The Latest News from the VMR
2/7/08 After
a delay due to unforeseen circumstances, the tickets for our Summer Rally
have been posted today
and should be with everyone
next week. If not, don't worry, we have plenty of spares - and we
know who has entered what!
Late entries are still being
received and more would be welcome!
26/6/08 Magazine
M 131 has now shipped from VMR HQ and the downloadable version has been
placed in the Members' Area.
No, that's not a period
shot on the front cover, but Jeremy Evans' saloon captured last year somewhere
in deepest Wales.
17/6/08 Members
are respectfully reminded that the Summer Rally Stars and Stripes party
at Thorpe Abbotts is a Bring
Your Own Bottle affair. On the other hand, delightful female company
will be plentiful...
13/6/08 The
ex-Roy Hogg OHC 5 cwt. van will be auctioned by Dorset
Vintage Classic Auctions on Thursday 26th June.
This is an extremely rare
commercial with significant Register history and we sincerely hope that
it finds a good home.
Nevertheless, we feel that
the estimate of £9,700 to £10,700 is somewhat optimistic...
13/6/08 This
extremely original 1934 saloon is currently being offered on eBay at a
Classic Ad price of £7,500.
Listewd 12th June on a 28-day
listing. Location is Uckfield, Sussex. View it here.
13/6/08 Tis
sizeable haul of SV Minor engine spares is currently being auctioned on
eBay. Check it out here.
Ends 15th June. Thanks
to Ian Judd for spotting this one.
By the way, welcome to the
Register Ian!
12/6/08 This just in from Andy Tongue - the Comp. Sec. of the Light Car Section:
"Hi Ian, I think we have
a record of recent times on our hands - as of this evening,
we have NO Minors at all
on the rally/tour entry list! We know of one or
two in the pipeline, have
a pile of envelopes to be processed in our
in-tray, and know of one
or two Morris-owners who will be otherwise-mounted
for the weekend (the Rogers
for example), but beyond that, where have they
all gone? Unfortunately,
we have unavoidably clashed with the big event at
Brooklands again, which
removes some of our usual Southern contingent.
As entries close on Friday,
scope for virtual cheerleading at this stage is
somewhat limited I'm afraid,
but you are welcome to have a go nonetheless! Best wishes, Andrew."
Wot - NO entries at all for the LC Summer Rally?! Come on chaps - The Peak District isn't quite the North Pole!
11/6/08 Summer
Rally update. For those of you who have entered but NOT yet ordered
your Vintage Picnics (Saturday at Horham),
please download the order
form here and send
it in without delay. Likewise, if anyone has not yet ordered the
Register's 2008 Yearbook.
This year's Yearbook will
be distributed with M 132 in early August. Due to the relatively
limited number of entries for this year's Rally,
it has been decided not
to publish a combined Yearbook/Rally handbook this year. This will enable
more of the Yearbook to be allocated
to new articles, and to
compensate, the Tour Handbook will be expanded into a full Rally Handbook.
All Rally entrants will receive
a complementary copy of
the Rally Handbook at the Rally. As for the Yearbook, this year's will
be the first with colour content,
many pages being reproduced
with high-definition LaserJet printing. If you have not already done
so, please download your order form here.
If you have any suitable
material for the Yearbook, please send it in without delay.
Finally, if you have not
yet entered the Rally, but are thinking of coming along
(and we would encourage
you to do so!), download the entry form here.
11/6/08 No less
than ten new members have joined the Register in the last two months -
and all own SV Minors.
Here is Tony Payne's 1932
(1933 season) 2-seater progressing very nicely with new body and wings.
Two years ago, it was not
much more than a pile of bits languishing in deepest Cornwall.
We look forward to seeing
it out and about again before long.
Welcome one and all!
11/6/08 News
from the Register's Advance Warning Department! The 2009 Register
Summer Rally will take place
over the weekend of 1st/2nd
of August and we will be returning to the Cotswolds. This weekend
coincides with
the Vintage Sports-car Club's
Prescott weekend. We will hold our usual welcome gathering on Friday
evening,
a combined navigation rally/scenic
tour on Saturday, our annual social on Saturday evening - plans currently
TBA,
but may well involve eating,
drinking and a steam train! On Sunday we will hold a Vintage Picnic
at Prescott
and watch the hillclimb
before wending our way to a farewell pub run on Sunday evening.
But that will not be the
end of the event for our VSCC members, since Monday morning will see the
start of the VSCC's
75th Anniversary celebrations
in nearby Malvern which will run through to the following Saturday.
As is usual with the VSCC's
five-yearly Jubilee weeks, there will be a mouthwatering selection of events
throughout the week in the
local area. The provisional schedule may be found here.
We are in the early stages
of planning Morris/MG evening at some point during the week.
Due to the pressure of numbers
at both Prescott and Malvern, we STRONGLY advise you to arrange accommodation
for either or both of these
events at your earliest convenience. Watch for further details as
they emerge.
31/5/08 This
year's VSCC Light Car Section's Summer Navigational Rally and Tour will
be visiting the wonderful Peak District,
courtesy of hosts Richard
and Paula Marsh. Based at White Gate Farm, Abney near Hathersage
in the heart of the National
Park (MR119/199½799½ ). Date - 28th/29th June.
Full details and the Entry
Form may be downloaded here.
30/5/06 The
June VMR Newsletter was launced across the ether tonight. About 20
e-mail addresses on the e-mail addressee list
are still bouncing.
If you think you should have received a copy, but did not, then please
contact the Register.
VMR Newsletters are also
archived in the Members' Area.
22/5/08 No less
than seven VMR members and their cars gathered at Echuca, Victoria at the
end of March
for the Morris Register
of Australia's National Rally. Thanks to Richard Calver for this
fine shot
of the cars lined up at
the Echuca Aquatic Park. More pictures coming in M 131.
20/5/08 This beautifully-constructed SV Minor special is currently on offer on eBay. View it here.
18/5/08 There
were TWO Minor gatherings this weekend. The VMR mounted a display
of cars at Beaulieu,
and five owners gathered
in Holland where a local Minor group is forming. Thanks to everyone
who supported
the Beaulieu stand and brought
along their cars, and thanks to Halbe and Frank van Voorst for their
great work over in Holland,
where we believe that there are at least 17 Minors.
12/5/08 If you
want to display your Minor at Beaulieu this weekend, and get into the autojumble
FREE,
then contact
the Register NOW! The VMR will have a stand there and we have
been invited by the National Motor Musem
to display our cars alongside
the post-war Minors which will be celebrating their 60th Anniversary.
Whether you bring your car
or not, please come along and give our members some support on the stand.
12/5/08 This
outstanding Hundred Pound Minor is currently on offer on eBay - ends 18th
May.
It has been in the hands
of the vendor for thirty five years.
8/5/08 Congratulations
to the Hon. Richard Buxton for becoming our member number 300!
Richard lives in Dorset
and owns a March 1933 Minor 2-seater which has been in his family since
the War.
Interestingly, the car was
once fitted with an Arnott supercharger, but is currently running unblown,
although Richard still has
the blower. The car has been off the road for many years,
but Richard plans to bring
it up to MoT standard shortly. We look forward to seeing it out and
about once again
in the not too distant future.
7/5/08 There
have been a couple of changes to the Summer Rally programme. First,
the Tour has proved very popular,
but the navigation rally
has attracted NO entries. So the navigation rally has been cancelled
and additional effort is being directed
into making the tour even
better! In particular, we have arranged Vintage Picnics for the lunch
stop on the Tour.
You can download a Vintage
Picnic order form here.
Second, we are planning to organize a driving test on the airfield
at Thorpe Abbotts on Sunday
afternoon. Entry will be entirely free, so this may be a great opportunity
to put your car
through its paces and compare
its performance with others.
If you are planning to attend
the Rally, but have not yet entered, please
send in your Entry Form without delay.
30/4/08 Just
some of the cars which turned out for our Hatchgate spring pub meet which
was very well attended.
The lineup includes no less
than four 'new' Minors which were very welcome, plus a wide variety of
other makes and models.
Full report in M 131.
Photo - Toby Sears
21/3/08 We extend
a warm welcome to Steve Johnstone of Melksham who joins the Register with
his highly original
ex-Tony Gamble 1932 5 cwt.
van.
13/3/08 As mentioned
below, we have booked Fiona Harrison to entertain us on Saturday night
at our Summer Rally.
Here is her poster for the
evening. This is undoubtedly going to be a Register occasion NOT
to miss!
Book here
now! Everyone welcome!
11/3/08 Welcome
to Barry Treloar with his very smart 1934 Minor 2-seater - nearly ready
for the road after a complete rebuild.
Barry is desperate for a
sound cylinder head for this car. Can anyone help him?
If so, please contact
Barry.
27/2/08 The
2008 Register Yearbook can now be reserved by downloading the Order Form
here.
For the first time, this
year's Yearbook will contain many pages in
full colour.
The Yearbook will also double
as a Summer Rally Handbook, providing a wealth of useful and informative
background information which
will be of interest regardless of whether you will be attending
the weekend or not.
Reserve your copy now.
27/2/08 Planning
for our Summer Rally is now well advanced and has all the hallmarks of
a tremendous weekend of
nostalgia, great social
events and unforgettable motoring around the lanes of East Anglia.
The theme is the US Eighth Air Force,
and in particular, the Bloody
Hundredth - the 100th Bomb Group
- and the incredible sacrifice made for us all by them over sixty years
ago.
Full details are included
on the Rally webpage, which may be found here.
Download your Entry Form here
and please return it ASAP
so we can sort catering
and other arrangements. You may also use the Entry Form to order
your 2008 Yearbook.
- Fiona Harrison has been booked for Saturday night!
26/2/08 We have
great pleasure in welcoming Dennis and Jason Klemm of Wisconsin, USA to
the Register.
Between father and son,
they own at least NINE pre-war MG's including 3 M Types, two PA's, a J1,
a VA and a TA.
Welcome to both of you!
22/2/08 There
is a considerable quanity of Minor spares on offer on eBay at present.
Included is an OHC Lucas
instreument panel.
View them here
(and check out the seller's other items for sale).
Thanks to Tony Gamble for
spotting this little lot.
20/2/08 As our
website banner suggests, we are making history - again. We believe
that we are the first Register to
provide our quarterly Magazine
online. The latest issue - M 130 - may be found in, and downloaded
from, the Members' Area.
Hard copies will be with
memebrs in about three weeks.
..
16/2/08 Tony
Gamble is selling TWO vehicles from his Minor collection - a very promising
OHC Minor tourer
and a very rare and wonderfully
original 1932 SV 5 cwt. van. Snap them up before the go on eBay!
Full details in Marketplace.
16/2/08 Today
we welcome Chris Butler-Cole to the Register with his OHC Minor saloon
and SV 2-seater.
Chris lives in beautiful
Midlothian.
6/2/08 John
Twinberrow is auctioning his 1930 OHC Minor van at the Three Counties Showground,
Malvern
on 14th February. Here's
the link. Contact John on (H) 0121/603/3478 or (M) 07961/909983 for
details.
3/2/08 This
very smart and MoT'd 1931 Minor 2-seater is currently on offer on eBay.
Located in Devon.
Finishes 11th February. View it here.
26/1/08 Toby
Sears is organizing a short run to the Milestones
Living History Museum in Basingstoke
after the Spring Hatchgate
Pub Meet on Sunday 20th. Toby tells us: "It's open from 11 to 5,
last entries 4 p.m.
Admission £7.25 adults
or £5 if we have prebooked 15+. It seemed a bit lame to just
go to a pub nearby on Drive it Day.
How about it? Who's
up for it? If we go to Hatchgate for 12 a.m. we could leave at 1.30-2.00
be at the museum 2.00-2.30.
I am planning to do this
anyway!" Please contact Toby
if
you are interested and let's see if we can get the 15+ discount.
22/1/08 The
new annual subscription system seems to be working well. To date,
about a third
of members have paid their
2008 subs. It would be extremely helpful if as many others as possible
could do this without delay,
so that the number of reminders that have to go out with the next
Magazine are kept to a minimum.
Thanks to all who have sent in their subs,
and thanks in advance to
everyone else!
22/1/08 Today
we welcome Martin Ranger to the Register. Martin purchased his 1931
Hundred Pound
Minor 2-seater, HX 3252
on eBay last April. Welcome Martin!
20/1/08 Work
continues on the Master Chassis Register, to be found in the Members' Area.
The Register contains details
of nearly 400 OHC Minors
known or believed to have survived, and no less than 167 OHC Minor entries
are linked to photographs
of these cars. This has been the biggest image update for the website
in seven years.
If your car does not have
a linked image, that is because we don't have one - so please send
one in!
Next will be the SV Minors
and M Type MGs.
19/1/08 George
Bryne is selling his other CMS special. He sold his other one to Robin
Harcourt-Smith last year
He is asking £6,000
for this one. Fitted SV engine and slightly non-CMS rear end, but
nothing that couldn't be sorted.
George will continue to
be a member, as he has a 1939 Minor GPO van and is also restoring a 1932
SV Minor 2-seater.
Contact George on 01458/223359
to secure this delightful and very rare Minor special.
19/1/08 Today we welcome Clive Hall to the Regsiter. Clive is in the early stages of restoring a 1930 Minor saloon.
15/1/08 The
master chassis registers for the OHC and SV Minors, and the M Type MGs
have been completely overhauled
and combined in a single spreadsheet in the Members' Area.
This spreadsheet is very
much under construction but will eventually contain chassis registers
for ALL other pre-war Morris
models, and is being developed by our new sister organization - the Early
Morris Society.
Please check out this powerful
new resource and feed back any
corrections.
14/1/08 It looks
like the VMR will have a stand at the Spring Beaulieu Autojumble.
See the Forum thread on the topic.
The dates are 17th &
18th May (set up on the 16th). If you would like to help man the
stand or have any goodies to sell,
please contact Toby
Sears or post on the Forum.
14/1/08 The
new style and updated VMR Forum is now up and running here
and is currently extremely active.
Very well worth a visit,
and feel free to register and join in!
14/1/08 The
Regulations and Entry Form for the VSCC Light Car Section's 2008 Welsh
Weekend
are now available for download
here.
Let's see if we can have another strong Vintage Minor entry.
7/1/08 Today
we implement a Membership Referral Scheme.
If, as an existing VMR member,
you introduce a new member to the Register,
you will be eligible for
a £10 (or equivalent in other currencies) discount on your next year’s
subscription
when that new member joins
us. In addition, you may refer more than one new member.
If you introduce two or
more new members, you will receive multiple £10 discounts
and can end up making money
which the Register will pay you!
The system works by the
addition of a simple Referring Member section on the Membership Form,
downloadable
here.
6/1/08 The Forum
is currently being updated to the latest software version which will fix
the Internet Explorer problem
and add new functionality.
It should be back up shortly.
2/1/07 Neville
Wilson reports from New Zealand that the proposed VMR get-together
following the NZ VCC Rally
in Blenheim next Easter is unfortunately cancelled due to lack of interest.
31/12/07 The
VMR New Year's Honours List is out! There are two new recipients
of Honourary Members for 2008.
The Morris and MG historian
Robin
Barraclough has been awarded Honourary Membership
for his services to the Register
since its founding, and
Jim
Legg, MBE has been similarly awarded for his
careful custodianship of
Semi-sports LJ 4435, the
'Bed-Pan', and his quiet support of the Register for several years.
Honourary Members receive
free Magazines for life and free entry to our Rallies.
Welcome to both of you!
31/12/07 If
anyone is planning to attend any of the many New Year meets tomorrow,
we wish you a bright, sunny
day and please send in some reports/photos!
In particular, Toby Sears
would welcome any member joining him at the Phoenix, Hartley Wintney,
where he is providing FREE
BEER for anyone turning up in a Minor!
(I think that's right, isn't
it, Toby?!)
31/12/07 With
the coming of the New Year, the e-Newsletter address database is being
updated.
The list now contains all
known e-mail addresses for all VMR members.
The January e-Newsletter
will be e-mailed tomorrow.
If you do not receive yours,
please contact VMR HQ.
Here
is a list of e-mail addresses which are currently bouncing.
Please check the list and
provide an updated address if yours is on the list. Thanks!
29/12/07 The
Early Morris Society has now been officially launched and VMR members get
free membership!
Society objectives are:
1 To encourage
the driving and sporting use of all pre-war Morris motorcars.
2 To trace,
record and keep track of every surviving pre-war Morris vehicle.
3 To provide
an online repository of Morris data.
Check out the Society's
website here.
(Contact
the Register for the username and password, or find it on the EMS thread
on the VMR Forum.)