page_title: Morris Minor (1928)
section_title: Morris Eight, Austin Seven
hierarchical_section_title: Morris Minor (1928) / Morris Eight, Austin Seven
caption_attribution_description: Panasonic G1 DVLA. 885 cc, Manf. 1930, first registered 10 July 1930
context_page_description: The Morris Minor is a small 4-seater car with an 850 cc engine manufactured by Morris Motors Limited from 1928 to 1934. The name was resurrected for another newer car for the same market in 1948.
  Beginning in 1922 the tiny seven horsepower Austin had brought motoring to a new public and broadened the market. Against that Morris's Oxfords and Cowleys had taken 41 per cent of the entire 1925 British private car market. Morris sales had begun to slow in 1926. They were revived by a new face for the Morris Oxford and Cowley and an expansion of Morris's range both up and down the scale.
  The same year William Morris realised millions from the sale and stock market listing of preference shares in his business and he privately bought Wolseley, founded by Herbert Austin, which until a few years earlier had been Britain's largest car manufacturer.
  William Morris now had ample wherewithal to go after Herbert Austin's little car with his own small Morris. With a surplus of production facilities, and Wolseley's design engineers added to his own at Morris Commercial Cars, little time was taken for development of the Morris Minor.
context_section_description: Said W R Morris "Some people think that my idea is to try to crush the Austin Seven off the market, which is absurd. But I can say this, my price will not be higher than that of the Austin Seven." Sir Herbert rejoined "Personally, and as firms, we are on the best of terms with the Morris Company. The public will decide whose car they like best. Mr Morris's decision (to enter this sector) is no surprise to me ... I knew what was going on weeks ago."
  There were no pictures, but the public's first detailed description of the new 8 hp Morris was released on Saturday 26 May 1928. The press release did say the engine's dimensions were 56 x 76 = 748 cc – presumably for Sir Herbert Austin The press had been told (they claimed by someone at Morris) these names were being considered: Morris-Oxley, -Bully, -Carfax, -Magdalen, -Calfley, -ette, -Iffley, -Dancer, -Moxley and -Cox.
  The Motoring weeklies published better descriptions and photographs in the last week of August.
  Next, on Saturday 1 September 1928, prices were advertised:
  Tourer with leather, £125, (actual cars had Rexine) with Triplex Safety Glass screen £127.
  Two-door fabric saloon in blue or brown with sliding windows £135, with Triplex all round £141.10.0.
  Chassis only £100.
  The launch was on 11 October 1928 at the opening of London's 22nd Olympia Motor Show. A 4-seated tourer was displayed and a 4-seated saloon with sliding windows. Both had two doors. The Times motoring correspondent tested the fabric saloon and reported at length in December finishing with "I liked the general control and one does not get the impression that one is driving a very small car".
  The fabric covered bodies used so much wadding to smooth their corners birds learned to peck through the fabric for the felt to build their nests.
  Coachbuilt, steel-panelled cars with a folding "sunshine" roof, i.e. "an opening head", for £9 more than the fabric car, were announced in August 1929 and all three cars were given rear-hinged doors with their forward ends sloping towards the front at the bottom. "This gives the required foot room for entering or leaving a light car". The two saloons shown at Olympia had buffers. A  5-cwt van was added to the Minor range for 1930. It was displayed as Morris's smallest van offering at the 1929 Motor Transport Show.
  The following year, in August 1930, a new 2-seater semi-sports joined the range with a hood and side screens. It was designed for two adults and their luggage and was cheapest in the range by £5.  The tourer and two saloons, fabric and steel-panelled, remained in production. Advertisements referred to improved coachwork comfort and finish and improved lubrication and electrical systems. Tyres were now 19 x 4.00-inches. The coachbuilt saloon might now be had in black as well as blue. This last saloon came with automatic windscreen wiper, rear-vision mirror, safety glass and the new chromium finish. Morris's stand at Olympia displayed just a chassis of the Minor.
caption: tourer registered July 1930
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