(by Adam Browne) My parents in front of their 1958 Morris Minor Tourer (convertible), with me excited at being left behind the wheel. Photo taken in August 1966 on Mount Baker, Washington. Sorry about the quality; it’s scanned from an old Ektachrome slide.
This was the car we had when I was born – my parents bought it new when they were married. They were English immigrants, and English cars were common in Vancouver at the time.
I just barely remember being driven in it – banjo steering wheel, central speedometer with gloveboxes on both sides, convertible framework visible inside – but I don’t ever remember the top being folded down. My mother mentioned later that convertibles weren’t exactly practical with small children, who would fling anything movable up in the air to watch it disappear in the slipstream.
As you see from the photo, it covered logging roads all over British Columbia and the northwestern states. Despite this treatment, it was tough enough that we had it for ten years and covered over 100,000 miles before it was traded in on a 1968 Datsun 1600 (see other post).
Very nice picture. My parents were about the same age as yours, and I can recall my mother talking about someone in their circle of friends who owned a Morris Minor. This would have been in Ypsilanti, Michigan, so even in the heartland of the American auto industry, young people were buying imports. As I have shared before, my own parents went with the more modern Anglia and a Karmann Ghia about that time.
That would have been a cool car to grow up with. I like the classic look of these.
That’s an amazing photo. The effects and lighting really make it look like it’s from a promotional photo from a magazine or car brochure.
Wonderful picture that captures the moody PNW weather. It also reminds me that we have yet to do a CC on the Minor, one of the most important cars of its era.
A Morry thou cant have been a common car in the US even then I grew up around a 56 Minor my grandmother owned but with the brittle 803cc Austin engine, At 43000 miles it was shot to pieces the Thou motor was much better. NZ is still much the Morris Minor capital of the world with many still in daily service far more than surviving VW Beetles.
I found an earlier shot – camping on the beach at Tofino, BC in July 1962. At the far right, you’ll see my aunt, my mother and me as an infant.
My father said he never understood why the Beetle was so popular, since the Morris was just as fast (or at least no slower), had better handling and a heater which worked. I drove a Minor a few years back and it was hilarious – perfect balance but no grip, so you could drift it through a roundabout at 20 mph.
And I forgot to mention that ours was named Topsy – cars had names in those days.
It was basically a tall, four-passenger MG Midget. In almost every way, it felt and acted very different than the VW.
Hi Paul,
Whilst there was commonality between the Minor and Midget, I don’t agree with the description of it being a “tall MG Midget”.
The original Minor came in 1948 (a golden year for the British industry), and apart from the pre-war side valve engine, was new from the ground up, with Alec Issigonis designing a new monocoque, world beating independent front suspension and steering and carefully thought through weight distribution, and the first use of (from memory) 16″ wheels. The series 2 of 1952 had an Austin engine and the 1000 of the early 60s had the 1.0, and later the 1100cc A series engine, a engine that lasted longer than a cricket match. The Midget had the same (albeit 1275cc) engine but not much more directly in common.
It is probably more fondly remembered in Britian than the (original) Mini, and any other car, lasted over 20 years and was another of the cars BMC couldn’t,and didn’t replace.
Perhaps I’ve just offered to prepare a CC!
I was speaking metaphorically. Both of them had certain qualities that were similar, albeit in different manifestations.
14 inch wheels were fitted on all morris minors
Hi Hi Adam,
Superb shot, and a great memory I bet.
My parents had a very similar Minor 1000 Tourer, in pale blue, and managed to get me,, my twin brother and our older brother in it comfortably. Dad would drive, older brother (then perhaps 4 years old) sat on the front seat, fold down the rear seat back, to open up the access to the boot and my twin brother and I in carry cots, foot end in the boot, with Mum perched on the folded down seat next to us.
We all survived, but as a family were later always keen advocates of seatbelts…..
Ther emust be photo somewhere!
“And I forgot to mention that ours was named Topsy – cars had names in those days.”
My wife still names her cars, her current vehicle is a Toyota Highlander named “Angus”. Among the past vehicles were “Houston”, an Astro van, “Petey” the PT Cruiser and “Chip”, a Camry painted Salsa Red.
Right-hand-drive and all. Apparently using a Washington collector vehicle license plate isn’t a problem.
I saw this neat Morris Minor vanlet in use as an advertising piece for a shop in Cannon Beach, Oregon, last weekend.
CC effect- saw a silver one last week in Hervey Bay!
Adam, thank you for sharing these lovely photos. There is something about your Mother that just radiates warmth and a special kind of style. Your beaming smile seems like good supporting evidence to me!
Beautiful! I really didn’t get the full effect earlier today when I was using my cell phone. Now, using my laptop, your family looks so… British. That joyful smile on your face just speaks volumes. This photo is a great illustration of why so many of us obsess on cars the way we do. A car is something that can transport a child to a magical place like Mount Baker (and back again) and create moments like that one!
Great photo.
The Moggy Minor was the best selling import in the US in 59!. Yes out sold the Beetle that year and for 1 year only.
A GI imported a 59 Tourer in to the US air force were I was working in the late 80s.Yellow
with Texas plates. Our CMS drove a RHD blue 3dr sedan he brought local. He took some stick like “my granddad drove a car like that in th 50s!. l
Lovely photos Adam .
The Morris Minor and VW Beetle shared more than a few attributes, both were loads of fun to drive
Beetles outlasted any similar vintage Morris’ and that’s a shame as I like Little British Cars .
-Nate