Morris - A Minor Documentary
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- čas přidán 27. 02. 2014
- The Morris Minor is a classic British car which has been given another lease of life by a new generation of young drivers. Join us on a journey from its humble beginnings to it's current adventures on British roads with interviews with Mike Barson (Madness) Zac Ware (Charles Ware & The Proclaimers) Martin Wainwright (Author/Journalist) and a host of Morris Minor owners.
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My Dad gave me a new minor in 1959 as an incentive to get rid of my motorcycle when I was a university student. I took it from South Africa to the UK for five years, brought it back again and still use it regularly here. Over 200 000 miles, engine subassembly never been disassembled and because of the climate, almost no corrosion, I will never sell it.
There's an old saying Richard, there's only one thing worst than a thief and that's a liar...
Which one is meant to be me?
My Lamdie is 51, Mazda 39, motorhome 40, all in regular use. Secret is you service them yourself. Morris featured in "Open all Hours"
The one you clamed to have done over 200,000 miles, I'll explain, although as you know at best the minor engine was good for 40,000 miles at best. So where did you pluck the 200,000 miles from without a engine rebuild? And what is your point of, err how we say fibbing, I would love to know, because in the 50s - 60s there had not yet been an engine made that could cover 200,000 miles without attention. I could go on...
@@fenrichlee2867 your comment is presumptious. Clutch replacement a couple of times, decoke and valve grinds a couple of times, engine subassembly (crakshaft and pistons) never touched, one gearbox bearing replaced. Rear axle never touched. Fitted front disc brakes about ten years ago because original drums not the best. Sleeved brake cylinders with stainless steel. Am I still a liar?
My dad bought me a morris last year absolutely a blast to drive love all the people telling me the storys they have about the morris minor
I got my first Morris when I was 82 yrs old. I have totally restored it. It wasn't in to bad of condition and I watched a lot of UTube vids, learned how to weld and do some body pannel work. Before I knew it a whole year had gone past and the Morris was back togethere and I was on the road and having the most wonderful time taking drives around town. I have upgraded the front brakes to disks because I found it too treacheres with the old drums. it has made stopping much better.
Wow, that is so impressive. And I am delighted that you got your Minor restored and are enjoying it! I would love one, but I am a carer for my wife and we couldn’t afford one with the cost of living sadly. But if I ever get the money I would love to get one. I just love everything about them. I’m 53, so any work needing doing I could do the same as you. I’m no mechanic but I’m good with power tools like angle grinders etc. one can dream eh! Well done you. 👍🇬🇧
So great to see Steph from "I Drive a Classic" appear and to know she went on to do great things on CZcams.
Yes absolutely
I got my first one from my mom at 16, in 1972. later in college, was buying them running for 100 dollars and learned how to work on cars. Owned 6 or 7 of them and now at 62, have a 1957 convertible sitting in the garage. Trying to get it finished for my wife that actually likes it! Just great cars that I have had off and on my entire life!
Doesn't go fast, doesn't stop fast. I drove one for years to gigs in NZ - simple and reliable.
It's like riding a motorbike, makes you a better driver. You certainly can't drive a Morris and be texting at the same time. It's a two-hands-on-the -wheel car :-D
I bought a blue Moggie and upgraded it to 1000cc by fitting a "short motor" myself. All models of Morris Minor were quite popular in Australia, (delivery vans, utilities, 2 door and 4 door sedans) because of their suitability for long distance travel on country roads, and ease of driving in city traffic. Fond memories of owning one in the mid-1960's.
As the 800th ‘liker’ I just had to say how well crafted this gem of a documentary is. A great reminder of a legendary car.
That's great to hear and means a lot to us! We have since set up a production company Spoon Jar Films to make films for TV and digital media platforms and have so far had a 10 minute film on BBC 1 and made a special feature on the Stan & Ollie Blu-Ray. This little film & the car has opened a lot of doors for us! Thanks for watching.
had a smile on my face all the way through this program, think i'm going to buy one
happy days.
We owned a green Morris Minor van, a ‘woodie’ my Morris
Minor fanatic husband tells me. We lived in Tarpeena, a small rural town in southern South Australia, and we owned the car in the 1970s I think. I can’t remember how long we had it for. When I first met the man who later became my husband, he owned a green Morris Minor which he spent hours tinkering on in his teenage years. He was also the founding member of the Morris
Minor Car Club in Melbourne, Australia.
Great to see this documentary. Especially as I now own 'Derek' (as mentioned in the film). Derek's future is assured and will be on the road for many years to come hopefully.
The legend of Derek continues, many thanks and safe travels. Look after him.
ਖੁਸ਼ ਕੀਤੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਵਧੀਆ ਵੀਡੀਓ ਬਣਾਈ ਹੈ ਕਾਰ ਵੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਵਧੀਆ ਹੈ
I've still got my Morris Minor van it started life in 1962 as a pickup truck, 1969 I put a van back onto it, I still have it today and just put it on CZcams I haven't used it since the mid 80's and will need a full restoration.
My retired uncle in Africa gave me his Morris Minor that's currently sitting in his barn. The car has less rust than I expected, I'm the only one in the family who expressed interest in the car and since classic cars are not valued in Africa, they actually ridiculed me, my plan is to restore it over there and bring it back to Britain where it is appreciated, I'm currently saving money to cover import duties and other costs.
Good luck, i’m sure you’re uncle is happy that it will have a new life and be seen again.
Absolutely brilliant film! I'm just starting to learn about the impact this car had at the time. It's great to see such a devoted following, especially from younger drivers! I'm actually just about to post a short car story with a chap who has owned a Morris Minor Tourer since 1977. Fantastic cars!
My first new car in 1963 and I would love a new one. So simple to service. There was loads of room under the bonnet; a small engine in the centre and everything accessible.
They would not be allowed to build a new one. What used to be "loads of room under the bonnet" is now taken up with emmissions control gubbins, and mpg and emissions targets can only now be met by injection engines under strict computer control. They could still make a car in that shape (but ugly IMHO) but it would not be any easier to work on than any other modern car.
That brought back a lot of memories. A lovely little gem of film.
Between 1984 and 1994 , the Australian Broadcasting Corporation made forty two episodes of , ' Mother and Son ' . This sublimely brilliant comedy series , starred Ruth Cracknell , Gary McDonald and an original unrestored example of a Morris Minor . That vehicle being their sole means of transport . It was a full roofless convertible version .
I remember that show fondly
I owned a Morris Minor 1000 in 1959. I had purchased it used so only know it was a fifties model. Great little car.
I wonder if it's still out there somewhere?
Great little documentary, fun and inspiring, thanks for this!
In 1979, I bought a 1971 Morris Minor Van, paid £35 for it but gearbox was duff, bought a second hand gearbox for £25, from a scrap yard, spent a weekend swapping the box and clutch, just a few mates lots of spanners and axle stands, new plugs, points, oil and air filter. The next weekend drove to Blackpool with the same mates had a great time. Owned to for 4 years apart from a little welding it passed every MOT. Always used to love the sound of first gear!!
The gearboxes were usually clapped out back then (I worked in a BL dealer workshop in the late 70s). It may have been due to the type of people who drove them at that time - typically an old lady on limited pension getting zero maintenance done until something broke, and who has never fully understood what a clutch is for.
Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed watching and taking me down memory lane, beautiful cars I wish someone would start making them again.
Beautiful documentary! Congratulations! ;)
Just watched and never stopped smiling. 👍
Lovely documentary!! Amazing!
Great documentary! Thank you.
Good to see Mike Barson make an appearance. Great motor cars 👍
HI,
my Dad had one of these in Liverpool in the 1960s! good stuff!
Great documentary!
Just bought a 1953 morris minor this weekend and looking forward to restore it back to original. Can't stop smiling and looking at it!! Not many here in Perth Australia. And yes the smell of the car.. ha ha
That's good to hear, good luck with the restoration. Pretty sure you'll still be grinning when it's done.
Hi Anthony, good luck with your restoration. If any car is worth rescuing it's this car. I too live in Perth, owned a few Minors both here and back in Blighty. My wife occasionally pushed me to do one up but they're getting a bit thin on the ground now, and I'm just over 70 so it's a bit late for me. Besides, I'm tickled pink with a decent substitute, a Holden Tigra tin top convertible. That'll do me...
Wonderful Documentary Wonderful Car I love the Morris Minor
EXCELLENT DOCUMENTARY, WELL MADE WITH AN INSIGHT OF THE OWNERS
Thanks for sharing - it was a pleasure to make the film.
Thanks for you information much appreciated !
Since my child hood..say..5..6 yrs old i dreamt to own one such car..but alas..it never hapoened...❤
The first time I saw a Minor was on an episode of "Lovejoy" starring Ian McShane. Loved them ever since!
My grandad has got a moggie minor and we love it
Hi, a great video and brilliant to see so many young people interested in Morris Minors. I bought a new one, aged 17, with my fathers help in 1968, two door, Maroon B, with a gold coachline, with red interior. An unusual colour at the time. We kept it until 1982, with 76000 miles on it. It is no longer on sorn on the DVLA website, so it may have gone to Morris Minor Heaven. I now have, in old age, a 1980 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II, with 20,000 miles, a 2001 Bentley Arnage Le Mans with 48,000 miles and a 2015 Mini countryman All4, in Jungle Green with 2000 miles, which isn't a long way from BMC Almond Green. Even so, the Minor has a very special place in my heart. Five of my teachers had them, too. Thanks again.
Really enjoyed the video, I once seen one for sale in Franklin, WV many years ago owned by someone who was stationed at the Naval Base at Sugar Grove WV. Sure wish I would have bought it now. One thing I remember about the car is, you could Crank start it from the front of the car. Very interesting car...
This is awesome I want mine back now you can't beat your first car and my blue Morris Minor Convertible will always be my favourite car
I worked as a parts gopher when I was in high school and their gopher car was a Morris Minor pick up truck, what a little jewel.
You don't see many of those around, I'm sure there's a few people who'd like to own one today.
My Dad was a salesman with Nicholson's (electrical "whitegoods" stores in Western Australia). His transport was a Morris Minor utility, perfect for delivering the washing machines, refrigerators, stoves, TV's and musical instruments that he sold. It was great to accompany him on weekend rural deliveries.
20 minutes down memory lane, I'd forgotten about the glove box on the drivers side (for chocolate in mine). My first car back in 1969, cost £50 to buy and £50 to insure!
Thanks for watching and glad it brought back fond memories. The glove box behind the steering wheel is always difficult to get into, the after sale upgrade was one with a clock in it, luxury :-D
In the late 60's to mid seventies had a variety of them, as did several mates. We called ourselves as being, in the "Grotty Morris Club". One I bought from a dealer in old GPO vans. It was a red type. Another one was a van, that someone had cut out and installed windows in the rear. I once tried to buy a traveller but someone stole the cash from my wallet while I was working. Mom and I had a convertible. The last one I owned was a 2 door saloon. Bought for a fiver and sold for 35 quid. Good luck to everyone still driving them .... best cars ever, except for the Honda CRV.
I drive an old Volvo and I would rather drive that than any modern car. When I am driving it, I often hear younger lads say, 'there's an old Volvo'. I love it when people stop to look at the car.
+1100HondaCB Those things were basically Swedish tanks and they looked good.
I would love one today, had an old one as a teenager in the late 60s and only sold it so I could go to uni,
still miss it :)
Now we have one, we understand! Nice doc Matt.
Fantastic, if our little film keeps a few more on the road it will have done its job, safe travels and don't forget to wave as you pass.
Brings back memories. My father had a Morris 25. It was a 1938 model.
I shall be grateful to anyone who would upload a picture of it.
Thanks.
It was a 6cyl inline engine.
Wikipedia has a nice picture under the heading "Morris Big Six", which refers to the Morris 25 (horsepower).
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Big_Six
Another one is viewable at this location:
www.flickr.com/photos/42220226@N07/32374968060
Always loved the morris minor van. And the ford anglia 105 e both great vehicles.
We have a 1953 split screen and we love it 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I love the Morris Minor got the chance to mine 1957 thinking about it look so easy to work on compared with modern cars
Great classic that's why they are still about. Thumbs up.
Just dove in and we are Owners of a 59 2 door in California Sweet ride!
My second car was a 1958 Morris Minor convertible. My 3rd car was a Morris 1000 - maybe 1960ish.
Hoorah for Mike Barson.
" the smell you don't get anymore", so true.
grodard9 whenever i even walk past mine the smell instantly reminds me of my grandfather 😊
Evaporative losses of hydrocarbons (aka petrol and oil fumes). Now frowned upon in environmental circles.
This is brilliant. Who on Earth gave this a "thumbs down'??? Wonderful film about a wonderful car. Not many in the 'States - but lots of enthusiasm for those that are.
They are fairly common and well priced in the UK occasionally you can find them cheap enough to be your first car.
Take away the nostalgia and in the basic form MMs are just old fashion, slow, unsafe rubbish; had a few of them in distant past; even put a Midget/Healy engine and some fat wheels with a couple of them; still rubbish.
In Australia The Minor was totally outclassed by the Major. The Minor was underpowered, too small for a family of 5 and unable to cope with the long distances. Might have been Ok in a small island like Great Britain. Here you could buy a 6 cylinder Holden for not much more.
@@fcukmegently Hello fcuk, Like a fool I bought one back in '66 on the say so of people who owned one, praising them to high heaven, by god did I live to regret it. How on earth can anyone here who owned one back in the day say one good thing about it? They were rubbish and nothing but trouble. The only good thing about them was my little joke - when asked how often i changed the oil on it I would reply 'every week'
Had to look this up. Dad said a lot of criminals use to love car jacking these 😅
Luckly these days criminals wouldn't know how to use the manual choke! A crook lock for the stering wheel is also a good deterrent today.
One day I wish to own this car. It has always been my dream car, since I was 7. My dad had one. And I agree it has that smell you don't get in cars nowadays.
Well there wa the Oxford, the Cowley and the Isis that had the six cyl engine...big bigger biggest. Thr Isis gear lever was next to the driver door
I have a 1958 Morris Oxford Series 3 ( Ambassador ) back in Goa.
I had a 1933 minor.
All hydraulic brakes and an ohc engine.
1930s Austin 7s had cable brakes and Ford 8s had rod brakes.
neil piper )mmjjj)8
I would trade my 2010 Mini Cooper Convert. for a Morris Minor 1000 Convertible.
I love those BMC cars,..almost ALL of them.
I own one of these she is beautiful, simple, never dies....
Great docko but needed to incorporate the distinctive Morris Minor exhaust fart.
I rather feel like mr bean watching this because i want a morris so much it's incredible
awesome lovely car
3:09 The version seen here, the "Woodie" Station Wagon is like that driven by Derek Fowlds in his role as *Oscar Blaketon* in the TV series, *"Heartbeat"!*
My grandfather had an early convertible, split screen and headlights in grille. He was an engineer and garaged it, looked after it and still it fell apart. When we approached steep hills we, the passengers had to get and and walk up the hill as the poor car had no chance otherwise. Despite its numerous problems it was still alive in 1975 (approx 25 years of age) even when it was new it was a rare car to see on the road. I doubt there aren't many old split screen convertibles surviving today.
Thanks for sharing. The split screen's are rare. Morris's have been converted to convertible's over the years but the originals weren't easy to look after back then. Certainly had worse winters and hotter summers to contend with! Safe travels
Gorgeous car
It does look like something one would see Wallace and Gromit driving around in. But I usually see him in 50s Austins. ☺
I remember how popular these were in Canada when growing up in the 1960's (left hand drive versions, of course).
Well done!
Thanks for the lovely comments, Lisa. Thanks for sharing the film too. Much appreciated.
I had to weld a chassis leg on one when I worked at a garage. It was extremely difficult to weld because it had been stove-enamelled from new and I do mean stove-enamelled not galvanised. I have never seen this on any other model of vehicle.
Brilliant great cars love em
I love these too in Sri Lanka(Ceylon)
for brief view after http, type following link and enjoy what is available for interested users in Sri Lanka,
ikman.lk/en/ads-in-sri-lanka?query=MORRIS+MINOR
See the hole in the centre of the front bumper. Happy days swinging the starting handle if the battery was flat. These days you text the AA and sit on the motorway embankment! Then off to the garage to plug in the computer to find out what's wrong! 😂
Ive had 3 morris minors the have beautifull lines and yea they do become part of you anyone can basically fix minor problems on side off the road all you needed was a scredriver a crexsent and a bit ofluck
I think the VW success in USA was to have parts, training for workers, etc, before the cars were delivered to the dealer...too many others wanted to just sell, make a quick profit and get out...Subaru with its odd cars at first has developed into a super auto well respected here.
Brilliant
My 1st car was a 1952 Split screen moggie minor. paid 25 quid in 1969
when we visited England, our friend had a Traveler that was not restored...perhaps it has been restored by now. Hello from Illinois, USA :)
Here's hoping, you should drop them a line!
People that restore old cars are crazy. I LOVE crazy people!
And please don't forget that inimitable vibration off the exhaust.
i am going to get one soon.
That was my first car. My father helped me purchase it.
Lovely.
my dad has it 35 Morris it looks like a miniature 40 model Ford Sedan 100% still all original but it's been sitting for probably 25 years or better now. this one was made before the merger and became Morris Minor. anybody living in Dallas Georgia or in the area got a lot of money they could probably buy it
J'adore cette voiture anglaise !
I love my Morris Minor
what about a review on the Morris Major?
A true British car best car ever made. Reliable easy to work on .wish they still made them today.
Best you read my (short) list of faults above.
Wow the trolls on this page. Sure you could have a Ford Ka, but that just shows that you don't understand the appeal of classic cars. I have 2 classics (one being a 59 Minor) and 2 retro cars, and all of them have far more appeal than a Ka ever will.
+Chris Watson I actually do understand the appeal of classic cars as I own one, a rare 1992 special edition Escort Harrier with 33,000 miles from new only 1 owner before me and which is garaged and SORNed. It is also infinitely rarer than a Morris Minor.
Chris, have you notices that the Ford Ka in its original form, is rapidly disappearing off the road. A few years back they were everywhere, but now you rarely see one. Somehow I don't think they will be around after 50 years, driven and loved by doting owners, like the Morris Minor. Ford launched the Ka for a target market of young people, but ironically it appealed more to pensioners. The new Ka is really a rebodied Fiat Panda, so even Ford don't seem to love it.
I understand the appeal of a classic car, but not this one. I tend to run old cars myself, but I prefer something a bit special. I can remember so many Minors on the road (UK 1970/80s), and I've worked on a few too, that to me they are boring, usually driven by little old ladies and other boring people back then (I'm not refering to present day enthusiasts).
@@dukenukem5768 I agree. To me they are boring, slow and rust prone. And of course the notoriously bad Morris Marina was based on the Minor.
@@paulph12002 It depends on your associations with it. I remember people buying Minors new - people who would not otherwise have bought a car but a Minor was OK because they excused it as "not like a proper car".
Of course the Minor _was_ a car, but that's not how these people saw it (bubble cars and the Mini were similar). A friend of my fathers had a motorbike and sidecar for years - he was like the grumpy pipe-smoking tweedy-dressed _Man Who Denied Everthing_ in Monty Python, Said he would _never_ have a car, but as he got old he bought a Minor - then he excused it to everyone because it " _was only a Morris Minor_ ". I associate Morris Minors with that guy
Music at 0:06? Please
Morris Minor ,quite popular car back in the 60s in Malaysia. A reliable car and easy to maintain !
Most cars were easy to maintain in the 1960s. Nothing special about the Minor, and I've known easier ones. Don't get me started about checking the brake fluid level in a Minor - ever done it?
I had just got married cos I had to..... Then I saw round the corner car showroom a new almond green minor 1000 with the 1100 engine and realised ,talking to the salesman,that this was the last of the line as they had stopped making them at BMC.
£625 . I scraped around and could only find half of that and my Austin A40 would only fetch £55 with mot . Aaaaaaaaaah!
when i was younger in the early 1970's , i had 2 1959 morris minor 1000 s. 1 convetible & 1 2-door. loved them both. i see them on craigslist & i'm soooo tempted to get one. the price for a nice one is around $10,000.00. not bad for a classic in todays market. the citroen 2cv is another one not to turn your back on. i have a 1941 willys americar that is often mistaken for other makes. neat car, but it rides AWFUL!!. maybe i need a morris minor to keep it company.
2cv's are certainly going up rapidly in price. Not that many on the roads in UK but more in US and France. Fun cars, great with the rag roof and detatchable seats :-D
@@mglmedia i looked into a citroen 2cv. the nearest dealer is 300 miles away, in chicago. the autoparts stores go whaaaaaat?. not to encouraging.
@@garybrown7044 I saw a few in Cartmel. Maybe its an east coast thing
Hi need help about the car. My neighbor have this car but it get one problem about spark plug the 3rd cylinder one . Any help about it please ?
I suggest your neighbour splash out on a new set of 4 spark plugs.
My dad had a '59 convertible when I was a kid, years later he was sorry he didn't keep it
I had a box of tools in the back; I could repair everything single part of that car with just those hand tools.
I've got a 1962 minor
Only one problem with the Morrie the chute was knowing to go in them but apart from bloody that good car
I own a 1957 4 door Morris Minor.
Best model made by BMC