The Morris Minor Owners Club

Fifty years ago the first vehicles using a novel form of construction began to be seen on the roads. It would have been hard to predict then how popular they would become and that more than thirty years after production ended, enthusiasts across the World would continue to use them every day.
Ray Newell concludes his review of the development of the Morris Travellers Car.

By far and away the greatest number of surviving Travellers come from the last ten years of production. This should come as no great surprise as logic, not to mention the law of nature, would determine that this should be so. This fact has also been reinforced by the steady numbers of vehicles produced between 1962 and 1972. The Traveller was very much a dual purpose vehicle, ideally suited for social and domestic use, but equally usable as a commercial workhorse. It was no coincidence that, in the early publicity, the term ‘Travellers’ car was used. In the fifties and sixties, travelling salesmen had their heyday and all manner of goods were transported in the versatile Morris Minor Traveller. As the pictures of the Morris 1000 Travellers included here show, even in the post production era the Traveller proved its worth as a working vehicle.


"Working Traveller - Vicar	A Maroon 'B' Traveller restored to the highest standard. Travellers in this condition remain highly sought after today.

It is well known that in the later years of production, particularly from 1968 onwards, the Morris 1000 Traveller found favour with the Armed Forces. Many were deployed by the Army in Germany but a sizeable cohort remained on home territory to provide transport in and around many military bases. They were used by other arms of the services as well. These vehicles had quite different specifications, particularly in relation to the interior. Floor and rear load coverings were more spartan as the interior photograph illustrates. Army vehicles in particular were painted Mid Bronze Green and had regimental decals fitted as appropriate. The vehicles were exceptionally well maintained and when decommissioned they were disposed of at auction. Usually all distinguishing marks were removed and when recommissioned as privately owned vehicles they were registered using the current new registration sequence in operation at the time. For this reason most vehicles are easily distinguished as the majority had M, N, P, R, S and even T registrations from the period 1974-78. It should be noted that one of the most unusual uses for a Traveller was as a Bomb Disposal Vehicle. Distinctive features included contrasting red wings!


In Army livery	Spartan interior specification	Folloing "demob" at the MMOC National Rally 2002

Such was the affection in which the Morris Minor was held, that it wasn’t long before the Morris Minor Owners Club was formed. Interest has been maintained in the vehicles ever since and a network of parts suppliers and restorers has been established in the UK and in various overseas countries where the Minor proved its worth and established a reputation for economy and reliability. The Traveller has become a firm favourite in the post production era and its composite construction has encouraged many owners to tackle full scale restorations.

Through the good offices of specialist companies like ST Foreman, high quality ash frames and rear door assemblies have been produced and hundreds of travellers have been restored to their former glory following essential bodywork repairs and mechanical overhauls. With approved maintenance programmes for the ash frame on offer and more knowledge of the significance of the wood for the inherent strength of the vehicles, the prospect of having a sustainable vehicle fully restored for less than the price of a medium sized new car in 2003 has encouraged investment in Travellers at an unprecedented rate in recent years.


Travellers proved to be popular in many parts of the world - juat like the rest of the range. This excellent example was photographed in Portugal.	Tony Burgess of the American Minor Register prodly stands with his Traveller

Problems with deteriorating woodwork prompted a major rethink at the factory. The woodwork of the Traveller shown here may appear to be real – but it is not! Look closely at the corners and you may guess that it is actually made of glassfibre. This is the only known factory escapee to have survived.

Production of the Traveller continued into the British Leyland era along with the LCVs. Eventually, in 1971, the end of all Morris Minor production in the UK was announced. Though some of the vehicles remained unsold well into 1972, the end was inevitable if regrettable.

Convertible and saloon production finished in 1969 and 1970 respectively, so the writing was on the wall. Exports had diminished but there was a strong residual home market that might have supported some small scale production. However, in the changing competitive economic climate of the early seventies, British Leyland had no room for sentiment. New models had been coming on stream since the early sixties and it was remarkable that Morris Minor sales had stood up to the competition. The launch of the Morris Marina signalled the end of Morris Minor production after a period of just over 23 years.


Charles Ware marketed his "Series III" modification package with some sucess. Others have followed and some highly modified vehicles have been produced as a result.	Early 1098cc press photo

The Traveller is currently enjoying a new lease of life with the moves towards modifying and uprating it. Numerous packages are available from a variety of sources. In the late 1990s, Marina running gear proved popular with many owners. 1275cc engine with disc brakes was the order of the day. Increased creature comforts were provided by the like of Metro seats and added information came courtesy of improved instrumentation. Charles Ware from the Bath Morris Minor Centre added his Series Three modified conversion as fitted to the white Traveller pictured here. Further developments with the more modern Rover ‘K’ Series engine and five speed gearboxes have followed and JLH Minor Restorations, amongst others, produce some seriously quick and well sorted Travellers. They even provide newly cut aluminium side panels to the original gauge with the front side panels rolled to the original pattern.



Another fine example using a variety of Marina mechanical components. This Traveller was factory fitted with a specially designed glider which stowed in the back with the rear seats folded down.	Minor Matters Editor, David Harvey's Sierra five-speed example, as pictured on the September/October 2003 cover of Minor Matters.

Fifty years on and the Traveller seems set to provide comfortable, reliable transport for some years to come. It’s been said before that the Morris Minor was a vehicle ahead of its time. Who would have believed fifty years ago that we’d be talking of the Traveller as everyday transport in the 21st century.

Travellers – 50 Glorious Years part two

Travellers – 50 Glorious Years
part two