I shared a photo report from the recently opened Great British Car Journey museum, and teased that there was something else, other than a great collection of memorable British cars, to attract the Curbivore. Here it is, billed as Drive Dad’s Car. An opportunity to drive one of the cars from the collection around the museum grounds, with an assumption or suggestion that your (first) preference might be the car your Dad drove, as they say, “back in the day”. So, purely in the cause of research and the interests CC reader……
The museum itself is an account and celebration of the British motor industry, over the last 100 years or so, and the journey it’s been through. Hence the museum’s name. And given the nature of the collection, focussed on British cars and a strong emphasis on affordability and memory (more Austin-Morris, less Aston Martin) it’s also a chance for families to recall those family events and memories, like the long journeys to Devon or Scotland in a Hillman Super Minx. A neat twist on the Great British Car Journey title.
The museum offers a selection of cars to pick from, ranging from a pre war Wolseley to a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. All your favourites are there – a Cortina, an Imp, Minis, an Anglia, Austin A30, MGB, Rover 3500 or P4, a Hillman Avenger, a Morris Marina or a Viva. Where else can you drive a bright green Allegro?
So the first question, and in my case a very easy one to answer. What car to choose? An instant answer – the 1957 Morris Minor 1000 Tourer. Please, not a Convertible, but a Tourer. It wasn’t a sports or glamour option but a throwback to the pre-war folding roof style, though it did have glass rear side windows, not sidescreens.
The reasoning for this choice was very simple and in keeping with the museum’s ethos. Back in the early 1960s, our family lived in Matlock, 5 miles up the road from the museum and Dad drove a Morris Minor 1000 Tourer, a 1960 (I think) model. Its most notable journey, IMHO, was my first ride in a motor car. In 1964, it was traded in for a Hillman Minx saloon, starting Dad’s almost 25 year association with Rootes and its descendants. Truly, it would be as close as I could reasonably get to driving Dad’s car, and in the right place too. A no brainer, as they say. Dad’s was pale blue, always a popular colour, and still frequently spotted, for a Minor.
Formalities completed, into the car with the instructor, the friendly, cheerful and patient Kath, who is also a rally instructor and circuit racer. Get settled, adjusting the seat. It was all the way back, it seemed, but not quite far enough. A quick tug and push and it moved a bit, enough just. Since that was the only adjustment possible, we were soon at the dashboard walk about. Which didn’t take long, as there are only four buttons (lights, wiper, choke and pull starter), an indicator stalk and a horn button. The gearshift is conventional H pattern, unsurprisingly, but there was no synchromesh on first. Hopefully, we wouldn’t need to stop often.
The weather was not up to lowering the roof, so a quick and easy pull start and we’re off. A quick scoot round the corner for the photo (that phone box is actually a flat cutout but a convincing one) and then onto the drive itself.
For various understandable reasons, such as timing, insurance, vehicle registration and customer ease, the route is around a figure of 8 between the buildings on the museum site. This is actually an old rope works, with various relatively long buildings.
The drive itself took in a closed car park area with a set of slalom cones set out and then along the main car park, site access roads and round the other buildings (with other businesses in them) on a marked out route with some logical priorities and an identified speed limit. The day we were there was actually Father’s Day, a Sunday in mid June, and the driving was pretty popular, with a steady flow of drives in progress. The site is several hundred yards long, and we got into third gear and up to around 30 mph. So, this isn’t going to be a full road test, but the offer was a drive in Dad’s car, and I’ve seen people buy cars after shorter test drives.
Still, you need some impressions. It is only fair to remember that although this car is a 1957 model (which has somehow gained a 1964 period registration) and I was “recreating ” a few years later, the Minor is essentially a 1948 car. Subsequent changes were a bigger single piece windscreen, a different but still spartan and simple dash and the use of the BMC A series engine in place of the Morris Motors pre-war side valve unit. This car has a 948cc unit, with 37 bhp, and could do 0-60 mph in 26 seconds, and ultimately reach 73 mph, though not today.
The driving position was just about satisfactory, but I guess we’re taller than we were in 1948. There is enough space around the pedals and gear lever, with no console, an upright seating position and a fairly distant toe board, but the pedals are offset to the centre of the car by the wheelarch. With so few minor controls, dash ergonomics are not really an issue, other than the sightline to the central speedometer which is cut through by the steering wheel. Entry and egress are fine, as is visibility.
Every account you read tells you that the Minor was, measured against its contemporaries, easy to drive as a result of Alec Issigonis having understood and managed the weight distribution, the independent front suspension geometry and rack and pinion steering. There is no power steering of course, but with the relatively large and high mounted wheel, the steering weight was easily manageable at low speed and as speed rose. It didn’t seem unduly low geared either, and as far as I could tell on the short drive sufficiently communicative. The ride was firm and the car didn’t feel to roll as much as you’d expect given how tall it felt.
There was no synchromesh on first gear, but even so first to second changes were easy enough with no request to double declutch. Second to third was also an easy change, as long as I remembered that the lever was not sprung in the same manner as a modern Alfa Romeo one, to the third-fourth plane.
The biggest disappointment was probably the brakes – the unassisted drum brakes felt very weak and the effort required high. The museum’s vehicles are maintained well and to UK MoT standards, although for a car like this, the MoT is no longer a requirement, and I could accept it was wear or an adjustment issue, but for anything faster or on public roads I’d have hesitation.
As I said this is not a full review, and was never going to be. For that, I suggest you read this, from Autocar in 1964, when a Minor 1000 Deluxe was tested.
The Autocar test car was the later 1098cc version, with a higher final drive giving improved cruising and fuel economy rather than improved acceleration.
Why was this not called the Minor 1100? The only reason I can see is to avoid confusion with the then new and innovative Morris 1100 saloon (ADO16), a car that I have called Issigonis’s masterpiece and which could stand comparison with any competitor in Europe at the time. The ADO16 came in 1962, the same year the Minor took the same larger engine. You could excuse Issigonis for being puzzled – he was asked for a 1962 answer to the same question he’d answered in 1948 and BMC continued to offer both for the rest of the decade. But he was probably also privately flattered.
There was a first circuit of the site, with another run through the slalom as well (“Nice line through the cones” says Kath’s inner rally instructor) and round twice more. The classic Minor noises were apparent, and that special, friendly unique Minor exhaust gurgle was there too. There was something about being in sequence of cars including an early Mini, a Healey 3000, a Hillman Imp and a Rover 3500 that seemed to put the world at ease.
Overall, as an experience? It was great fun, informative and nostalgic, even if I can’t remember Dad’s Minor. He may not have it that long; objectively compared to his later, more modern cars, it had some significant deficiencies in overall comfort and space, performance and practicality. But it was always the car he most fondly remembered and had the most family stories about. Driving it, you can see why, and also why many thousands of other families will say the same, and why I suggest it is Britain’s favourite classic car. Almost every family will have one in the photo album, every one will recognise it, and smile fondly. It deserves its place in our national memory, and on our national mantelpiece. It’s no accident that there are still over 20,000 registered in Britain.
And I got to use the trafficators.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1955 Morris Minor Series II – Britain’s Favourite Car, Bar None, And Rightly So
Actually Mum’s car, a 1959 Minor Tourer in the darker Trafalgar blue. My brother and I would sit and play in it, annoying Mum when we folded the hood down. You could see the road through the rust holes in the floor but pieces of floor board stopped the front seats from falling through. After Mum took the semaphore indicator off on a friend’s gatepost too many times Dad fitted it with flashing indicators.
As the elder son I was allowed to sit in the front so that I could open the bonnet and whack the SU fuel pump with the starting handle if it stopped in traffic. The Minor was replaced by an equally rusty, but newer Austin 1100 when her father gave up driving and passed the 1100 to her.
Not sure if my first car journey was in the preceding Minor Traveller, or an army Beetle – when I was born Dad was teaching at a British forces school in Germany.
My first car was a Trafalgar blue Minor 1000 2 door, also rusty but welded up. I remember the green plastic which covered the warning light on the stalk used to fall off regularly. The front seats feel quite close to the floor due to the torsion bars under the floor and the floor hinged pedals took some getting used to after learning on more modern cars.
And of course that exhaust fart!
My 65 Austin 1800 had the same green cap covering the light bulb on the end of the indicator stalk and it also continually fell off. At least it was easy to find in the footwell.
What a great idea! A car museum where you have a chance to drive some of the cars. It seems such a reasonable idea, but not one I’ve ever encountered. I’d guess that there would be a lot of “this is why we can’t have good things” arguments against something like this here in the US, but I’d love to see and do it.
I really like those early 1960s Morris ads you have in the post. The artwork and design remind me of contemporary Matchbox catalog art. Maybe it’s because I knew even as a 6 year old that Matchbox was a British product, but when I see those ads, there’s just something that immediately says “England!” in my mind.
Great post.
After retiring from my job which entailed a fair amount of international travel, we took three overseas vacations and then I said enough. There’s so much to see from behind the wheel in the US, Canada and Mexico that I decide I’d never choose to deal with airports, hotels, planes and taxis again. But now this. We actually visited Matlock about 20 years ago but no museum then. But the opportunity to drive a Minx, like my parents’ first car. And reenact the experience of driving an original Mini, which I drove briefly (RHD, 1275 Cooper S) over 50 years ago. And, especially, check out that Minor Tourer (yeah, I would have said convertible) like the one I wanted to buy from some family friends back in 1973, before they gave it to their daughter instead. But never got to drive.
Is there anything like this in the US? That I could drive to?
Once a year the Lane museum offers a chance to drive their cars in the Rally for the Lane experience.
https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/
In Alberta the Reynolds museum offers the chance to drive a Ford Model T. I hope to do this during the summer and report back.
https://reynoldsmuseum.ca/
I was going to say that one thing that almost always pops up here as to why not would be liability. Second might be the fact that many museums of cars, planes, and ships operate on a shoestring budget. Of course one is not going to take up the warbird their father flew or command the ship their father did. Although there is a ship museum that makes money hand over fist and I would enjoy taking out into the open ocean.
The Lane event is much more in the spirit of the London to Brighton Rally than Drive Dad’s Car.
Aside from liability, continually sending old cars with old technology and novice drivers out into modern traffic would make your museum a despised local nuisance, not a welcome addition to the community.
I bought a new Minor 2 door for my mother in 1961, the Minor 1000.
She used it for about 6 years, then got a new ’67 Dodge Dart.
I then drove the Minor from New York to Oregon, where I sold it.
Not a car built for American circumstances, but, from my experience, a worthy car in its intended home.
We had use of a Minor when we went to live with dad in Nassau in the early 60’s. It was cute in a very retro way, and perfect for a young family to travel the island.
If I had a chance to step back in time and drive some of my wish list cars, it might dissuade me from wanting them so badly.
P5B
Dolomite Sprint
Capri Mk3
Ford Granada Mk2
TR5
Oh, to wish, to yearn, to win the lottery…
I briefly owned a Minor 1000 two door saloon, it wasn’t too rusty bit had the usual old car things .
I gave it to a friend and hope he”l set it right again .
These are indeed fun to drive cars if you like old cars .
For West Coasters there’s ‘The Automobile Driving Museum’ (? SP ?) near LAX , they’ll drive you around in various classics for an affordable fee on weekends .
-Nate
That looks like fun! I drove a friend’s Minor once briefly, and was quite smitten. It made an interesting comparison to the Beetle I had at the time. The two are the most significant European post-war cars, and I’m endlessly fascinated by their respective pros and cons. of course I’m a VW lover from birth but there was a time when I was seriously toying with getting a Minor (back in the ’70s).
That Autocar road test really threw me, as it very much looked like it was from 1973. But obviously it couldn’t have been. WTF? Oh; it’s their 1973rd road test. So British!
The Minor van was still in production in 73, I drove a near new Austin Minor van not long before obtaining my licence in 73, crinkle bar grille and Austin on the steering wheel were the only differences I can remember
Roger, the smile on your face tells us everything. This sounds like tremendous fun and whoever had the concept for this needs to be thanked.
While my father did not drive any of the offerings you found, choosing only one would be difficult for those of us having no connection. I still need to head your direction some day.
I absolutely love the idea of being able to take a classic car out for a short drive. For me, this would be preferable to actual ownership, as I lack the time and mechanical skills to maintain a hobby car. For others, a little time spent behind the wheel might be enough to satiate the lust for a classic car purchase, or perhaps confirm the desire to go through with the transaction.
In this collection, I’d be most interested in the Hillman Avenger. Dad almost purchased a Plymouth Cricket dealer demonstrator back in 1973, loving the car and the way it drove, but backed away at the last second due to worries about parts and service for an orphan marque. Crisis averted. however, he went on to buy a Chevrolet Vega…talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire!
I am adding this, along with some of the other museums mentioned in part one, to the list of potential destinations for a car-themed trip to the UK and EU in the next year or two.
That 1957 model must be very similar to my uncle’s 1954-6 Tourer I remember from my childhood, save for the engine and single piece screen (though the wipers are still set up for the two screens). Something else I noticed was the the roof has four intermediate stays rather than three of the Series II version.
It could be interesting to know why the Morris Minor wasn’t successeful in North American compared to the VW Beetle.
The original Minor (Series MM) used a prewar side valve four that had 918 cc and was extremely undersquare, with a 57 mm bore and a 90 mm stroke. This engine was vastly inferior to the modern oversquare VW flat four, which had significantly better acceleration, top speed and most importantly, could be driven at top speed indefinitely. Not so the Minor.
The Series II Minor got the relatively more modern Austin ohv A series engine, but with 803 cc it was still significantly slower than the VW. The Minor 1000 finally got close to the VW in performance, but even then, these long stroke British fours were not really happy to run at American highway and freeway speeds continuously.
The VW was more solidly built, had four wheel independent suspension, and some other advantages. Americans tended to not fuss over their cars’ maintenance, and the VW was better suited for that.
The Minor had its charms, and some advantages, but overall the VW was a more robust car, and Americans just really took a shine to it.
Austin had been the best selling import in the US prior to the rapid ascent of the VW in 1955-1956, and I suspect an increasing number of Americans had been experiencing certain shortcomings with the Austin and other British cars in American applications.
The A-series engine was very efficient, economical if you kept it in a high gear and grovelled around everywhere. Hence we used to call them the Moggie Groveller.
Unfortunately, my driving style has always been more German (or Italian, probably!) so it never worked for me.
Despite their considerable success, British cars of that era were already displaying malaise issues, so you are indeed correct about the Käfer and so was the US…even if our Beetles in ’68 were sweaty and kept breaking down too. Replaced by a Dodge Dart, which I thought was wonderful.
The Matlock museum is tempting – there are a few cars I’d like to try.
They say never meet your heroes – but there are a few I’d like to try again (mainly designed by Dante Giacosa or Oscar Montabone, admittedly…) just to see how we’ve progressed (or not?) over the previous half century, or so.
Even if it does eliminate the rose-tinted specs!
I know the A is Britain’s small block, for endless specials and racers and hot Minis, but I’ve always thought it a bit over-praised as a daily thing. In Aussie conditions, they were pretty much in need of a rebuild at 50K miles or so, when US-based Holden sixes were good for twice that (and worked equally hard). And you must be right about the beginnings malaisey-stuff: Datsun built (almost) the self-same engine under licence, and even though you might have to endure the horror of B210 to do it, their build of the A all lasted until the crack of doom. Apparently, they keep running even after you’ve crushed them.
Datsun A series almost bolts straight into Morry Minors its still a popular upgrade here and less oil leakage.
What a great drive back in time ! Found this site in Germany where you can rent old and “youngtimers”.
https://www.ps-speicher.de/en/oldtimervermietung?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu-Svz8-uhwMV_i6tBh2GHgFQEAAYASAAEgIzofD_BwE
Wow – that’s a great story! Like others have said above, it’s a wonderful idea for a museum. If I ever make it to the UK, this place will be high on my list. Really, I’d be happy with any of the options there.
It’s interesting to read your impressions, those things that are significant from a modern perspective but that don’t show up in a period review. Like the lack of seat adjustments… or the uninspiring brakes, etc. Even a rather sedate drive around the museum property must be illuminating from so many perspectives.
And lots of credit must go to the museum’s driving instructors (Kath in your case). I bet those folks must have lots of patience, some solid nerves, and have met a lot of happy people. Thanks for this review!
Roger, this sounds like an amazing experience. How cool! It had me thinking about what it would be like to drive a car this old and the nuances I just wouldn’t be expecting. I do think people are taller now than back then (nothing scientific, but from what I recall having read somewhere). 0-60 in 26 seconds? At least if the brakes take some getting used to, you won’t be going too fast. I can drive a manual transmission, but I have no idea how the lack of syncromesh in first would affect my level of aptitude.
Great feature.
Drive a Morry thou, I have several actually but not for many years, we had a 803cc Minor in the family when I was a child it was my grandmothers she had it repainted pink four door version and nearly worn out I used to hold it in gear for her as she had arthritis and the Minor used to jump out of 2nd & 3rd in the end she taught me how to shift the gears, the old girl learned to drive after her husband died and whoever taught her knew his stuff I saw her feed the wheel for opposite lock when it got tail out occasionally the old girl drove it foot to the floor most of the time on skinny cross ply razor blade tyres, along with the gearbox issue it began burning oil at 40,000 miles and at 43k it got traded on a little old lady low miles HB Viva she didnt like, It was her mistake to ask my dad to find her another car and Vauxhalls Chevrolets and Holdens were what he was involved with.
At 15 I sat my driving test in a 59 Morry thou so I have some affection for them, But never bought one.
Roger mentions poor brakes trust me the one he drove has bigger better brakes than the sidevalve models had, a classic car nut friens in the Huon had a Minor daily and a few spare cars and VWs her 54 had been converted to OHV 948 and it literally would not stop I tried it, any amongst her junk collect was another 60 model shell with the improved brakes so I swapped them over huge improvement still drums all round but they worked properly,
No syncro on 1st no big deal just double declutch like most 50s British cars and real trucks even today.
I understand some owners upgrade to Marina front discs.
Yes, the Morris Marina really was that embarrassing. But it perhaps demonstrated how loved the Minor was in the UK.
What a great time and a wonderful museum. I’d love to take a quick spin in each of those cars.
Here is one to drive in real life and I had to look it up. A 1951 Humber Hawk, on Facebook nonetheless, in San Leandro.
Some friends have a couple of Humber Hawkes 53 models, not something seen every day, actually they are quite rare.
Nice idea. Minors I have driven and although they were never my “thing” I can appreciate the engineering – if I had to choose, I’d take one over a Beetle of the same era. Dad had a car not available for a museum drive (well I did not see any in the pictures), a 48 Austin A40 Devon, a somewhat bigger car than the Morris but no way near as sophisticated. I came home from hospital in it but soon thereafter it was sold and replaced by a 53 Chev, so I have no memories of it…
A great concept, of which I knew a bit from that eccentric youtuber, Hubnut.
My dad’s first was a cabled-braked 1937 Willys: I don’t think they’d have one of those! Mind you, the only Morrie Minor I ever drove (with an eye to buying it at 17) had godawful brakes by 1986 standards, and it that more than anything that put me off it. They stopped making them here after ’62 or so, but plenty must’ve sold prior, because there were many, usually decrepit, ones about in the ’70’s and ’80’s. Actually, folk were hotting them up by then, and putting Datsun engines and 5 speed boxes, which is what you’d have to do today for even moderate use on everyday roads. Oh, and front discs – from the bloody Marina (so it turns out that heap had one virtue, being a donor on death)!
I’ve always liked the Tourer, and it had a role in what was probably the finest comedy show that’s been made here, Mother and Son. The mother (who had memory loss) had inherited her husband’s black one, which was exactly right in about ’82-83 when the show began. In fact, the car was such a symbol of the show that it sat in the foyer of the ABC’s HQ for years after.
Also the lovely Steph from idriveaclassic on youtube who reviews all sorts of obscure British cars has driven some of these.
I wish we had this in Oz, having driven lots of Holdfalciants I would love to try a P76, I reckon a well screwed together one would be interesting. finishing the day by getting let loose in a 6 pack Charger R/T, hmm, probably why it doesn’t happen.
I loved this! You clearly had a great time!
And I agree – a museum that could charge for short drives would seem to be a great fund raising idea.
I will add this to my list for my next visit to the U.K. I have a great affection for Milnors. When I was in high school in Toronto in the mid 60s my best friend’s mother bought a 2 door in Olde English White. It was my introduction to British automobiles. I never got to drive it, but I had many rides, especially after my friend got his licence. I particularly liked the separate switch for the starter. Later a couple of guys in my class Travellers
as first cars, but they were real beaters.
I think the “test” drive idea is great, but for me it would be “drive your first car”, not your dad’s car. I wonder if they have an Austin 1800?
It is interesting that I have had a Citroen 2CV for 30 years and I have offered to let some friends drive it, and I have always been turned down. I have decided to try harder this summer to see if I can get someone to take up my offer. I have some interest from a neighbour who owned an MG TD. He should be used to odd driving experiences.
There is a Landcrab in the collection but it’s not on the “drive it” list.
I’ll try your 2CV