Mervyn Spencer – 1965 Morris Minor

Affordable, easy to maintain and bursting with character, it is easy to see why the Minor has such a strong following amongst classic car enthusiasts. And with this delightful example having such originality and a low mileage it really is rather special.

Mervyn has had the car more than fifty years after his father acquired it in a slightly unusual way. “He was owed money by a customer and when he couldn’t pay my father accepted the car instead. It had then only covered 15,500 miles.”

Anyone admiring the Minor might be surprised to learn that it still has under 20,000 miles on the odometer. It has certainly been cherished over the last half century, and the owner has been keen to retain the superb condition. “It is an original car, in its original colour of Almond Green with all numbers matching.”

The restoration four years ago was limited to a bare metal respray and new carpets. The engine has never been rebuilt or out of the car and under the bonnet is how it left the factory in 1965. This Minor is British Heritage certified and bears its original number plate.

The car has been used sparingly during Mervyn’s ownership and lives in a dehumidified garage alongside other classics covering a century of motoring, one from each decade since 1920; each classic has limited mileage or is limited edition. Being such a low-mileage survivor, the car gets transported to shows in a covered trailer. Very proud of his Minor, we are thrilled to have it at the show.

Designed by Alec Issigonis and launched in 1948, the ‘Moggie’ quickly became a family favourite. The first British car to reach one million sales, production lasted until 1971 with the Traveller outlasting the saloon by a few months.