1969 MORRIS MINOR

Harry Richmond persuaded his partner Tom to ‘go halves’ to buy the best Morris Minor that they could afford and ‘Mabel’ has since taken them on many adventures throughout the UK

HOW DID YOU COME TO OWN YOUR CLASSIC?

‘I’ve always liked Morris Minors, not least because of the fantastic spares support. Friends with other classics sometimes struggle to get parts but with a Minor pretty much anything we need will be delivered next day – and inexpensively, too. I bought our first Minor about four years ago when I was 24 but it needed too much work so I sold it to a restorer. But the Minor “itch” still needed scratching so, I persuaded my partner Tom to go halves so we could afford to buy a restored car and we didn’t even haggle when we saw Mabel, a two-door saloon, back in May 2021. She’s our pride and joy, lovely to drive, never welded, with a warranted mileage of just 47,000 and loads of history, including details of when it was given away as a prize in Woman’s Own magazine back in 1989!’

WHAT DO YOU USE IT FOR IT?

‘We’ve taken Mabel to several Morris Minor Owners’ Club Young Members’ events this summer, usually camping out of our teardrop trailer, which complements Mabel perfectly – we even have matching wheels on Mabel and the teardrop. We travel all over the UK, from Thoresby Park in Nottinghamshire, down to Dorset, across to Wales and of course camping at the national club rallies with the Young Members’ Group who have become like family to us.’

WHAT WOULD YOUR OWNERSHIP TIPS BE?

‘Check spares availability before choosing any classic and don’t be afraid to modify and improve it for safety, reliability and to better suit modern life and driving conditions. Some of our upgrades to make our many adventures more comfortable include a bigger carburettor on a Mini manifold, electronic ignition, electronic fuel pump, high output alternator, electric radiator fan, spotlights, reversing lights, alarm and tracker, 14” Minilite wheels, full LED lighting conversion, Bluetooth radio, USB chargers, third brake light, extra sound deadening and poly bushed suspension. Join a club, too; they welcome young enthusiasts and many clubs – such as the MMOC – now even have Young Members’ sections to help and encourage other young people to drive classics and to protect the future of our cars.’

WHAT DO YOU SEE BEING IN YOUR GARAGE IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?

‘Mabel is our forever car and we look forward to many more adventures with her, but if we had a three-car garage then an MGB would be a lovely companion for Mabel, since it is sporty, classic and – like the Minor – has excellent club and spares support. And perhaps a modern classic first-generation Audi RS6 Avant for when we’re in a hurry!’

ENGINE 1098cc/4-cyl/ohv POWER 45bhp@5100rpm TORQUE 57lb ft@3000rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 75mph 0-60MPH 20.6sec FUEL CONSUMPTION TRANSMISSION RWD, four-speed manual