Buyer’s guide Morris Minor MM
The first incarnations of this world-favourite small car are still top-value classics
Lighter, roomier and more aerodynamic than the Morris Eight Series E, the post-war Minor heralded a sea change in small-car construction and looks, albeit with an antiquated long-stroke sidevalve engine rather than the modern flat-four that designer Alec Issigonis had planned. At least the engine was well known and proven: reviewers concentrated instead on the Minor’s revelatory handling, space, economy and light controls.
A clever touch on the first ‘lowlight’ cars was that the sidelights doubled as engine-bay illumination. The folding rear seat squab, opening through to the boot, was a rare and modern feature at the time, and combined with a doublefolding passenger seat. But it was very basic: the 1949 road test cars had just a single driver’s-side windscreen wiper and a single offside rear light, with a reflector on the nearside.
Morris engineers were developing an overhead-valve version of the 918cc sidevalve when the BMC merger with Austin came, but they were overruled and the ohv A-series from the Austin A30 was dropped in for the Series II, along with its gearbox. The 803cc unit was freerrevving
but needed lower overall gearing and its ratios were poorly chosen compared to the MM ’box, resulting in the same top speed, generally slower acceleration and marginally worse economy. This embarrassing state of affairs led to astonishing misinformation in The Motor’s road test, where ‘approximately 25% faster acceleration from rest through the gears’ is claimed, despite being at odds with the test figures.
Nevertheless, the Minor continued to sell strongly, aided by the introduction of pick-up, van and Traveller estate models; the commercials were built on a new, separate rear chassis, whereas the Traveller retained the saloon floorpan with a wood-framed, aluminium-panelled rear body that added a unique charm.
Today, rust is a Minor buyer’s main concern, followed by specification. Many early cars, especially SIIS, have been uprated with later running gear. This makes them more usable, but if you prefer originality, finding the correct early parts to revert can be challenging: even the wheels on MMS were different to later cars. Saloons can still be found cheaply, with Travellers fetching more and Tourers the most prized, alongside vans and pick-ups due to their extreme rarity. Very early cars also command a premium.