1956 Morris Minor - Minor 1000 Convertible

Delivered new in Austria

Rare left-hand-drive version

Final evolution of the Minor

Only two owners in forty years

When the Morris Minor was introduced in 1948, it was intended above all to be one thing: a modern car for as many Britons as possible. It had been designed by Alec Issigonis, who would go on to make automotive history all over again with the Mini. Even with the Minor, his talent for making small cars feel larger than they actually were was already apparent.

By the mid-1950s, the Minor had long since become part of the British street scene. From 1952, the revised model was known as the Minor Series II and was powered by an 803 cc four-cylinder from Austin’s A-Series. Power was hardly abundant, but then that was never really the point. The Minor was light, nimble and economical – and as an open Tourer, surprisingly charming.

Its shape, with separate wings and a friendly face, already looked slightly old-fashioned even then. That would later become one of its greatest assets. While other small cars of the Fifties grew increasingly functional in appearance, the Morris remained stubbornly rounded.

Then, in 1956, the Minor 1000 arrived with a larger 948 cc engine and a one-piece windscreen. Remarkably, the Minor remained in production in this basic form until 1971. It was available as a two- or four-door Saloon, as the timber-framed Traveller, as a closed Van and as the delightful Convertible.

The latter is no sportier than any other Minor. Nor does it need to be. Driven with the roof down and that thin steering wheel in your hands, the Morris provides ample entertainment at little more than country-road speeds.

This Morris Minor Convertible dates from 1956 and is one of the earliest examples of the final evolution. In other words, it has the big one-litre engine, producing just over 30 hp. That is enough for around 120 km/h and 0 to 100 km/h in a little over 30 seconds.

But memories and enjoyment are difficult to measure in performance figures. Its current owners, after all, have almost three decades’ worth of stories to tell. And so does the Minor, proudly wearing the traces of time for all to see.

While the interior was renewed not too long ago, it will be up to its next owners to decide whether the exterior should receive the same treatment. We find it rather more charming just as it is. Little British cars have character anyway. This one has rather more than most.