1954 MORRIS MINOR UTILITY

Описание: 1954 MORRIS MINOR UTILITY.
The Morris Minor is a British car that made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, on 20 September 1948. Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.6 million were manufactured between 1948 and 1972 in three series: the MM (1948 to 1953), the Series II (1952 to 1956), and the 1000 series (1956 to 1971).

Initially available as a two-door saloon and tourer (convertible), the range was expanded to include a four-door saloon in 1950, a wood-framed estate car (the Traveller) from October 1953 and panel van and pick-up truck variants from May 1953. It was the first British car to sell over a million units and is considered a classic example of automotive design, as well as typifying "Englishness".

The Minor was a revelation at a time when most motorists were still driving around in pre-war machinery, with unitary construction, modern styling with plenty of interior space, rack and pinion steering and torsion-bar independent front suspension. The first Minors came with a side-valve four-cylinder engine from the Austin A35 but in 1952 an overhead-valve engine was fitted. In 1956, a more powerful 948cc A-series motor was offered as the Minor 1000 and at the same time, the styling was updated with one-piece windscreen and larger rear glass for improved visibility. Morris diversified the range to include the wood-paneled Traveler wagon, convertible and panel van versions. A truly affordable classic car, production of the Minor continued until 1971 - by then, a remarkable 1.5 million had been made. The Minor remains an endearing first classic car with a tremendously loyal following and is a popular choice for the enthusiast looking for something reliable, uncomplicated and rewarding to own.

Morris quarter ton van and pick-up.
Closed van and open flat-bed ("pick-up") versions of the Minor were built from 1953 until the end of production. They were designed for commercial use with small businesses, although many were also used by larger corporations. Van versions were popular with the General Post Office, the early versions of these (to around 1956) having rubber front wings to cope with the sometimes unforgiving busy situations in which they were expected to work. Both the van and the pickup differed from the monocoque construction of the Saloon and Traveller variants by having a separate chassis. They also differed in details such as telescopic rear dampers, stiffer rear leaf springs and lower-ratio differentials to cope with heavier loads.

The commercial versions were initially marketed as the Morris Quarter Ton Van and Pick-up, with a Series III designation applied from 1956. The names Morris 6cwt Van and Pickup was used following the introduction of the 1098cc engine in 1962 and 8cwt versions were added in 1968.

As BMC's policy was to provide both Austin and Morris with complete commercial vehicle ranges, Austin-badged variants of the Minor van and pick-up were sold following the end of Austin A35 production in 1968. These featured Austin badging and the corporate Austin 'crinkle-cut' radiator grille but were otherwise identical to the standard Minor commercials, and were sold as the Austin 6cwt and Austin 8cwt.

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

CC rating: 803cc 49 ci (0.8L) A-series I4

NZ First Registration: 28-Nov-1973