MAJOR CELEBRATION FOR MINOR
Two days and 1000 cars – the perfect combination to give the Morris Minor the sort of 70th birthday tribute that it truly deserves
‘Wow, did all this really happen?’ Similar statements were on the lips of thousands of people who attended this amazing event…’ CCW, 27 June 2018
No professional eventorganising company or mega-million-pound sponsorship deals, but great enthusiasm and camaraderie made Morris Minor 70 a truly great birthday tribute to one of Britain’s most adored artefacts – we could never call it just a car after attending this genuinely joyous celebration. This show was far, far more than just a big display of metal. Here is a car (ah!) that inspired several well-known gentlemen from the organisers at the Morris Minor Owners’ Club to perform an authentic Full Monty show during the event – thankfully well rehearsed, and in aid of Prostate Cancer research. Lovely summer weather added to a truly great atmosphere. Oh yes, the cars. Around 1000 attended, including sister vehicles – the Wolseley 6/80 and 4/50, along with the Morris Six and MO Oxford, also celebrating their 70th birthdays. This was probably the most significant gathering of Morris Minors ever, with the list of cars present reading like a marque who’s who: NWL 576, the first production car ever built, which is normally on display at the British Motor Museum, attended, along with the last Minor to leave the production line in 1971; the oldestsurviving four-door, experimental vehicles, police cars, vans, young enthusiasts’ daily drivers, concours cars, lilac Morris Minor Millions – Minors, Minors and more Minors! There was also the opportunity to be photographed with a unique Minor in model prototype form – the Mosquito, formerly owned by Morris Minor development engineer, Jack Daniels. What an event, and what an achievement by the many, many people who made it happen! Talking of personalities, maybe club chairman John Frye, who chose the event to officially leave his post after an incredible 40 years, said it best: ‘There is nothing like this club anywhere in the world. It’s an incredible collection of people.’ The same goes for the cars too, of course!