The unitary-construction Minor was the brainchild of Alec Issigonis and the first post-war Morris design. It was given a torsion bar independent front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and a four-speed synchromesh gearbox. Powered initially by the company's existing 918cc side-valve four, it received a more efficient 803cc overhead-valve engine in 1953. Initially, it was offered as a saloon and a convertible. In 1950, a four-door saloon appeared, with commercials and estates following later. Production would continue for many years, eventually coming to a close in 1971.By January of 1961, the Minor had sold one million units to become the United Kingdom's most successful post-war car to date. By this point in history, it had undergone a number of detail alterations. The original 918cc side-valve engine had been replaced by an overhead-valve unit of 948cc driving through an improved gearbox. The styling too had been revised with the headlamps moving from the radiator grille to the wings on the Series II, and the split front screen being superseded by a curved one-piece windshield on the Minor 1000. Semaphore trafficators would soon give way to flashing indicators, and shortly after that - in 1962 - the Minor received its final engine up-grade to 1,098cc. Even with all the updates and changes, the final Minor remained recognizably the same car as the original that had debuted at the 1948 Motor Show.
By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017
By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017
Related Reading : Morris Cooper History
Considered to be the Worlds Supreme Small Car, by the motoring press at the launch, the demand for the vehicle outstripped the supply of the Morris Minor. The Morris Minor was the first British car to ever reach a production rate of one million. Originally called the Mosquito, the Morris Minor was introduced at the Earls Court Motor Show on September 20th, 1948. After the millionth Minor....
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Related Reading : Morris Cooper History
The British Motor Corporation came into existence in 1952 by the merging of two manufacturers, Nuffield Motors and Austin. Nuffield was known for its Morris line of vehicles, while Austin had its Seven model line. The transition for the two manufacturers was difficult and had been forced out of necessity. After World War II, many vehicle manufacturers could not stay in business due to destroyed....
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Three generations of driving fun: The MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S through the years.
Three generations of driving fun: The MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S through the years.
For three generations and over 50 years, the Cooper name has identified a MINI offering even more in the way of driving fun. The idea, hatched by brilliant Formula One designer John Cooper, to fuel the agile small car with an extra hit of performance and turn it into a sporting machine for the road and track has lost none of its appeal. But the Cooper has never been about horsepower, as a comparison....
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Similarly Sized Vehicles
from 1968
Recent Vehicle Additions
Performance and Specification Comparison
Price Comparison
Morris 850 Specification Comparison by Year
Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
80.00 in.
4 cyl., 51.70 CID., 34.00hp
4 cyl., 67.00 CID., 48.00hp
4 cyl., 65.36 CID., 70.00hp
4 cyl., 77.81 CID., 76.00hp
4 cyl., 67.00 CID., 48.00hp
4 cyl., 65.36 CID., 70.00hp
4 cyl., 77.81 CID., 76.00hp
$1,300 - $1,770
80.00 in.
4 cyl., 60.90 CID., 38.00hp
4 cyl., 60.80 CID., 55.00hp
4 cyl., 59.19 CID., 65.00hp
4 cyl., 60.90 CID., 70.00hp
4 cyl., 77.80 CID., 76.00hp
4 cyl., 60.80 CID., 55.00hp
4 cyl., 59.19 CID., 65.00hp
4 cyl., 60.90 CID., 70.00hp
4 cyl., 77.80 CID., 76.00hp
$1,300 - $1,670
77.81 CID.
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