March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor car

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Ian Grace
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March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor car

Post by Ian Grace »

We have received the following invitation from our friends at the the Bullnose Morris Club. Initially, two cars are requested, but more slots may be available later - as explained in the letter below. I suggest we initially provide one OHC and one SV - so perhaps interested member could get in touch with me and we'll see what we can to to fly the VMR flag at this event in March. We will be gathering in force with the BNMC and other Morris clubs at Gaydon in July to celebrate the Bullnose centenary.

"Dear Ian

March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor car

I am writing to you to give you more detail on how the Club is commencing the celebrations for this very special year, and to invite your Club to support us.

The first car left the factory on March 29th 1913. The Club is arranging an event to commemorate this occasion. We have planned to assemble at Nuffield Place, where there is ample parking for cars and trailers. A selection of the earliest Morris cars will be displayed in front of Nuffield Place for photo opportunities. Tea/coffee will be available.

The early Morris cars will then leave Nuffield Place and drive a special route into Oxford, using only the minor roads, to go past Hollow Way, and then on to BMW T Block, for formal display of historic cars and for more photographs. Modern cars will travel from Nuffield Place to T Block via a more direct route. Finally, we are going to the Oxford Four Pillars Sandford Hotel for lunch. Afterwards, disperse or return to Nuffield Place. We are able to use T Block because the factory is not working on March 29th, it being Good Friday.

Tea and coffee can be purchased on the day at Nuffield Place. The Lunch at the Four Pillars Sandford Hotel is optional, and will be three course + tea/coffee, and must be booked in advance.

Because the Club will be using Nuffield Place and BMW properties for the event, we do need to have completed Rally Entry Forms, see attached.

In the first instance, we would like your Club to send two representative cars to our event, please. It may be possible to take further entries, once the take-up from our own Club Members is known, next month.

We hope that you will join us, and look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards
Yours sincerely

Margaret Goding
Event Administrator"
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

Had an e-mail from Monty Goding asking if we have any entries for this. So far, only one - Mike Jones! Any more members like to attend? Open to all Minors now.
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

See the important announcement on the home page.

So we have an OHC Minor (Mike Jones) for the day, but incredibly, we have NO SV Minor for the day!

Are all the SV owners sleep walking through this historic moment?????

Come on guys - if we cannot field A SINGLE SV Minor for such an historic occasion, it would vindicate those who said that we should never have opened the Register to include them! :?
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

Further input from Robin this morning:

"Dear Ian,
The meeting organised by the Bullnose Club and the cavalcade organised by Lady Tanya are different events. The theme of Lady Tanya’s event is 100 years of motor manufacture in Oxford and has the support of BMW, Oxford tourist board etc. It includes “moderns such as Maestros, which will actually have a lot of meaning for the people who worked at Cowley. However, Peter Seymour and I were shocked to find that key models missing from the line up are the early OHC and SV Minors. My job was try and find someone with a suitable Minor who would like to take part. Hence, I turned to you for suggestions. Since Michael Jones is on the Bullnose event, the name of another OHC owner would be welcome. Peter Seymour did contact Ken Martin. I gather that Ken cannot take part, although he felt a Minor should be in the cavalcade."

So, to recap, we are looking for a SV Minor to join Mike Jones with his OHC Minor for the BNMC event at Nuffield Place, and an OHC and SV Minors for the Oxford cavalcade.
plj
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by plj »

Ian,

So we are not dis(grace)d in this event I am prepared to transport, at no cost, a Minor and two passengers to this event and return, providing they are within reasonable travelling distance of my home, (nr. Eastbourne on the south coast), or can be met conveniently on the way. I am also not averse to an overnight stop but each party will obviously have to meet their own costs for this.

Regards,

Philip
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

Still looking for one OHC Minor and one SV Minor for the Oxford Cavalcade and one SV Minor for Nuffield Place.

In other centenary news, Peter Seymour has written a fascinating book - The A to Z of the Morris Oxford of 1913. I'll be reviewing it in M 145, but I can tell you that it is VERY impressive and extremely deeply-researched. The book is currently at the printers and I will let everyone know as soon as it is ready for distribution, with ordering details etc.
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

This is becoming urgent!

We have an OHC Minor (Mike Jones) and an M Type (Peter Field) for Nuffield Place, and entries are now full for this event.

However, we still have NO cars for the Oxford cavalcade. The reason I would really like to help with the Cavalcade is because it is being organized by Tanya Field who has been very supportive of our efforts to try to help out.

To give you some background, Tanya is Lady Tanya Field, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Macclesfield and is a great Morris enthusiast. The 7th Earl was chairman of W.R.M.Motors Ltd. which made the first Morrises at Cowley i.e. Morris borrowed money off the Earl to get going.)

Last month I requested via Morris historian Peter Seymour (who has written a superb A to Z of the Morris Oxford for 1913 - reviewed in M 145) that Lady Field might consider becoming the Register's Patron. But it is a bit difficult to progress this if we cannot raise a single car for the Cavalcade! So - if you can POSSIBLY get your OHC Minor, SV Minor or M Type to Oxford THIS FRIDAY (we need one example of each), please e-mail me immediately, and I will put you in direct touch with Lady Field who is organizing the event.
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

Nigel Stroud is entering his M Type! :D
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

Thanks also to Tim Brown and Elina Helenius for entering their OHC saloon in the Cavalcade.

So we have M Types and OHC Minors for both events now, but still no SV Minors. :o
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

OK - Nuffield Place and the Cavalcade are now full, so sincere thanks to you guys who have stepped up - two Minors and two M's.

Let's now hope for balmy spring weather for Friday!

And now the other good news - this just in from Lady Field:

"Hello Ian,

I would love to be your Patron, but before I accept I will need to go on a bit of a steep learning curve as I would need to feel that I had a reasonably sound basic knowledge of Minors. I'm pretty good on classic Minis, we have 9 of those and generally reasonable on BL, Austin Rover and Rover Group, but not so good on Morris, believe it or not!

Thank you for finding us a Minor - I will study it carefully on Friday and talk to Tim and Elina about them. We now have our quota of 40 vehicles for the Cavalcade, so I would struggle to take anymore vehicles.

Many thanks again for your help and I'll be in touch again after Centenary,

Tanya"
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

So we have for tomorrow:

Nuffield Place:

Mike Jones - 1930 Morris Minor Semi-sports JN 570
Peter Smith - 1930 M Type MG MG 770

Oxford Cavalcade:

Tim Brown and Elina Helenius - 1930 Morris Minor saloon UF 7090
Nigel Stroud - 1930 M Type MG PO 1357

Thanks guys - have a great day!
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

HAPPY CENTENARY to the Morris motor car! :D :D :D

And only 15 years to the Centenary of the Minor - so get that rebuild going - we want a hundred Minors at out Centenary Rally!
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

This just in from Peter:

Have tried to post feedback on the forum without luck. However it could be me. Below is feedback on the day and a few pics.

After a chilly drive Jane and I arrived at about 11.30 and we were marshalled to the front of the house with a number of other Morris cars.The event was very well attended, Nuffield house has an overflow car park which was getting full. Most cars stayed for about 20 minutes before moving on. We stayed to about 2.30 enjoying the grounds and a sausage sandwich. By that time there was only 2 of us left but we were approached by Paul Cook  a NT volunteer who is looking for Morris/MG cars to park in front of the house for the day in return for free entry to the house. The house is open Weds to Sunday from 27/3 to 3/11. So if you want a good day out contact Paul on Paul.cook@nationaltrust.org.uk

Peter"
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

This video just in from Elina Helenius as UF passed the original Morris Longwall Street works on the cavalcade:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qhr7duh3kl6l ... I_3850.MOV

This link also takes you to a number of photos of the day.
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Re: March 29th 2013 – Centenary of the first Morris motor ca

Post by Ian Grace »

Further to earlier posts, we can now officially announce the splendid news that Lady Tanya Field, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Macclesfield has accepted appointment as Patron of the Vintage Minor Register. Lady Tanya's great grandfather, the 7th Earl was chairman of W.R.M. Motors Ltd. which made the first Morrises at Cowley. William Morris borrowed money off the Earl to get his fledgling motor business going.

Lady Tanya tells us, "I would love to be your Patron and gratefully accept. I will need to learn much more about the Pre War Minors and think one day I really should buy one!"

Such a Minor would join her stable of about 30 classic Minis!
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