The U.K.’s Drive-it-Day is an annual springtime event organised by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), thus providing a national collective excuse for vintage and classic car owners to use their vehicles once again, usually after a long winter lay-off. Here a group of enthusiasts from the Norfolk/Suffolk border are about to set off on a short 20 mile tour in beautiful spring sunshine but with the air temperature in single figures.
Brian and Heidi Maeers are legendary personalities in the pre-war Minor world. Brian owned and campaigned his four Morris Minors on a regular basis attending rallies and competing in VSCC events, flying the Minor flag wherever he went. His cars were also used by members of his family to whom they were eventually bequeathed upon his passing in 2014. Here his Minors can be seen assembled once again at a family gathering over the Easter holiday period.
While DPD may not be too concerned, Andrew Miles is investigating the feasibility of utilising his 1929 Morris Minor Tourer (SV 9789) as a ‘home delivery service’ vehicle. Its open body enabling all manner of unusually shaped loads to be transported as illustrated here. On this occasion, ‘SV’ was captured on camera carrying a test shipment of lances for the local Yeovil ‘Knights of the Round Table’ re-enactment group.
Competing in a Minor can be fun – even when it’s blowing a gale and the driving rain is stinging your face. If you find that hard to believe just ask Alistair Bond and Tom his young navigator. It was he who was tasked with plotting a route under these conditions while taking part in the recent LC&ES Welsh weekend activities in Alistair’s 1930 Morris Minor Semi-Sports (IA 9142).
The VSCC are currently celebrating the Centenary of the Royal Automobile Club Light Car Trials which were first held in 1924. The Welsh Weekend run by their Light Car & Edwardian Section (LC&ES), based upon the town of Llandrindod Wells, will include two tours and a trial on the weekend’s menu. Although greatly outnumbered by the Austin Seven community, there is plenty of Minor interest along with a smattering of MG Midget representation. ‘Networker’ Alistair Bond is taking part and has sent a sequence of images, this one included.
… OK South West. The last occasion a Network rally was held this far West in the U.K. was in 2016 when our rally HQ was based in Marnhull, Dorset. This year see’s a return to the West Country when the Scrumpy Rally takes us to the picturesque Somerset town of Chard. This Kate Martin photo, taken in the village of Ashmore, provides a reminder of the 2016 rally’s Sunday tour.
This image surfaced while searching for another item. It depicts a 1930 Morris Minor Tourer (ET 6050) with long-term Minor and MG enthusiast Jim Peacop at the wheel taking part in a VSCC rally (?). The image is almost certainly a scan of a non-digital photograph. Can anyone help with identifying when this image was taken along with its location and event?
Springlike weather is threatening to replace the miserable wet winter endured across most of the U.K. Bedfordshire based Trevor Wilkinson decided ‘enough was enough’ and took to the byways in his 1934 Morris Minor Two-seater (UN 6979), the sunglasses proving that the great golden orb did at least make an appearance!
John McDonald from Christchurch, New Zealand reports that Morris Minors continue to surface across the country. The three cars represented here are all recent finds. Only the blue 1934 Saloon (RC 1232) has been positively identified to date, while the red 1932 roadster carried the N.Z. registration KB 1932 and engine no. 34937 although its chassis no. remains unknown. (This car has recently sold) Tantalisingly, the VIN plate for the second 1934 Saloon (AX 4589) is visible on the car’s bulkhead, but is sadly unreadable from the photograph.