The Rarest Minors?

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chris lambert
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The Rarest Minors?

Post by chris lambert »

I was looking through the Morris Register publication 'Morris Cars - the first thirty five years' and was surprised to find that Morris actually produced 12 different variants of the Minor betwean 1929 and 1934; six overhead valve variants and a similar number of side valve engined models. The only uniquely bodied models were the OHV Semi-sports and the side valve two seat tourer, the remaining body styles and models were present in both OHV and s/v catalogues.
In the book are a number of period and more recently taken photographs of many of the Minor models and I was delighted to find one of the 1934 4 seater Tourer. Now I have never seen an image of this car previously and neither have I seen one in the flesh, so to speak. How rare is this car - does any own one, or know of the whereabouts of a surviving example? Two other rare survivors must be the 1931 season Fabric Saloons which were produced in both s/v and OHV configuration for a very short period. Without consulting the register I am fairly sure that there is at least one OHV suvivor, I'm not so sure about the s/v model though.
Another model, thin on the ground, is the OHV Family Eight of which I have only ever seen one, and that is now resident in Japan. I know there are others, in various states of renovation or decay. Some may not mourn their passing, as they believe they are ugly, under powered, stop-gap cars. I don't share that view. How many side valve variants of this model also remain?
I would think that most peoples guess as to the rarest Minor model is the Special Coupe. Manufactured with the OHV engine for 1932 and then the s/v unit for '33 and '34 it is indeed a rarity. I have seen just the one, at Thoresby (pictured below), an OHV model, and saw a s/v model advertised for sale in Classic Car Weekly a couple of years ago. Thats it!
If any body has images of these rare Minors, can we get to see them, either on here or in the magazine? More importantly, if anyone knows of the whereabouts of any such cars and their current state please let the register know so that they can be tracked.

Image

Chris
Last edited by chris lambert on Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
DF9053
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by DF9053 »

Chris,
This is an excellent debate and also applicable on the wider Morris front. Morris had a whole host of models all with various body styles running from around 1927 to when they had the major (no pun intended) shake up in 1933 ish

Has anyone seen a Morris Six for example, this was available in saloon, tourer and 3/4 coupe as well as a Gordon England Club Coupe.

Cheers
Jeremy
Ps the rarest Minor at the VMR summer rally last year were fabric saloons as there weren't any, open cars were far more common even semi sports out numbered coach built saloons!
chris lambert
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by chris lambert »

Tony Gamble has emailed to me a couple of images of a '34 Coupe. These photographs were taken about 10 years ago in North Yorkshire (Probably around July time!) and shows a car crying out for some TLC. Unfortunately Tony has no knowledge of its present whereabouts. It might still be tucked away in a garage somewhere? Has it surfaced anywhere in the meantime? Does anyone have any news about this car?

Image

Chris
DF9053
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by DF9053 »

Do we know the registration number?

Is it me or does this new forum chop the front off all the pictures?

Cheers
Jeremy
prharris25
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by prharris25 »

Don't think I've ever seen a '34 season Special Coupe...this one well worth tracking down. There used to be a 1933 season car with a Bournemouth number attending Morris Register events some years back.
The ohv Family Eight was a delightful little car, hydraulic brakes, sliding head, four doors etc. Before the advent of the Morris Ten in late 1932, this must have been a super little family car. Sadly the later sv engined Family Minor (back to cable brakes initially) car was altogether different (and I suspect heavier, certainly slower) and it is difficult to understand why they kept marketing it once the new Ten (and later the 10/4) had proved to be one of their best sellers.
There used to be in the Beaulieu archive a wonderful picture of a 1932 Family Eight saloon (PJ registration) sleeping in Goodeys famous Twyford scrapyard. Sadly, it was never woken from its slumbers.
ian judd
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by ian judd »

Hello All,
A very interesting site, thankyou for letting me join in as a non-member and M type owner. I owned three SV Minors in the past and had a lot of fun with them and wouldn't say no to another at some point. I just wanted to comment on the subject of the Family Eight. Having seen both the Family Eight chassis and the Wolsley Hornet, it seemed to me that they are one and the same. Far from the Eight and Hornet chassis frames being stretched Minors, the frames are rather different - the side channels are much deeper and they both have the the shackles at the front of the front springs and of course the larger brakes. The much heavier frame would explain the lack of performance, and the Hornet frame with a 4 cylinder engine would allow for the bigger body.
I was given a Family Eight chassis many years ago, but sadly it was beyond saving apart from bits of the hydraulic brakes.
Regards
Ian
chris lambert
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by chris lambert »

Hi Ian,
Welcome to the VMR forum. So thats what has happened to all the old Family Eights - they are running around disguised as Wolseley Hornets! :shock: Mind you I understand that there might be some old Minors running around as M Types!! :wink:
Chris
Trevor Wilkinson
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by Trevor Wilkinson »

I have also noticed that since the upgrade to the Forum only part of the picture is now displayed, I have also noticed while adding this post that the full picture is visible at this time!

If it aint broke don't fix it.
ashford
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by ashford »

ian judd wrote:Hello All,
Having seen both the Family Eight chassis and the Wolsley Hornet, it seemed to me that they are one and the same. Far from the Eight and Hornet chassis frames being stretched Minors, the frames are rather different - the side channels are much deeper and they both have the the shackles at the front of the front springs and of course the larger brakes.
Ian
I have had both types of chassis. At one stage I was considering putting a spare hornet engine in a spare family eight chassis. However the main difference is that the point where the chassis 'kicks up' is further forward on the family eight due to its shorter four cyclinder engine. The 1933 wolseley hornet saloon chassis has much more similar side rails to the family eight. This was because the engine was moved forward in that year. This chassis also differs from the lwb minor by having a cross memeber right at the front and wider springs.
I was wondering how similar the 10inch finned ohc lwb brakes are to the early wolseley hornets. Pictures of 1930 hornets show that they were fitted with three stud ohc minor type wheels. Later lwb minors reverted to cable brakes before fitting morris eight type brakes in 34.
Toby
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by Toby »

Re the photos, I found the pictures made the last forum too wide for all the text to fit on my screen! You can shrink them on photobucket before submitting them. The remains of an 8 engined special that I have was also fitted with the finned lockheeds so maybe it was a family 8 based special, not a minor special! :?
if it's got wheels or chips - it'll cost you dear
Ian Grace
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by Ian Grace »

I take all my pics and edit them to 800 pixels horizontally before I put them up on the website or Photobucket. They then come out a good compromise between size on the screen and resolution.
chris lambert
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by chris lambert »

Perhaps these posts should be under website issues - but I don't have this problem on my 19" widescreen, but I do on my 15" laptop. I must admit I have not been editing the resolution of my images before posting. Is it my images that are causing the problem?
Chris
Ian Grace
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by Ian Grace »

I can find no trace of a surviving SV fabric saloon anywhere. Has anyone ever seen one - or are they extinct? Maybe they appeared in the catalogue, but none were actually built. Perhaps a good question to challenge Harry Edwards with!

Unfortunately, the Morris Progress Books don't distinguish between coachbuilt and fabric saloons - they are all simply recorded as saloons.

We do have 1931 season fabric OHC saloons in the Register - there is even one in a barn in Wisconsin - just across the lake from me. The owner is VMR member Peter Caldwell - the nearest member to VMR HQ and the only on ever to visit! These cars have the leather-grained bonnets - same as the '31 Semi-sports. Presumably the SV '31 fabric saloons had the same. For the recortd, Peter's car is chassis M34370 and was originally registered in the UK asd VG 3815. Like so many others, it is in a perilous state and in desperate need of care. And before you ask, yes, I have tried to buy it, and no, he won't sell it, and no, he hasn't done anything on it!

Another is LG 6677, ex-Jim Peacop's museum, and now ex-Tim Armitage. It is in Brecon and for sale... see Marketplace. So if you are feeling glum after missing out on the Bungay fabric saloon, then SAVE THIS ONE TOO! A bit pricy perhaps, but it needs no restoration, has an MoT and could be driven as an amazing time capsule car immediately.

Another is Lynda Sanders' MU 3485. I think that is it for 1931 OHC fabric saloons.
Trevor Wilkinson
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by Trevor Wilkinson »

The problem with the pictures is not apparent when in the "post a reply " screen ,only when viewed as an ordinary post.:?

If it aint broke don't fix it.
halbe
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Re: The Rarest Minors?

Post by halbe »

Goodmorning gentlemen,

In photobucket you can change the size of the pictures.
Above the picture,go to edit, then to resize and resize the picture to 15 inch screen ,or mesage board .

Halbe
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