A Minor Miracle

            Post World War II England was in a state of austerity. The war had come with a huge cost, in both lives and property. The expense of fighting the war had severely cut the luxuries that any person in Great Britain could afford and now, the cost of rebuilding the country was causing the same frugal thinking.

            To pull through all of this and boost the spirits of a population that had just won the war, what the nation needed was a miracle. What it got was a Minor one.

            First shown in September, 1948, the Morris Minor became almost a symbol of England returning to normality. This was a light weight, roomy car with surprisingly tight handling and control. The initial idea behind it, proffered by Sir Isaac Issingonis, was to build a car that would combine luxury and convenience and make it affordable.

            The first Minor, the MM series, started out as a two door saloon or convertible, what they called a tourer. Two years into its run four door models were introduced. These MM series cars shared a number of elements with larger Morris models such as front torsion bar suspension and a construction concept that was just shy of being unibody.

            Those initial MM series cars were powered by a not so awe inspiring 56 cubic inch side valve straight four that churned out all of 27.5 horse power while producing 35 foot pounds of torque. Not what one would consider a speedster but then again, that wasn’t what the Minor was about. Though the top speed was a mere 64 miles per hour it managed to deliver over 40 miles per gallon while seating four. To those post War Englanders this was more important that burning around a race track.

            In 1952 the Minor was updated and featured an Austin designed 49 cubic inch overhead valve four cylinder engine that produced, from all reports, a zippier feel even though it was smaller. Along with some minor cosmetic changes this became known as the Minor Series II. The line also expanded at this time with the introduction of the Traveler, an estate version of the Minor that featured a wood frame in the back and two side hinged doors to allow access to the storage area. A van and pick-up truck version of the Minor was also introduced.

            Another incarnation came in 1956 with the introduction of the Morris 1000. This featured a 57.9 horse power engine that provided a bit more power. But the biggest change was cosmetic. From its inception the Minor had a split panel windshield that sported a piece of chrome in the middle between the driver’s and passenger’s side. With the 1000 the Minor’s windshield went to one slightly curved piece, much like cars use today.

            While a slightly larger engine was added in 1962 and despite some other minor cosmetic and interior changes, the 1000 name was retained through the end of the car’s run.

            History was made in 1961 when the Minor became the first British car to sell one million units. Sales for the car were starting to slip by this time, though, as the British economy had become more robust and people were looking in other directions for automobiles. While production would continue through 1971, sales kept sliding. Even at that, over 1.3 million Morris Minors were sold during its production run.

            The Minor shown here is a Concourse quality 1000 Traveler that was photographed on a drizzly day. The simple sparseness of the car is evident with both the exterior and the interior. Still, these cars were roomy and, for their time, somewhat comfortable. They were an economically perfect for the frugal times following World War II. Indeed, they were something of a Minor miracle.