Morris Minor: 60 years on the road

Introduction & Acknowledgements

Introduction

The very mention of the words ‘Morris Minor’ – let alone the sight of one of these all-time favourite British cars – evokes personal memories and recollections in people from all walks of life, both in Britain and around the world.

It seem barely credible that it is sixty years since the first post-war Morris Minors rolled off the production lines at Cowley in Oxfordshire, or that the development work on what was destined to be a ground breaking design started way back in 1943. What is certain is that in the intervening years the cars have lost none of the intrinsic charm which made them the best-selling British vehicles of the 1950s and 1960s. Enthusiasm for the cars continues with owners using, restoring, updating and enjoying the use of what is often referred to as the ideal practical classic.

In celebrating sixty years on the road, this publication sets out to chart the early development of the vehicles and mark the significant contribution of Alec Issigonis and his small but dedicated team of assistants who, along with farsighted members of the board at Morris Motors Ltd, saw the project through to production in spite of many difficulties. Using contemporary materials and illustrations, many of the contributory factors which led to the success of the Morris Minor are explored.

Morris Motors espoused the virtues of ‘Quality First’ and promoted this theme widely in advertising and promotional literature. Backed by an extensive testing regime, individual components, as well as complete vehicles, were tested to destruction. Ever conscious of the need to maximise the potential for export, conditions encountered in far flung regions were replicated so as to maintain the high standards associated with the Morris marque. Being at the forefront of automotive design, as well as engineering and paint processes, was heralded at every opportunity and this, along with the vehicles themselves, helped perpetuate confidence in the Morris brand.

The worldwide appeal of the vehicles and the advertising and promotional themes adopted by Morris Motors Ltd and Nuffield Exports are reviewed, and in recognition of the wider range of Morris vehicles, Morris Oxford Series MO and Morris Six Series MS models are included. Special consideration is given to individual models, most notably the Travellers Car and the light commercial vehicles, and in an attempt to show the diversity that exists within the Morris Minor range and the opportunities which exist for individual designs, several ‘variation on a theme’ segments have been included.

The aim has been to celebrate 60 years on the road by recreating a nostalgic feel for the vehicles through period advertising, photographic materials and contemporary comment. Above all, this book sets out to capture the feel of a bygone era when Morris Minors were a much more familiar sight on the roads of Britain and many other countries throughout the world.

Acknowledgements

Marking the 60th anniversary of the production of the first Morris Minor would not be complete without a suitable publication to celebrate the occasion. I am particularly grateful to Rod Grainger and his team at Veloce Publishing Ltd for giving me the opportunity to develop my ideas for this book and for embracing the concept of using contemporary material to highlight the many factors which have led to the success of the world renowned Morris Minor. Alec Grant and his colleagues have worked tirelessly to portray the hundreds of images to best effect and to marry the text in a way which creates a unique nostalgic feel.

Sourcing materials and researching the background to this particular book has been a fascinating and rewarding experience, made all the more interesting by the help, assistance and wealth of knowledge shared by many individuals. I am indebted as always to staff, past and present, in the photographic archive departments at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu and at the Heritage Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. I am also mindful of the generosity of certain individuals who have given freely of their time to allow me access to their private collections of Morris Minor materials; Martin Flanders, Sandy Hamilton, Bryan Gostling, Richard Cownden, Simon Marsboll, Anton Visser, Richard Gwynne-Evans and Randolph Williams have all accommodated my requests for help and assistance. I am particularly grateful to Keith Fletcher for his kind permission to reproduce the Issigonis sketches, acquired in 1996, which form part of his private collection, and to John Colley for some of the colour photography.

It is a particular pleasure to acknowledge my gratitude to my friends and colleagues in the Morris Minor Owners’ Club who have both supported and encouraged me in this venture. The fact that this publication is being published in association with the Morris Minor Owners’ Club and that John Frye (Chairman) has penned the foreword, has been a source of encouragement to me.

Acknowledgements would not be complete without reference to the support offered by my family, in particular my wife, Susan.

Ray Newell

1

From sketch pad to reality

The design of the post-war Morris Minor owes much to the automotive genius of one man, Alec Issigonis. Famed for his later work on the iconic Mini, Issigonis’ contribution to the earlier Morris Minor is sometimes overlooked. Nevertheless, the all new Morris Minor which was announced in 1948 was, in its own way, just as revolutionary. When it was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show it caused quite a stir. The British public hadn’t seen anything quite like it before. Even long serving motoring journalists of the time were overwhelmed by its unique features and amazed by the public reaction to what was billed The World’s Supreme Small Car.

Such claims were fully warranted as the Morris Minor set new standards in terms of exterior styling, the use of internal space, levels of comfort and road going characteristics. What was all the more remarkable was the fact that the planning, design and production of the vehicle and all its component parts was spearheaded by one man who headed a small but very capable team of engineers at Morris Motors Ltd. Not for them high specification computer-aided design suites with all the latest software and interactive screens. It was a case of pencil, paper and a busy drawing office staffed with draftsmen capable of producing the essential working documents to assist in the creation and refinement of components for use in the Experimental Department and on production lines.

Alec Issigonis was a formidable and extremely knowledgeable individual. He joined Morris Motors Ltd in 1936 having previously gained valuable experience of working on transmission and suspension systems under the guidance of some notable chief engineers. His first employment, in 1928, was at the London-based design office of Edward Gillett where he worked extensively on developing an automatic clutch system. His work required him to meet representatives of the leading motor manufacturers, enabling him to raise his profile sufficiently to be offered alternative employment in 1934 by T Wishart, Chief Design Engineer at Humber. Under the guidance of Bill Heynes, who later became Chief Engineer at Jaguar, Issigonis gained an insight into the merits of independent suspension systems. This was to prove invaluable and his continued work in this area brought him into contact with Jack Daniels who had joined Morris Motors Ltd from MG in 1933. Fate was to decree that the partnership forged between Issigonis and Daniels would be extremely productive and have a significant impact on the future design of many vehicles, not least of which would be the Morris Minor. Collaboration on a number of wartime projects followed before the decision was taken to establish a small design office at the Morris Motors Cowley plant with the explicit brief of looking to the future in order to develop a new range of Morris Cars. Reginald Job, an experienced draftsman who had joined Morris Motors from Pressed Steel Company in 1939, was assigned to the project. The basis was there for development work to begin on what promised to be an exciting and innovative project.

Alec Issigonis.

Issigonis was the ideas man and his inspirational sketches and drawings provided the basis for much of the work undertaken by the team. Its brief was to modernise the ageing range of Morris vehicles. Initial plans to create large, intermediate and small cars were eventually actioned in 1943 when the Ministry of Supply relaxed the regulations which required major motor manufacturing plants to concentrate solely on military vehicle and munitions production. Permission was granted for work to begin on prototype developments for civilian vehicles.

This was good news and almost immediately Issigonis and his team set to work under the guidance of Miles Thomas, Vice Chairman of Nuffield Organisation, and A V Oak, Morris Motors Chief Engineer. Initially development focussed on the small car in the range. Eventually codenamed the Mosquito, this vehicle was destined to provide the platform for all of Issigonis’ innovative ideas. He was given free reign to develop his thinking, though, as we shall see, constraints in the form of costs, technical problems and a battle of wills would all conspire to limit his horizons.

There were four key areas demanding attention and in all four Issigonis was keen to push the boundaries of automotive engineering; body styling, the use of internal space, suspension and steering systems, and the choice of power unit were all destined to keep him and his team fully occupied.

Issigonis’ preferred method of working was to commit his ideas to paper. Through his sketches, which have become the stuff of legend, he was able to convey his ideas clearly and succinctly. Notations elucidated the key points but it was down to Jack Daniels and Reg Job to use their expertise to convert these into accurate engineering drawings. Such was the trust and level of understanding between the three core team members that few problems emerged. In today’s parlance it could be said that there was ‘synergy’ between them. Even for the layperson the sketches are compelling, and in the case of the Mosquito clearly illustrate how the designers’ ideas emerged and changed.

Body styling

Long after the project had been completed, Issigonis was keen to stress that there was no one moment when the entire concept of the new vehicle emerged. It was, he claimed, an evolutionary process that was influenced by many factors including previous engineering experience, transatlantic influences in body styling and an overwhelming desire to create a practical vehicle with worldwide appeal suited for use in the post-war period.

Monocoque construction was a relatively new concept in the 1940s. Most vehicles used a separate chassis layout. Previous work on the Morris M Ten in 1938 had established the principle at Morris Motors Ltd, and from the outset Issigonis was keen to incorporate the idea into his plans for the new small car. Another influential factor was his decision to maximise the use of internal space and improve comfort levels by having all passengers seated within the wheelbase. A consequence of this was the need to locate the wheels as near to the corners of the car as possible and then limit the extent of the intrusion of wheelarches within the passenger compartment. With success here there remained the question of the best position for the engine. Early on Issigonis determined that this should be fitted as far forward as possible. His thinking here was that a nose-heavy car would complement his plans for suspension design and his hopes for excellent handling. Added to this there was