No Reserve: 1961 Morris Minor 1000
The Morris Minor cars date back to 1948 when the company first began producing economy cars in Britain, with production lasting nearly a quarter-century until operations ceased in the early seventies. The brand also holds the honor of the first British vehicle to sell over 1,000,000 units, and with more than 1.6 million examples manufactured that number actually far exceeded the one-million mark. If you’ve been toying with the idea of how much fun it would be to own an unusual European convertible that’s sure to strike up a conversation everywhere you go, this 1961 Morris Minor 1000 should do the job nicely. It’s currently located in Houston, Texas, and can be found here on eBay with a current bid of $10,000.
This one definitely seems like a fine automobile, with a total frame-off restoration having been performed in the mid-2000s, complete with a photo album showing the process and receipts. The body looks quite solid and straight from every angle we can see, and that Clipper Blue finish appears to be a high-quality paint job. It also comes with a darker blue soft top, which is believed to have been replaced by the prior owner.
The seller acquired the Morris Minor a little over two years ago and states that since that time over $15k worth of work by a British auto specialist has been performed. Under the hood is a 948cc four-cylinder engine, and while we don’t know for sure whether or not this is the original component, it’s entirely possible as that’s the motor these cars came equipped with from the factory in ’61. The engine bay presents very nicely, with some recent upgrades such as a new header, new Weber carbs, a new distributor, plus a few other goodies. Lots of brake work has been done as well, along with some suspension rebuilding and a new battery. Shifting duties are taken care of by a 4-Speed manual transmission, although no word on whether or not it has received any recent refreshments.
There’s not much inside to find fault with either, with the painted metal appearing to be of the same quality as the exterior finish. The vinyl seats and door panels look to be in fine condition, as does the carpeting, and there’s also an AM/FM/CD stereo with kick panel speakers, although they’re not presently hooked up. We also get a couple of photos from the underside, including this one, and while everything underneath appears solid and detailed I’m really liking the simplicity of the south side. The auction has no reserve price, and unless the bidding goes up considerably I’m thinking there’s the possibility that somebody may be getting a really good buy here. What do you think?
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Comments
Needs the “Big Block” 1275.
Had a 59 Morris Tourer for a time I college. I loved it, perfect weirdo car that said I don’t care I’m having a good time. This one looks really nice. And with the Weber and header may be built a bit. The big block 1275 along with a Datsun 5 speed and disc on the front is the hot set up for these.
Very nicely done.Is the owner sure it’s a 948??
Cylinder head says 948. Does have a hefty header system under that Weber. If it has a good street cam and a little compression upgrade should go pretty good. Agree two H2 carbs will do all the Weber can do on an engine this size. Nice car.
Aw, from the folks that brought us the smiling Bugeye, this, I always felt,was the sedan version. Like Terry Thomas( our signature Brit from the 60s) in a top hat. Ugh, again with the Weber, let me put things in prospective with that. Like a supercharger for your lawnmower( cue Tim Allen grunts), why bother? The Weber is designed for one thing. Screaming full throttle along with several others atop a V12 Ferrari motor. A humble British pushrod motor, a SU does just fine,,really. Always wanted a Minor, like the Saab, but not this time around. It’s an outstanding find, look at the motor,,when this simplicity was good enough. I’m sure some crabby Englishman, my British equivalent( Grant?)is saying, 8240 pounds? Has this bollocks chap been in America too long? Minors were their equivalent to our $100 dollar beater Ramblers, I’m sure.
Hmm, something’s changed with the bidding on this car since yesterday. Bidding is now only at $6,100 with the reserve not met, and a buy-it-now price of $20k can also be seen. About 24 hours ago the car had a bid of $10,000 and no reserve. It will be interesting to follow this one and see what happens between now and late tonight!
Had the same weber set up. Went back to twin SU’s. Web case transmission and Midget disc brakes are both smart upgrades. Loved my truck. Never should have let that guy talk me out of it.
Looks like a 49 Dodge Custom Club Coupe and a 60 VW had a baby!
Used to pull these out of junkyards. Had a dozen. One license plate. Just put it on whichever needed the least work. My first was a tourer like this but. 63. Got it for $50 with a dead motor. Dropped a 1275 in with twin carbs. The exhaust went in the wrong direction. The original had a unified intake and exhaust. I used a vacuum cleaner hose to make a connection along with duct tape. Drove it hundred of miles before I got a header and made a real exhaust. Loved that car.
Rotisserie ground up restoration with some receipts, This is a nice minor convertible. Bidding now says $7600.00 with buy it now $20,000.00. Whoever did the restoration did a fine job. I always thought these were cute cars. Reminds me of Chevrolets from the late 30’s but smaller. a banker in my hometown who lived about 1/2 mile down the road from us always drove Morris Minors, I expect because he was a penny pincher. Now he’s gone and so is all his pinched money. Misers die the money dissipates. Life goes on. I don’t know if insurance is available for these cars and how restricted it would be but I’m sure it couldn’t be used as a daily driver.
God Bless America
A lot of them are used as daily drivers here in UK.
Why not a daily driver? Hell around where I live golf carts are daily drivers. My neighbor has a 56 MG as a driver. I could use my Model A as one if I want
“Why not a daily driver” is a good question and one I’ve long wondered about. Maybe in warmer climes any car can be a daily driver, but the lack of modern creature comforts and a broken part after several winters can relegate a future classic to a long time barn existence.
A convertible in Clipper Blue? Surely the ideal configuration for a Minor. I’ve owned several Minors, the last one for 22 years. They are delightful cars, almost without issues in daily use. This one with the original 948cc engine will be restricted to city and two-lane highway driving. It would need the later 1098cc engine or a 1275 transplant from a Sprite/Midget plus a 3.9 rear end and a disc brake conversion to be able to survive on the freeway.
Congratulations to the lucky enthusiast who gets this one!
A bit of advice on buying a Minor convertible here in the USA:
First, in examining the underside of this car based on the photos, I suspect this car is genuine. Read further to find out why I mention this . . .
In the 1980s a shop in England was taking Minor 2-door sedans and converting them into left hand drive convertibles. At the time the British Pound was on equal to the US Dollar, and the company was selling more than a few converted cars to unsuspecting American buyers.
I had one one of the converted cars come into my restoration shop. The new owner was having difficulty opening and closing the doors, as the underbody had not been strengthened properly. I explained to the car’s owner that due to liability problems, we couldn’t try to fix the problem. He ended up sending 2 more buyers of converted Minor convertibles to my shop for me to appraise and create a forensic report. I heard they intended to file suit, but I don’t think that ever happened.
Again, I suspect this car is a genuine Drop Head [convertible], but should someone consider buying one, I would suggest asking the seller to provide a BMIHT [British Motoring Industry Heritage Trust] report on the specific chassis VIN for the car. The report is available from their archives, and will tell you everything about the car, including body style.
$10K for this one is really remarkable. Very nice presentation.