minor!

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IOTW no.622

By IOTW

The list of Morris Minors known to have appeared competitively at Brooklands is not a very long one. However, this photo does provide proof that 1932 Morris Minor Sliding-head Saloon (PJ 8425) can safely be added to that number as it is seen hear climbing the famous Brooklands Test Hill. While the event is described as the JCC First Meeting, the name of the driver remains unknown. (LATplate B9562 – courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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I(s)OTW no.621

By IOTW

Lancefield was a respected firm of coachbuilders located in a hotspot for that industry among the west London boroughs. Their usual clients were those with large cars and deep pockets but they did occasionally turn their hand and their design skills to building bodies for lighter models. Here are two examples of their Parallite body for the Wolseley Hornet. The 1933 saloon version can be seen in the top image, while their earlier 1932 two-seater FHC can be found below. At the time these designs were deemed to be fururistic by some, while the passage of time has confirmed that in reality they were always ugly. (Lower image from the LAT collection Motor Plate 777-23 – courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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I(s)OTW no.620

By IOTW

These post-war images of 1933 Blackpool registered Morris Minor Two-seater (FV 3304) were kindly submitted by Stuart Clarke. The photos, which were probably taken in the late fifties or early sixties, show a car that has been on the receiving end of some notable modifications, including the repositioning of its driving lights, the addition of sidelights and a wing support bar, Hartford shock absorbers and strangely, black paint to the lower portion of the windscreen. The bespectacled young man and his hat-wearing border collie appears to affirm the Minor’s role as a student hack.

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IOTW no.619

By IOTW

Saloons and glamour are not words that you often see adjacent to one other and the long-wheelbase Minors typified that adage. They were rarely mentioned in dispatches or seen participating in pre-war sporting events, spending most of their time performing the mundane tasks for which they were originally designed. That is not to say that their owners didn’t appreciate them for what they were. Here a proud custodian stands alongside his pride and joy, an unidentified 1932 Morris Family Eight. The four word caption on the reverse of the photo reveals all : “The new little car!”

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IOTW no.618

By IOTW

This post-war image of an Antipodean bodied Morris Minor was submitted by regular contributor, John McDonald from Christchurch, New Zealand. It’s believed to be a 1933 season Minor chassis, upon which sits a body that possesses some of the attributes of the later Morris Eight tourer, such as the sloping back and ‘suicide’ cut-away doors. These styling cues may indicate that the body and chassis were not united until later in the thirties dcade.

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IOTW no.617

By IOTW

Wartime snapshot images such as this example can be potent and bring home the hardship of that period far more forcefully than the written word. Here the ‘blackout’ headlamp covers on 1934 Carlisle registered Morris Minor Saloon (HH 7204) help pinpoint the period while the stance and general weariness displayed on the face of the woman standing alongside contrasts starkley with that of the two children.

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IOTW no.616

By IOTW

Over 20,000 Morris Minor Saloons left Cowley between the autumn of 1928 and the late summer of 1930. Of these, the greater number were to be the Fabric Saloon model, the only available version for 1929 and a cheaper option to the Coachbuilt Saloon, which was introduced for 1930. It should therefore come as no surprise that the majority of period snapshots of these OHC saloons, found on eBay and elsewhere, feature the Fabric Saloon. This photo is just another such example, this one being an unidentified 1930 model year car (?? 3259), while the image was almost certainly taken during the run-up to the commencement of The Second World War.

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IOTW n0.615

By IOTW

The car seen here is a spring 1929, London registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon. (GU 4622). There is little to commend about this photo apart from the moment selected by the photographer to operate the camera’s shutter. The image as taken was badly skewed, decapitating the proud owner standing alongside, while even the pooch’s face is in shadow. The car looks to be in reasonable ‘as built’ condition, although dirty. Its Dunlop triple stud tyres are well treaded, something very rarely seen in these pre-war snapshots.

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IOTW no.614

By IOTW

1934 Morris 5 cwt van AEL 98

This image was among the late Mick Worthington-Williams photographic collection, part of which is currently being sold on eBay. The reverse of this relatively modern photograph is captioned “LOT 58 Ixion – 1931 Morris Minor 5CWT Van – D80” That caption is incorrect as the Bournemouth Borough Council registration dates from May 1934  and the vehicle is clearly a 1934 model with its larger body and ‘eddy free’ roof line. A check on the DVLA database revealed nothing at all, which may indicate that the vehicle has been scrapped, sold abroad or may even be languishing in a lock-up somewhere. A delve into the Harry Edward archive provides an ideal caption (to be seen below the photo) and confirms that even Sotheby’s can make mistakes, while Harry misspelt Donington!

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IOTW no.614

By IOTW

Pickering, North Yorks Mid-Fifties. This drab winter postcard scene depicts a 1931 SV Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (MU 2938) parked-up in a Pickering side street. The tired looking Minor has a later pattern spare-wheel attached, along with a non-original paint scheme. Its MU registration indicates that it was almost certainly originally supplied by London based, Morris main dealer Stewart & Ardern, while the two Austin A35s help date the shot.

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IOTW no.613

By IOTW

OU 922 is a 1929 Hampshire registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon, the vehicle perhaps being supplied by Wadham Bros of Southampton, the Morris main dealer for the area. Although the Minor features in this image, the family members are the main focus of attention. If the car belongs to the parents of the four children, then family trips would have been extremely cosy and probably very noisy.

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IOTW no.612

By IOTW

Registered in London in December 1931 this 1932 season Morris Minor Sliding-head Saloon (GW 5945) was nowhere near the metropolis when this photograph was taken. One almost bald tyre might indicate that the photo was taken some time after the car’s manufacture and while the tax disc would tell us a lot more precisely than guesswork, the all important date is not legible. The photograph was probably taken at waist level on a bellows box camera using either 120 or 620 film.

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IOTW 611

By IOTW

UT 6205 is a late 1929 (1930 season) Leicestershire registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon. An interesting photo in that it’s not immediately clear under what circumstances this image was taken. The car’and its occupants look to be parked outside the entrance of a grand house. Is the male driver a manservant of some kind and is the female his wife, or a ‘lady of the house’? All becomes a little clearer when the bottom of a sign is spotted, presumably hanging from the facade of the building, the likelihood being that this is a hotel and that the car’s occupants are just about to leave, although the presence of a dog muddies the waters a little. (Image ex Tim Harding collection.)

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IOTW no.610

By IOTW

The registration appearing on this Morris Minor Fabric Saloon is UY 4986, first issued in Worcestershire in early 1929. The photo is absolutely typical of the period and reflects the growing spread and social status of car ownership at that time. Ten years previously it would have been very unusual to find car owners among the artisans of the early twenties. As for the car itself, the only non-standard feature noted is the mud remover/shoe cleaner mounted upon the running board.

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IOTW no.609

By IOTW

It is surprising just how many Minor special photos surface. This snapshot of a 1930 two-seater model from Maltby of Folkestone could at first glance be mistaken for a 1932 onward Morris factory offering. A second glance reveals the rear hinged doors, front bumper, sidelights, lower set headlamps and early type wheels associated with the 29-31 OHC model chassis. As is always the case with coachbuilt Minor specials, the numbers constructed are unknown. However, this lad is unlikely to forget in a hurry his short stint sitting at the wheel of the family Morris Minor.

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IOTW no.608

By IOTW

The London registration of this 1930 season Morris Minor Fabric Saloon is UW 2719 which was issued in the early  autumn of 1929. The caption on the rear of the photo reveals that it was taken in Stamford Hill, North London in 1930 while the affected pose adopted by the young man would suggest that he takes his driving very seriously indeed. His neatly brushed hair, driving gloves and tweed suit with plus-fours would indicate that he was a dedicated follower of fashion and quite the young buck, or at least that is what he would like us to believe!

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IOTW no.607

By IOTW

GC 4057 is a London registered, spring 1930 Morris Minor Fabric Saloon. These 1930 season cars had lost the Morris script from the radiator honeycombe and differed from the very early cars in adopting the 1929 in-season changes, such as the smooth bonnet, ala the recently launched Coachbuilt Saloon, (no stipple effect or parallel bottoms), larger rear windows, a chromed radiator (replacing the nickel type), a new SU OM carburettor (replacing the unsatisfactory bottom float version) along with many other under-the-skin detail changes. This period snapshot is uncaptioned, while the dog (breed unknown) looks as well cared for as the owner’s Minor.

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IOTW no.606

By IOTW

This grainy snapshot image is of a June 1932 London registered Morris Minor Two-seater. (GY 5036) Obviously a posed shot, presumably taken by the partner of the woman at the wheel, was clearly not shot in the area in which the car was registered and shows it parked-up in a sunken road somewhere in the suburbs or countryside. Like almost every period image of pre-war ‘open’ Minors, the lowered hood is not tidily packed away in the hood bag provided by the manufacturers but left with its edges exposed to flap around in its wake.

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IOTW no.605

By IOTW

PJ 1691 is an autumn 1931 Surrey registration, thus making this an early 1932 season Morris Minor Two-seater. We also know from the handwritten caption on the reverse that the photo was taken in December 1933 confirming that the car was just over two years old at that time. It also looks very well cared for, with almost new tyres and gleaming paintwork. A further caption also reveals via a cryptic two words that the name of the very well dressed women is likely to be “Anxious Annie”.  (Ex Tim Harding Collection image)

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IOTW no.604

By IOTW

At first glance this just looks to be a run-of-the-mill snapshot of what could be a 1932 Family Eight. A closer look reveals that it isn’t. Athough this car is fitted with sidelights it doesn’t have an OHC engine under its bonnet, while the give-away is that other than a development model, the long wheelbase Minor was never fitted with a short ‘fluted’ radiator as installed on the 1932 season short wheelbase models. The last clue is that BNO 475 is a June 1934 Essex registration making it a final season Minor Four-door Saloon with of course the upright headlamps as seen on all SV models. (From the Tim Harding Collection)

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I(s)OTW no.603

By IOTW

This Morris Minor (M26128, UR 7238) has had at least three incarnations over the course of its 91 year life span. It left Cowley on 16th June 1930 as a Tourer and was registered in Hertfordshire just a week or so later. At some point later in its history, although definitely before 1970, it acquired another open four-seat body that looks to have been professionally constructed. In recent times (in the past five years) it has changed hands and the new owner has removed the non-standard body and an original shaped tub has been re-instated. Interestingly, the colour chosen is not one that was originally applied to these bodies by the factory.

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IOTW no.602

By IOTW

VU 8466 is a late 1931 Manchester registration which originally adorned a 1932 season Morris Minor Saloon. Instead of a Baby Calormeter sitting on top of this car’s radiator, this owner has gone one better and used a real baby as its mascot! This charming shot, taken in the thirties or forties was among an auction ‘lot’ of photographs originally assembled by the late Tim Harding and recently acquired by this website.

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IOTW no.601

By IOTW

The website has a small collection of these professionally taken holiday memento photographs. It’s apparent that one such photographer was active throughout the late thirties and forties in the seaside resort of Blackpool, during which period he used an OHC Morris Minor Tourer as a prop in his studio. Here, the caption tells us that Audrey and Arthur visited Blackpool in June 1946.

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IOTW no.600

By IOTW

This image has appeared here previously as one of a quartet of photos in I(s)OTW no. 509. It is worth re-showing as this Morris Minor Tourer is a very early example with parallel bottom edges to the bonnet and rear hinged doors. The Cumberland registration (RM 6065) also confirms the car’s antiquity as being a late 1928 example. As to when this and the other three photos were taken is not clarified by their captions.

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IOTW no.599

By IOTW

This 1930 Chester registered Wolseley Hornet Coachbuilt Saloon (FM 6224) is seen parked on a beach while two of the occupants dressed in semi-formal attire, ‘take the air’. This very middle class posed shot could have been taken on Southport sands or perhaps at Rhyl or Llandudno, all three locations being about an hour’s drive or so from the City of Chester itself, which was probably from whence the vehicle started out.

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IOTW no.598

By IOTW

This well composed F. Frith & Co image of the market square in Farnham, Surrey was originally sold by their business as a mounted print and not as a postcard. The interest for Morris Minor enthusiasts centres around a 1931 scuttle tank S.V. Saloon (PL 9729), one of 2816 built between February and August 1931, almost twice as many as the famous £100 Two-seater model. Interestingly, the two banks seen here merged almost 40 years later to become National Westminster, or Natwest as they are known today.

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IOTW no.597

By IOTW

Harold Connolly‘s automotive art which appeared throughout the thirties is widely acclaimed today. He has a particular association with the MG marque, his work appearing in many of their advertisements and car brochures during that period. This image however appeared in an October 1933 Morris Owner magazine as a ‘header’ to an article on British cars at that years motor show. Note how only the three Morris owned brands are legible, although there are nods to suppliers, Dunlop and Lucas.

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I(s)OTW no.596

By IOTW

A strange co-incidence.

Many of the photographs, primarily the snapshops that appear here, are purchased via eBay, as were the uppermost pair of this trio. These photos, of what could possibly have  been either a homebuilt special MG M Type or a Morris Minor were successfully bid upon and an envelope containing them dropped through the letterbox on 8th September. On the 11th September the colour photo above was taken at the Pre-war Prescott event in Gloucestershire. During the captioning process for the colour image an archive check was carried out (using the vehicle’s registration) to establish if  further information was held digitally. It was, as the two very recently acquired b&w photos appeared along with three others taken at the 2019 PWP event. It has to be said that 1932 MG Midget UF 8788 (now owned by Matt Harnden) looks far healthier in 2021 than it did in the late fifties or early sixties! (PS Restored by Garry Waiting c2005)

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I(s)OTW no. 595

By IOTW

This trio of snapshots were also from the same album as the photo depicted in IOTW no.594. Here, Lt. Bernard T.V. Cowey is in ‘civvies’, presumably on leave, and at home with members of his family. The Minor Two-seater carries  the emblem of the Welch Regiment attached to its radiator.

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IOTW 594

By IOTW

This unidentified 1932 season Morris Minor Two-seater was owned by British Army 2nd Lt. B. T. V. Cowey (Bernard Turing Vionnee) of the Welch Regiment and was taken according to its caption in 1931. While it’s not known what happened to the Minor, it is recorded that by 1945 Cowey had attained the rank of Temporary Lt. Colonel in his regiment, reverting to the rank of Major following the ceasing of hostilities.

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I(s)OTW no.593

By IOTW

Here are two more images of HX 5228, a 1931 season OHC Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon. We know from the captions on the reverse of these snapshots, that they are of “Jim’s first car”.  Jim is the young man standing alongside his Minor. It seems likely that the smartly attired Jim was a commercial traveller and HX 5228 his company car?

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I(s)OTW no.592

By IOTW

These images of a 1934 Morris Minor 5 cwt van clearly show two of the most significant differences between this model and those preceding it. The first of these is the “Eddyfree” van roof, which no longer overhangs the windscreen, thus enabling the uninterupted flow of air across the top of the van body. The second change concerns the van’s lower rear quarter, where the right-angular shape of the earlier body type has been replaced by a subtle curve which apparently serves no useful purpose, the change seemingly having been made for purely cosmetic reasons. Beech-Nut chewing gum was an American brand available in the UK throughout the middle decades of the twentieth century.

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IOTW no.591

By IOTW

This is one of five snapshot images featuring 1931 Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon (HX 5228), a registration set associated with West London. All five images are captioned and we learn that these photos are of “Jim’s first car”and were taken during the summer of 1931. The full caption on the rear of this image reads: “This snap is handy. Thought perhaps you would like it. If you have one, kindly return”. The other four photos feature various family members standing alongside, or in the case of Jim’s grandparents, seated inside the Minor. This caption rather cruely reads: “Off for their honeymoon – I don’t think”!

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IOTW no.590

By IOTW

Period photographs of the 1931 season Morris Minor Semi-Sports do not surface often. This one came via Facebook and depicts RT 7279, a late 1930 East Suffolk registered vehicle. The car had seen far better days and had lost its original windscreen and front lighting equipment by the time this photo was taken, which was probably the late fifties or early sixties. If indeed the photo was taken in the sixties, it did not long survive the rigours of the newly introduced ‘MOT Ten Year Test’, as its registration is not recorded on the DVLA database.

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IOTW no.589

By IOTW

 GE 5860 is Glasgow registered 1929 Morris Minor Saloon. It was almost certainly constructed as a Coachbuilt model as this late thirties photograph show the variant’s Kopalapso roof in an open position. However, it’s clear that the roof has been (badly) re-canvassed at some point, while the A pillar mounted spotlight and bulb horn were not uncommon accessories.

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IOTW no.588

By IOTW

OC 957 is a summer 1933 Birmingham registered Morris Minor Two-seater and a survivor. There is a strong possibility that this snapshot (one of three of the car) was taken in the late pre-war early post-war era. There are  plenty of aftermarket fitments in evidence, including the front wing tie-bar, Hartford shock absorbers, side light and trafficators. The Morris Register is aware of the car which is currently on a SORN and was last taxed in 2013.

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I(s)OTW no.587

By IOTW

These two images were taken by Irish concert pianist Dorothy Stokes (1898-1982) and appear in one of her 25 photographic albums which are now held in the National Library of Ireland.  They were discovered on Facebook and forwarded to the Network by Kartik Lunia and depict a 1932 Morris Minor (BZ 961). The photo looks to have been taken in the fifties. Does its Irish registration provide any further clues that might help date the images?

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IOTW no.586

By IOTW

Very unusually, a latter-day photograph appears in the IOTW spot this week. 1934 Morris Minor Saloon (OU 3191) was once owned by member John Young and boasts a role in the 2004 film Ladies in Lavender in which acting royalty Dame(s) Judi Dench and Maggie Smith starred. Unfortunately, its original registration JO 7738 now adorns a white Audi and was replaced by 380 UXS. John managed to secure the much more appropriate Hants registration OU 3191 before selling the car on as it was simply too small for him. Back to the photo itself, which was found on Facebook and was forwarded to the PWMN without a caption or accreditation. This beautifully sharp image was taken on England’s south coast, but where precisely (Kent?) and who is now the owner of OU 3191?

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IOTW no.585

By IOTW

GU 5663 – Now this is an interesting eBay find. This Morris Minor Fabric Saloon was first registered in London in the spring of 1929, despite it missing its ‘Morris’ radiator script, a standard fitment for the model. Thanks to the record keeping of Minor enthusiast Ken Martin we know that a D.J. McLennan took part in the MCC High Speed Trial in a Morris Minor on 14th September 1929. What Ken didn’t know was in which Minor variant McLennan took part. Fortunately, the photograph came with the caption; “Donald McLennan after winning Gold Medal”. As a result his name could be matched to Ken’s list and the gaps filled-in, including the car’s registration details. In addittion, we now know that McLennan wore a suit (with plus-fours) for the occasion and that his Minor carried competition number 15, a small but important detail when researching old Brooklands photographs.

 

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IOTW no.584

By IOTW

This image was discovered on Facebook. The Minor pick-up has been converted from a 1929 Minor saloon and resides in a Belgrade, Serbia museum. It carries a local 1937 licence plate, while the photo itself bears a date of October 2017.

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IOTW no.583

By IOTW

Thanks to Ken Martin for providing a much clearer image of this 1931 £100 Minor rolling chassis than that displayed here previously. It’s now clear that this chassis was not fitted with a transmission handbrake!

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I(s)OTW no.582

By IOTW

WL 6523 is a spring 1929 Oxford built MG Midget, therefore an early production version built prior to the company’s move to Abingdon later that same year. While 1930 season Midgets (and beyond) had cable operated brakes the launch season cars had front brakes that were rod-actuated. To enable a straight run for the rods, the brake cross-shaft penetrated the louvred side valances, this being a key recognition indicator for 1929 models. This particular car also has painted Lucas 1130 side lights while some early Midgets, perhaps the majority, were fitted with plated examples. It’s difficult to ascertain when these images were taken although the poor condition of the car’s fabric skin might indicate that it’s quite some time after its manufacture.

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IOTW no.581

By IOTW

Click the image to see it full size.

This photo appeared among the images in a recent eBay listing for HY 1833. The car is a comparatively rare Bristol registered 1931  OHC Morris Minor Tourer which has spent a large part of its life in the west country. Sadly, the car has been neglected in recent years and now requires a full restoration. The photo depicts a happy family holiday scene and looks to have been taken in the early seventies at what surely must be a recognisable seaside/port venue?

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IOTW no.580

By IOTW

Very little is known about this Dutch registered 1931 £100 Morris Minor PG-06-70. Its general condition would indicate that the photo was taken in the post war period but the photo is almost entirely lacking in other visual clues.

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IOTW no.579

By IOTW

Although a somewhat underwhelming photo, it does tell a story. The photo is captioned ‘Dorset 1939’, which means that this unidentified 1934 Morris Minor Sliding-head Saloon was only five years old at the time the image was taken. It has obviously led a very hard life if the very shabby bodywork and flat rear springs are anything to go by. How many other Minors had been scrapped by the outbreak of World War Two?

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IOTW no.578

By IOTW

This photo of an unidentified special was almost certainly taken in the fifties or early sixties. The huge headlights , bulb horn and neglected bodywork is indicative of the student specials to be seen on the roads prior to the introduction of the ‘Ten Year Test’ as the MOT test was known at that time. The 28 louvre, two catch bonnet would seem to point to a 1934 season car.

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IOTW no.577

By IOTW

The founding fathers of the Dutch branch of the Morris Register gathered in April 1978 to pose for this photo. One of these gents is Eric Groot who owned the 1932 Morris Minor Tourer 43-TL-99, the car continuing in his ownership until the summer of 2018. Eric and his wife attended the 2008 VMR Rally based at Thorpe Abbotts, Suffolk U.K. and were among a strong Dutch contingent present.

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IOTW no.576

By IOTW

This is almost certainly one of the very last Morris Minor publicity photographs. It was taken to promote the 1934 season Morris Minor Two-door sliding-head saloon.  It’s seen here in Windsor Great Park sporting bumpers, a very smart optional extra.

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IOTW no.575

By IOTW

Absolutely nothing is known about this internet sourced image. What can be determined from the clues provided by the photo is that the car is a 1932 or 33 Morris Minor Two-seater, while the shot was likely to have been taken in the late fifties or early sixties. That conclusion was reached by noting the car’s general run-down condition and the attire of the pipe smoking student. The sartorial indicators are the young man’s long scarf,  his scruffy duffle coat and peaked ‘ratting’ hat, all of which were fashion ‘badges’ of the period. The car’s many non-standard features including Lucas 1130 side lights, easyclean wheels and non-Minor bumpers, further indications of a pre-MOT Test scrap yard candidate!

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IOTW no.574

By IOTW

This photo was taken at Beaulieu in May 1967 according to the handwritten caption on its reverse. The car is an unidentified 1934 Morris Minor Two-seater wearing polished wheel discs, an aftermarket accessory that was available from motor factors such as James Grose, Brown Bros and Halfords among others throughout the thirties. The Network’s photo archive contains just one other similar photo of a Minor, the wheel discs in that instance appearing on a 1930 Gordon England Two-seater Minor special.

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IOTW no.573

By IOTW

Here is an interesting eBay sourced snapshot of a 1934 Morris Minor Two-seater (AFY 46), which was a February or March 1934 Southport, Lancs registered car. The garments worn by the two young females would seem to indicate the the photo was taken in the late fifties or early sixties just prior to their departure on a summer holiday. A check in the Harry Edwards maintained hand written register records that this was Minor car number 34/MS/43819. Harry further recounts that his data was extracted from an “album photograph” and that AFY 46 was offered for sale in Classic Car Weekly in June 1999 for £5,500. Although not on a SORN,  a DVLA check reveals that it was last taxed in 2007,  which means that it is still likely to be out there somewhere.

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IOTW no. 572

By IOTW

FJ 7579 is regarded as one of just sixteen survivors of the 744 Morris Minor Semi-Sports models that were constructed during the 1931 model season. This photo of the car resides in the Harry Edwards Archive while a note in his register made in 1982 states that the vehicle is M32806 which at that point was in the custody of M. Chamberlayne of Lincs. The DVLA records that the car was last taxed in the spring of 1993. It’s clear from the photo that its body had been rebuilt at some point, although the photo quality is such that it can’t be determined if it has retained its stippled bonnet as originally supplied. There are no 21st century photographs of the car, so let’s hope that it’s still intact somewhere. (Note its lack of running-boards and outriggers)

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IOTW no.571

By IOTW

TE 8277 was a 1929 Lancashire registration which adorned this Morris Minor Special. The image originates in the Harry Edwards Photographic Archive and is one of three photos of the car. Harry was a meticulous note taker, yet his register notes fail to mention this car at all. The special body bares some of the hallmarks of the 1933 military Minor scout/radio cars but could also well be that of a homebuilt. The greatcoat and military style hat of the man standing alongside TE 8277 might also indicate that he was a member of His Majesty’s armed forces, although that could be a Royal Mail cap badge!

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IOTW no.570

By IOTW

Yet another internet sourced snapshot, this time of a 1933 Morris Minor Sliding-head Saloon. The registration prefix of ‘UG’ informs that it was first registered in the city of Leeds, while its caption indicates that the photo was taken in  ‘The Cheviots’ on the Anglo-Scottish border. The shot was almost certainly taken in the years preceding World War II, perhaps while the family were on their summer holiday.

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I(s)OTW no.569

By IOTW

These two photos of WN 4621, a 1932 Swansea registered Morris Minor Two-seater were scanned from small negative images found on the internet (with apologies for the poor quality). It wasn’t until they were inverted to become positives that it was apparent that the photos had been taken in the late fifties or sixties. A check in the Harry Edwards archive revealed that the car was known to the Morris Register, his note referencing Network member, Ken Martin. Perhaps Ken can provide more detail?

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IOTW no.568

By IOTW

It’s unusual to find an advertisement for the Morris Minor that is infrequently seen. This one is such an ‘ad’.  The model featured is a 1929 season Fabric Saloon, the ‘ad’ appearing in The Light Car & Cyclecar on 9th August 1929. The copy extolls the virtues of the car’s long range touring capabilities, citing a recent 1200 mile Morris Motors sponsored trip to the French Riviera and back. This expedition had warranted a full blown article (written by ‘Mileator) which appeared in the March 1929 edition of the Morris Owner magazine.

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I(s)OTW no.567

By IOTW

MG 704 – A McEvoy Midget

There are just two known surviving images of J.A. Berry‘s 1930 McEvoy bodied Midget (MG 704) both of which appear here. Berry successfully competed in his factory bodied Midget throughout 1930 and 1931 before exchanging the body for a McEvoy example built by the Jensen Brothers in West Bromwich in the spring of 1932. The similarities between the McEvoy Minor and Midget bodies are clear to see in the images to be seen above. (The lower two items appear here courtesy of Motorsport Images)

 

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IOTW no.566

By IOTW

US 1050 is a Glasgow registered 1933 Wolseley Hornet Saloon. This internet sourced image provides no clues as to its precise location, or to when the photograph was taken, although it’s clear to see that the barge is about to cross (or has just crossed) a loch or estuary.

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IOTW no.565

By IOTW

This postcard of Midhurst in the heart of rural West Sussex was taken in 1938. Parked-up at the kerbside is 1934 Morris Minor Two-seater (AHW 212). The Minor was first registered in Bristol in June 1934, so already four years old and some distance from home territory. What’s perhaps noticeable about this image is that the Minor and the DHC on the right are the only true ‘open’ cars to be seen. Had a photo been taken from this spot in 1928, there would undoubtedly have been many more open models in shot.

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IOTW no.564

By IOTW

Yet another image about which little is known. This was recently found uncaptioned in the archive, having lain there unnoticed since 2003. The Minor 5 cwt van in question was first registered in Birmingham in 1930, although to which of the various Newnhams’  scattered across England this vehicle was associated is anyones guess. It had served a useful community purpose as a private mobile lending library, perhaps doubling as a grocery delivery vehicle? Neverless, a sad end to what was probably a hard working life.

Thanks to member Mike Taylor, more is now known about this van. It’s not a an OF (Birmingham) registration but DF 9897, first registered in Gloucestershire in 1930. Mike knew of the van’s existance from the late 50s through to the 70’s and confirms that it was saved and restored. The Newnham village concerned was Newnham-on-Severn, Glos. (The DVLA records that the van was last taxed in 1994.

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IOTW no.563

By IOTW

1930 Morris 8HP Fire Tender

The Minor based Fire Tender was first catalogued in the 1931 Morris Motors range brochure. As can be seen in this photograph it was extremely well equipped, although the chemical fire exstinguishers were not included in the £170 asking price. Comparatively few images exist of the model, this one being a recent eBay find. The vehicle depicted here was almost certainly photographed at an Olympia exhibition, the patterned stand floor tiling matching numerous thirties Motor Show shots. Few Fire Tenders made it to customers and just four are documented. These included one that serviced the Morris Motors Cowley site, while a second was gifted to the City of Oxford Fire Brigade. A third example was purchased by an Indian Maharaja, while a fourth made it all the way to Wellington, New Zealand.

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IOTW no.562

By IOTW

An early thirties postcard depiction of Preston, not the large town in Lancashire, but a small village in Dorset some 275 miles south. The car that is about to pass the village store is either a 1930 or 1931 season Morris Minor OHC Coachbuilt Saloon, although unfortunately the vehicle’s registration markings are indecipherable.

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IOTW no.561

By IOTW

1930 Morris Minor Arrow Coupe GJ 8534

Perhaps once or twice a year it’s possible to find an historic image on eBay (or elsewhere) that quickens the pulse rate of a Minor enthusiast. This was one such occasion. Photographs of the 1930/31 Morris Minor Arrow Coupe Special are extremely rare, with just four differing depictions of the model present in the archive. GJ 8534 is a May 1930 London registered example and was built at A.P. Compton & Co’s Arrow Coachworks  in Hanwell, W.7. According to the caption written on the rear of the print, the photo was taken in July 1939 at Whyteleaf in Surrey at which point the Arrow was already nine years old. While looking a little tired and well used, it only differed visually from those newly constructed in 1930 by the addition of a pair of scuttle vents.

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I(s)OTW no.560

By IOTW

Morris saloon car space evolution

These two photographs were taken five years apart but represent two consecutive models. The top photo displays the available interior space of a 1932 Morris Family Eight Saloon, while the lower photo is of the interior of the model that replaced it, in this instance the 1937 version of the Morris Eight. The long wheelbase Minor range ceased production in the summer of of 1934 with the new Eight model arriving in Morris dealerships in early autumn the same year. The most visable difference relates to the use of the available space. The seating position of the front occupants of the earlier model is significantly further forward than that seen on the later car, which results in a wider rear door providing easier access for rear seat passengers. However, the driving position position of the later Eight looks to be far less cramped. (Both photos courtesy of Motorsport Images)

 

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I(s)OTW no. 559

By IOTW

Hybrid Minor Saloon.

This scan of a 10 X 8 print, taken from Morris Motors negative 7537, has been in the archive for almost eleven years and raised something of a stir when first published at that time. As received, the photo was found to be mounted on a section of card, upon which were written the words “1929 Morris Minor Saloon”. The car’s body was identical in shape to that of the 1929 Minor Fabric Saloon, with smaller rear side-windows to those seen on the following season’s saloon models. However, this car had a metal paneled lower body with a fabric skin covering everything above the door cheekline. Clearly, the car was a prototype, as no such Minor Saloon ever entered production, which left and still leaves an unanswered question as to its purpose?

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IOTW no. 558

By IOTW

Another Connolly MG Midget advertisement surfaces

The full page advertisement seen here was found in the January 1932 edition of the ‘SMT Magazine‘, published by Scottish Motor Traction Co. Ltd, in conjunction with the LMS and LNER railway companies. The magazine was effectively a travelogue, full of holiday destination articles, written presumably to encourage the Scottish populace to travel using SMT’s vehicles as the means of transportation. There may be later Harold Connolly illustrated MG M Type Midget advertisements to be found, although the model ceased production just six months later. The colour rendition of the Connolly drawing was created by Peter Brock, to whom many thanks.

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I(s)OTW no. 557

By IOTW

1930 Maltby Minor DHC Special

Coachbuilders Maltby’s of Folkstone, Kent advertised two Minor variants for the 1930/31 season. These were the £160 de luxe Two – seater and the £185 DHC version. A solitary two-seater is known to have survived but has been undergoing restoration for almost 20 years and sadly hasn’t been seen for some considerable time. Unfortunately, it appears that none of the very well appointed DHC versions have survived. These Autocar diagrams along with the 1930 Motor Show program notes provide specification details. No period photos of the DHC version have been found to date.

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IOTW no.556

By IOTW

OC 7194

This Morris Minor Two-seater (OC 7194)  was photographed on one of the 7 hill sections of the 1934 Sunbac Colmore Trial which took place on 24th February. R.V.M. Barry was at the wheel of the Morris and was tasked to complete 70 miles prior to the trial’s end. There were 155 starters and contempoary reports indicate that delays were experienced.

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IOTW no.555

By IOTW

This image of JO 764, the £100 S.V. Morris Minor development car was taken on a very wet and dismal day somewhere in the Oxfordshire countryside, just prior to the car’s announcement in late December 1930. This is one of a sequence of photos of the car, all likely to have been taken on the same day and held by Motorsport Images among their LAT Collection. The photos are an important reference source and have helped with the car’s restoration, currently being carried out by London based Morris enthusiast, Mick Roberts. (LATplate Red 9061)

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IOTW no.554

By IOTW

1930 MCC ‘Exeter’

Here is a recently discovered Morris Minor saloon photograph from the LAT Collection (B5299), which was taken at the 1930 MCC London-Exeter Trial. The car’s competition number of 151 identifies it (via Cowbourne) as being driven by M. Longridge. The car’s registration is partialy obscured by mud or a badge and reads as GC 7?17, making it a London 1930 registration. It’s lack of a ‘Morris’ script on the radiator would indicate that it’s a 1930 season car, although it’s impossible from this head-on shot to determine whiich of the two  saloon versions this one is. Unfortunately for Mr. Longridge, he had to retire the car and therefore did not gain an award. (Courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.553

By IOTW

Wagner again

T. Wagner competed in Morris Minors from the spring of 1933 until immediately prior to the commencement of the Second World War. His first Minor was a 1933 Two-seater model (KJ 9509), while his first recorded event was the Scottish Six Days Trial held in May of that year. After this his name crops up regularly among the results of the national reliability trials of the period.  Photographs of his second Minor, a 1934 Two-seater (OY 8787), also appeared from time to time in the motoring magazines . While perhaps not the best known Morris Minor personality of the period, he was certainly a regular competitor and judging by his results, was also a very capable driver. Here he is seen competing in the 1934 London – Gloucester Trial ‘ somewhere in the Cotswolds’. (LATplate C5804 courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.552

By IOTW

Unless you are an enthusiast or own classic or vintage cars, it’s doubtful that you would deliberately include a car ‘in shot’  if you were taking a family photograph today. In the thirties, the opposite seems to have been the case. Back then, the family car was captured on film at every opportunity. Here, a ten or eleven year old boy dressed in full school uniform has been posed alongside the family’s 1929 Portsmouth registered Morris Minor Fabric Saloon (TP 7975).  The Minor itself is only noteworthy for its spotlight and non standard horn, although the luck associated with the horseshoe affixed to the radiator may well have been called upon from time to time to compensate for the car’s totally bald front tyres! This damaged snapshot has no caption on its reverse  and was a recent eBay purchase.

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IOTW no.551

By IOTW

Wolseley Hornet Saloon

The launch of the Wolseley Hornet in April 1930 was a huge event at the time. The intense public and media interest was not due to the cars appearance as its body was already a familar site and shared with the Morris Minor, the Morris product having been launched some 18 months previously. No, this  excitement was due to the compact 1271 cc, six-cylinder OHC engine designed for this model. This ‘head-on’ LAT photoscan view does reveal the narrow track it shared with the Minor but not its elongated bonnet, under which sat the extended Minor engine. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images) 

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IOTW 550

By IOTW

1933 SSDT

The May 1933 running of the Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) encompassed some of Scotland’s most beautiful scenary. Although not apparent from this edited extract of LAT plate C317, H.F. Barge‘s 1931 SV Tourer (JO 2231) is seen climbing away from the village of Inverfarigaig on the shores of Loch Ness, leaving General Wades Military Road (B582) far behind. (Courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.549

By IOTW

WE 5586

1929 Morris Minor saloon (WE 5586) was first registered in Sheffield, as was WE 7511 but some time later the following year. UD 3335 is aso a 1930 registration, although originating in Oxford. The photograph was one of a miscellaneous batch of five recently acquired via eBay.  The concise caption on its the rear reads as follows, “Morris Minor, Marmon Straight Eight and Essex Terraplane”. Nothing else is known.

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IOTW no.548

By IOTW

T. Wagner

T. Wagner successfully campaigned his Two-seater Minors (’33 model KJ 9509 & ’34 model OY 8787) between 1933 and 1938, appearing in many events and regularly featuring among the top award winners throughout that period. Here he is photographed in June 1938 while taking part in the MCC’s London-Edinburgh trial, driving (according to Cowbourne) a 908cc (sic) Minor Two-seater. This image was taken from a recently discovered cache of ‘Motor’ 35mm negatives held in the LAT Collection. (Photo courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.547

By IOTW

Autumn 1939

An unidentified 1931 SV Morris Minor Coachbuilt Saloon is seen here queuing for fuel shortly after the annoucement of the declaration of war on 3rd September 1939. Petrol ration books were distributed to U.K. car owners on 8th September, with rationing coming into force on the 15th. The owner of the Morris Eight saloon behind the Minor has already painted his front wings in line with HM Government advice, although none of cars on view have as yet fitted shrouds to one of their headlamps. This Motor image looks to have been taken in one of London’s new Metroland suburbs, perhaps in Surrey or Middlesex. (LAT collection 35mm Motor negative – courtesy of Motorsport Images)

 

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I(s)OTW no.546

By IOTW

Sir George Kenning (knighted in 1943) was the founder of what was to become the Kenning Motor Group. He was a larger than life character who helped shape a change in the way cars were sold in the U.K. He was photographed here in 1929 alongside a Morris Minor Fabric Saloon. Perhaps better known is the early 1931 photo as used in the Morris Owner magazine and the national press of Sir George driving a £100 Minor to promote the new model.

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I(s)OTW no.545

By IOTW

Two magazines – same image

January 1930 editions of both the Light Car and Morris Owner featured the same image depicting a 1929 season Morris Minor Fabric Saloon behind which a small outboard motor powered craft had been towed to the water’s edge. While both captions mention Durban, South Africa as being the venue, the Morris Owner heads-up its piece ‘With a Minor at the Cape’ despite Durban being located in what was Natal Province, some considerable distance from the cape area.

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I(s)OTW no.544

By IOTW

In the main just a single image adorned the cover of The Light Car & Cycle Car (later shortened to the Light Car) magazine throughout the thirties decade. However, many photos of the selected subject vehicle were taken and the rejected shots eventually found their way into the magazine’s archive alongside the chosen image. Here is one such example. The editor wanted a suitable photo for the magazine’s 10th November 1933 edition to commemorate ‘Poppy Day’. He selected this photo of a 1934 Minor Saloon but consigned the people-less photo of the car and war memorial to the archive. (LAT Motor plate 714-10 courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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I(s)OTW no.543

By IOTW

On the cover…

The Morris Minor featured many times on the covers of the weekly motoring magazines, primarily between 1929 and 1932. Here are two Light Car and Cyclecar covers from 1929, one of which is an advertisement placed by Morris Motors, the other featuring  XV 9071, a Temple Press company car used from time to time by motororing journalist, Harold Hastings. Fabric Saloon XV 9071 was first registered in London in late 1928 and went on to feature on the cover of the magazine on three further occasions, in April 1929, November 1930 and finally in April 1931.

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IOTW no.542

By IOTW

1932/3 Wolseley Hornet Sports Coupe

As mentioned in this spot on a previous occasion, this style of Sports Coupe body was very much in vogue between 1932 and 1935. Most large scale/high volume car manufacturers (with the exception of Ford) produced such a model, all of which had a very similar shape. This model from Wolseley, (unsurprisingly) closely resembled the Sports Coupe offerings from Morris Motors and no doubt shared many parts.

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IOTW no.541

By IOTW

Here is another eBay sourced post-war snapshot of a Minor that has seen far better days. GT 1993, a September 1931 London County Council registered car is wearing ‘L’ plates and is showing clear signs of wear and tear. The 1932 Minor Two-seater has a patched-up hood and paintwork that hasn’t seen polish for some time, although the front tyres appear to be in good condition. It doesn’t look as if the car survived the introduction of the MOT Test in the early sixties, as nothing is recorded on the DVLA database.

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IOTW no.540

By IOTW

Yet another IOTW from across the globe, sourced (once again) by John McDonald from Christchurch, New Zealand. This present-day image of an almost derelict 1933 Morris Minor Saloon is from a local NZ website, the site owner being an avid Austin Seven enthusiast. There are two further images and it’s possible to count at least six Austin Sevens, all kept undercover in barns. The Minor however has been left in the open, exposed to the elements, crying out to be rescued.

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IOTW(s) no.539

By IOTW

GY 8404

IOTW no.538 (see archive) also shows an image of this 1932 Morris Minor Saloon taken in the early post war years. This second glass plate scan was taken around the same period and shows the car alongside a 1934 Minor Saloon variant (BNO 505) and the family’s beautiful Lagonda sports saloon. Sadly, BNO 505 is not currently recorded on the DVLA database although GY 8404 is mentioned there, albeit nothing is known post 1990. Ken Martin does have a photo of GY 8404 (reproduced here with thanks) which was taken in 1987 at the Morris Register’s Stanford Hall rally. It seems likely therefore that the car has survived as it looked well cared for just three years prior to its last recorded DVLA mention. Is the current whereabouts of this Minor known by anyone?

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IOTW no.538

By IOTW

GY 8404

This image was scanned from one of two glass plates recently purchased via eBay. The 1932 Morris Minor Two-door Saloon (GY 8404) was first registered in London in June of that year. The photograph was almost certainly taken in the late forties or early fifties, as the toy Jeep is emblazoned with the motif ‘GB 1946’ on its bonnet. The car heading-up this unusual four vehicle queue is an elegant mid to late thirties Lagonda sports saloon while the last mode of transport in the line-up is a self-propelled, arm powered, foot steered go-cart. The Minor survived at least until August 1990 according to the DVLA.  More on this car in the next IOTW edition.

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IOTW no.537

By IOTW

Click the image to see it full size.

Bound for Spain

Dick Weekes (aka Kemble on this website’s forum) took his 1933 Morris Minor Saloon (UN 6573) to Spain in 1960. After travelling through France, this scenic photograph was taken as he approached the Spanish boarder.

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IOTW no.536

By IOTW

Click the image to see it full size.

This charming image of a 1929-31 OHC Morris Minor Tourer was a recent eBay purchase. The photo had been carefully mounted and framed, thus ensuring that the print was maintained in good condition. A close examination of the photo reveals that the car has been well-kept and is fitted with the early wheel centres as used on 1929 and 1930 season models, although no other form of  vehicle identification is visible. The mature lady behind the wheel is presumably the young boys aunt or grandmother?

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IOTW no.535

By IOTW

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N.Z. homebuilt

Yet another interesting photograph from ‘Networker’ John McDonald in Christchurch, New Zealand. This one depict a 1929 OHC Minor that has seen far better days! The shot was probably taken in the late fifties or early sixties when these cars became affordable to students and others on an extremely limited budget. The homemade body and Magna wheels can’t disguise the car’s origins as the radiator, front wings and OHC Minor engine can all clearly be seen.

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IOTW no.534

By IOTW

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Minehead NCP Car Park mid-thirties

This postcard image of part of the Minehead, Somerset shoreline looks likely to have been taken on a busy weekend during the holiday season. The Morris Minor Two-seater approaching the NCP car park (Parking Fee 6d) is UN 6109 a late 1932 Denbigh registered vehicle. Other car registrations indicate that tourists have travelled from as far afield as Berkshire, Birmingham and the Black Country to visit the Somerset resort. Just out of shot is the terminus to the railway serving the town which at this time was operated by the GWR. The line closed under the Beeching cuts in 1971, re-opening for tourist traffic in 1976 as the West Somerset Railway.

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IOTW no.533

By IOTW

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South London – late thirties

This photo was first published in the 10th March 1939 edition of The Autocar, appearing in an article  related to driving instruction and the taking of the driving test. Here a learner driver under tuition is seen on a busy South London high road passing a parked 1932 Morris Minor 5 cwt van (HN 8545), sign written as being owned by a Norbury, SW16 electrical contractor, A.E. Cox Radio. The photo looks to have been taken in high summer, possibly in 1938, making the Minor van six years old at the time this photo is likely to have been taken. The photo begs a couple of questions – How did a Darlington registered vehicle end up in South London and did the van survive the forthcoming conflict? (Autocar photoscan courtesy of Motorsport Images)

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IOTW no.532

By IOTW

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MY 7336

It would be wrong to suggest that this thirties snapshot of a 1930 Morris Minor Saloon is in any way exceptional.  It isn’t, in that like so many photos of family cars of the period, it was taken at the roadside where a picnic is under way.  The car has an occupant, although the individuals gender is not clear. The Minor (it could be either a Fabric or Coachbuilt saloon) was first registered in Middlesex. This image came via Hugh Barnes (Orstin) with thanks.

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IOTW no.531

By IOTW

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Workhorse

John McDonald submitted this evocative late fifties or early sixties image of a 1932 Morris Minor Saloon. The photo was taken in the Te Urewera region of North Island, New Zealand, the Minor being refuelled outside the local general store.  The car was approaching 30 years old at this time and was showing signs of its age. It had clearly been worked hard of late as the fully laden trailor and flattened rear springs illustrate.

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IOTW no.530

By IOTW

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OV 4995

This 1931 Birmingham registered Morris Minor Two-seater could be some distance from home. The photo is captioned ‘St. Bartholomew’s  Church, Leigh litch gate’, Leigh being in the county of Surrey some 140 miles south east of England’s second city. The assortment of wheels and general appearance of the vehicle might also be indicative of when the photo was taken – perhaps as late as the fifties.

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IOTW no.529

By IOTW

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A Manxed ‘M’

Many pre-war ‘open’ cars were the recipients of new homebuilt bodies in the austere post war years of the late forties and fifties. By now most of these cars were approaching 25 years old and their original timber framed bodies had seen far better days. This Surrey registered 1931 MG Midget PL 5390 had acquired such a body, styled with sharply cut-away doors, a flat windscreen and a docked tail, thus imitating the J and P type Midgets that followed the M Type’, although losing its louvered front valance somewhere along the way.

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IOTW no.528

By IOTW

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JO 764 December 1930

One of the pre-launch photo-shoots for the new (for 1931) S.V. Morris Minor Two-seater (JO 764) was conducted in awful weather conditions somewhere in the Oxfordshire countryside. Here the car is stopped at a road junction during what looks to have been a downpour, the vacuum wiper clearly (or should that be unclearly!) not doing its job. The LAT archive holds a sequence of images taken that day which must have been a miserable one for the photographer. (LATplate Red 9060 courtesy of Motorsport Images)