LAST MINOR SALOON
1970 model returns to Cowley five decades after it left
The final Morris Minor saloon is celebrating its 50th anniversary at the factory where it was built.
The restored Trafalgar Blue example, constructed on 12 November 1970, is on display in a small museum at Cowley. It was returned to the plant, now home of the BMW MINI (MINI Plant Oxford), on Wednesday of last week when six people gathered for a socially-distanced handover, the day before lockdown.
Now owned by the Morris Minor Owners’ Club, the car has undergone a massive restoration after some commentators felt it was past saving.
Club secretary, Ray Newell, said: ‘It has been a massive project and the car is a credit to everyone involved with it. We’re very pleased that it is on display at Cowley after leaving the works 50 years ago. We are grateful to staff at MINI Plant Oxford for their assistance in getting the car into the factory’s museum and for housing and looking after it for the foreseeable future.
‘We hope that, post-lockdown, people will be able to come to view the vehicle and appreciate what is a wonderful example of this iconic British car.’
The Minor was first registered at a London dealership as FMT 265J on 6 January 1971 at a London dealership, and travelled 100,000 miles before the second owner decided to part-exchange it for a Rolls-Royce in 1994. Following an article in our sister publication Classic Cars magazine, the Minor was sold to a Manchester enthusiast who died shortly afterwards. The car then languished outside for many years.
Steve Wrelton, spokesperson for MINI Plant Oxford, said: ‘ The backstory and subsequent restoration of this car is nothing short of staggering. Like the Mini that came after it, the Morris Minor was one of the most popular and recognisable cars in Britain. To have the last one built returning to its spiritual home and joining our car collection here at Plant Oxford is fantastic.’