Lot details Registration No: MKY 749 Chassis No: FBJ442318 Mot Expiry: June 2011
Morris's Minor is almost as universal a symbol of England as the London bus and the red telephone box. Moreover, with over 1.6million being manufactured in its 23 year reign, it is unquestionably one of the most successful cars of all time. We shouldn't be too surprised, however, as the man leading the design team, Alec Issigonis, went on to pen a succession of ground-breaking cars, including the ubiquitous Mini.
Unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show of 1948, the Minor set out to provide the luxuries and practicality of existing quality motorcars at a price suitable for the ordinary person. There were two variants at launch - a two-door Saloon and a Tourer. The four-door Saloon followed in 1950 and the popular Traveller, Van and Pick-up versions completed the range two years later.
The first versions, MMs, were produced from 1948 to 1953. The monocoque bodies were equipped with torsion bar suspension at the front and a live axle mounted on leaf springs at the rear. Power came from a 918cc straight-four, side-valve engine producing 27.5bhp - enough for it to nudge 60mph flat out and deliver up to 40mpg. With the Series II of 1952, came a new engine - the A Series 803cc OHV unit.
The two-door Series II car offered has reportedly had just two owners from new and has never been restored. Supplied by Masons of Bradford in 1956, the car spent its early years in Yorkshire before moving to Buckinghamshire and is said to be extremely original apart from the fitting of indicators, an unleaded cylinder head and front and rear seat-belts. Included in the lot is an unused Gold Seal factory-reconditioned engine.
'MKY 749' apparently comes with a year's tax and MOT, the original handbook, some tools, a workshop manual, a full parts list, a recent battery and five good tyres. We are further informed that a decoke has just been carried out and a new head gasket fitted. In the vendor's words, "In view of its history it naturally displays the 'patina of age', but has been garaged almost all its life, and this eminently affordable and usable classic is now ready for a new home and more adventures".
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