Before there was the Fiat 500, the Smart Car and the Mini,
there was the VW Beetle, the Citroen 2CV, and the Morris Minor 1000. I spotted
this 1969 Morris at the Old Mill Bakery Café just outside Ellicott
City last Sunday.
Much like the Ford pickup I wrote about in this post, what I
liked about this car was that it is not a showpiece driven only on Sundays and
other special occasions. Judging from its condition, this car appears to still be in regular service and in fairly good shape considering.
The Morris was built by BMC, better known for
producing the MGB and the MG Midget. According to this report on Epinions, “cars
built by BMC shared a large number of parts so availability of them is
still an easy and economical affair.”
“Finding and nurturing a Morris Minor 1000 through 21st
century life could be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Still viable on
today’s roads, more economical to operate than some new economy cars, and
easily restored, a Morris Minor 1000 might be the best answer to a new Mini or Smart
Car purchase.”
You just have to get used to driving on the right.
