Often called the ‘British Beetle’ Spacious though cute old-timer Belgian MOT, British maintenance bills The Morris Minor was built in a first series from 1928 to 1934 and had a significantly longer heyday from 1948 to 1971. Throughout the second period of 28 years of production, the car was built by three different car manufacturers, which also adds British automotive history to the Minor. The Morris Minor is often compared to the Mini, the Fiat 500, the Citroen 2CV, and the Renault R4. Also, it is sometimes referred to as the 'British Beetle’. Sir Alec Issigonis is the man behind the Morris Minor, which was introduced in 1948. The same man that designed the famous Mini a decade later. The Mini was initially even advertised as the 'Mini Minor' and was considered the successor to the Morris Minor. Despite the introduction of the Mini in 1959, the Minor remained in production for about twelve more years. Alec Issigonis’ plan for the Minor was to design a budget-friendly car that would match the quality of a higher-end car. Additionally, he was keen on turning customers into true Minor ambassadors; he wanted Minor owners to be proud of the car they were driving and managed to transform his budget-friendly cars into status symbols. The design is adorable and almost endearing. Under the hood, there is an extension of that design. The Minor was equipped with a side-valve four-cylinder engine, but in the early 1950s, this rather outdated engine was replaced by a more modern straight-four engine. Over 1.6 million Minors were built. Various variants came on the market - you truly have Minors in all shapes and colours - and the Minor underwent extensive updates and modifications over the years to meet market demands. The initial design remained recognizable, making it iconic. Morris Traveller ('Woody') As mentioned before, several variants were designed and conceived for the Minor, and the Traveller is one of them. The Traveller was introduced in 1953 and is an avant-garde estate car. The long and spacious rear end is finished with ash wood, therefore the Traveller was nicknamed 'Woody.' Approximately 200,000 Woody Minors were built. It is a fun and spacious classic car that can be used as a ‘workhorse’ as well as for leisure rides. Also, finding replacement parts is not a problem as Woodies were produced in large quantities for up to thirty years after the end of the Traveller’s production run. Technical information: Body work Length (cm): 376 (148 inch) Width (cm): 155 (61 inch) Height (cm): 152 (60 inch) Wheelbase (cm): 218 (86 inch) Weight (kg): 762 (1680 lbs) Mechanics Engine: 1098 cc straight-six front-engine Valve gear: 8 Fuel system: 1 SU carburettor Gear box: 4-speed manual Transmission: RWD Right-steered power: 49 hp (36 kW) at 5100 t/m torque: 81 Nm at 2500 t/m Top speed: 117 km/h (73 mph)