Morris Minor

Although Lord Nuffield himself was not a fan of the Morris Minor – likening the initial saloon design to a ‘fried egg’, the vehicle was a huge success. Two-door saloon and tourer versions were initially available, followed quickly by a four-door saloon, but it would take until 1952 for the first major changes to come to market with the launch of the Series II.

Visual styling upgrades included a move from the front grille to the wings for the headlights, but arguably it was the expansion of the range that broadened the appeal – first with the introduction of the Traveller, complete with its external wood frame and estate body style and then the launch of the commercial models in both van and pickup form that would result in considerable sales to trade and official service markets.

The sidevalve engine was also replaced by an overhead-valve version which resulted in slightly more impressive (although still relatively sedate) performance figures, but with enviable economy, aerodynamic styling and excellent handling, the Morris Minor – later referred to as the Morris 1000 with the introduction of the 998cc engine – was a difficult to beat package that made its mark on the motor industry until its demise in 1972.