| Chassis Numbers
1952 - 1962 |
Chassis Numbers
1962 - 1971 |
Production Modifications |
| First Letter = Vehicle Model | F=Morris Minor |
| Second Letter = Body Style | A=4 door
B=2 door saloon |
| Third Letter = Paint Colour | A=black
B=Light Grey C=Dark Red D=Dark Blue E=Mid Green F=Beige G=Brown H=CKD finish (exported) J=Dark Grey K=Light Red L=Light Blue P=Ivory R=White S=Mid Grey T=Light Green U=Dark Green |
| First Number = Sales Market | 1=RHD - Home Market
2=RHD - Export |
| Second Number = Paint Type | 1 = Synthetic
2 = Synobel 3 = Cellulose |
| First Letter = Vehicle Make | M = Morris |
| Second Letter = Engine Type | A = A Series |
| Third Letter = Body Type | S = 4 door saloon
2S = 2 door saloon W = Dual Purpose (Ute/Van/Traveller?) T = 4-seater Tourer (convertible) |
| First Number = Model Series | 1 = Series I
2 = Series II 3 = Series III 5 = Post '62 |
| Fourth Letter = Non-Standard Specs
(i.e. not standard RHD) |
L = LHD
D = Deluxe |
| Modifcation Date | Modification Description |
| October 1948 | First Minor rolls off production line
Car Number SMM501 Engine Type USHM2 |
| June 1949 | Car No. 3389 RHD and 6142 LHD: small, round twin rear lights replace single rear lamp (mounted vertically in USA). 17580 R H D; 7967 LH D: larger squared-off variety of rear lamps fitted. |
| September 1949 | Improved draught and water sealing. Choke control altered slightly. Seats given more forwards adjustment. |
| Late 1949 | Front suspension tiebar mounting strengthened 904 RHD; (5600 LHD).
Rear suspension - front shackle renewable bush plates fitted - 17840 RHD;
8700 LHD. Cellulose paint replaced by synthetic enamel - 12118 RHD;
5856 LHD.
All US market cars fitted with headlamps in wings. |
| October 1950 - on | Four-door Series MM Minor introduced, also with headlamps situated in wings. Indicators fitted high in central door pillar instead of low down as on two-door cars. Some cars (twodoor and four-door) fitted with leather front seats, Vyanide being retained in the rear. Car No. 69832 RHD; 71098 LHD - front doors closed with straps instead or cora. Four-door cars fitted with one-piece bumpers instead of earlier splittype. 72985 RHD - passenger windscreen wiper fitted as standard. |
| January 1951 | Car. No. 83390 RHD; 81595 LHD - all Minors built with headlamps mounted in the wings with sidelamps placed where the headiamps used to be. All wingmounted headiamps were 7 in instead of former 5 in units. |
| March 1951 | A nickel shortage led to painted grille and hub caps being fitted - 91076 RHD; 89726 LHD. Hub caps only were restored to chrome plated finish six months later. |
| April 1951 | Optional water pump fitted to engine, allowing use of heater. Complete cost - f 16 as extras' but fitted as standard to four-door saloon. Car No. 83206 RHD; 81502 LHD - all cars now fitted with one-piece bumpers in place of earlier split type. |
| June 1951 - on | Car No. 100920 RHD; 102836 LHD - Tourer sidescreens of fixed type and revised hood fitted. Door-mounted ashtray discontinued on four-door at 131460 RHD; 126597 LHD and on two-door at 12481 0 RH D; 122788 LHD, replaced by fascia mounted ashtray. 139359 RHD; 139514 LHD - glove box emblem changed from chrome and enamel to plastic and bootlid lock strengthened. |
| September 1951 | Car No. 114923 RHD;8991OLHD - rubber bushed top suspension link introduced to cure suspension 'clonk'. Later fitted as a modification to most cars. At same time in 1952 a secondary steering rack damper was introduced. |
| Late 1952 - on | Series MM engine replaced by A-series engine, in export four-door car at first. Twodoor saloon and Tourer still fitted with Morris 8 engine until 23 February 1953, when last Series MM Minor built. |
| August 1952 | First ohv engine fitted in four -door saloon (sidevalve -.- ine continued in some), 160001. ung |
| January 1953 | All models fitted with ohv engine, 180001. |
| October 1953 | New model designated 'Traveller' introduced, 216901. De Luxe models introduced featuring heater, leather seats, overriders and passenger sun visor. Two-door saloon, 221842; four-door saloon, 221803; Convertible, 221914. |
| January 1954 | 'A' type rear axle and standard swivel pin assembly introduced, 228267. Wedge type fan belt at Engine No. 72610. |
| Early 1954 | Sprung-type semibucket seats replaced by more modern, flatter far less comfortable front seats. Also around this time and until late 1954, 10,000 cars were fitted with separate rear reflectors as a stop-gap way of satisfying new rear reflector regs. |
| June 1954 | Engine steady cable, 264013. |
| October 1954 | Horizontal grill bars introduced. Revised instrument and control panel. Separate speedometer, fuel and oil pressure gauges replaced by single separate instrument with open gloveboxes each side: 286441, two-door saloon; 291140, four-door saloon, 290173; Convertible, 291336; Traveller, 289687. Rubber-buffered tie-rod mounted between engine and bulkhead to act as engine steady and cut out clutch judder. New larger rear light fitting incorporating reflector in lens cover fitted, 293051. |
| August 1956 | Coloured hoods fitted to Convertible, 433571. During its production run, the Series 11 received few other changes but they included: discontinuation of front wing beading, hardboard replacing millboard door trim, grease nipples added to handbrake cables, shorter gear lever, repositioned pedals plus different gearbox cover and carpets to give more foot room. Car No. 433571 on, Tourer given a coloured hood mottled green for green cars; mottled red for all others. Seats became fixed-back for two-door cars. |
| Octoberl956 | Seriesil
discontinued. Final chassis number 448714. |
| October 1956 | Standard and De Luxe two- and four-door saloons, Convertible and Traveller
introduced, designated'Minor 1000'. 948cc engine fitted. Single-piece
and enlarged curved windscreen and larger rear window. Dished steering
wheel. Horn and traff icator control on steering column. Glovebox
lids fitted. Deeper rear wings. Shorter geariever, and deeper
gearbox cover. 'Minor 1 000' motif on sides of bonnet, 448801.
New type of shorter handbrake fitted with end push-button instead of side-mounted lever. Gear-lever carried in aluminium remote-control extension. Self-parking wipers, though still not of parallel movement type. |
| December 1956 | New strengthened steering swivel pin assembly fitted, 462458. |
| Early 1957 | Plastic gear lever knob with rubber insert, boot lid handle and lock strengthened, Car No. 463443 - on. New steering rack oil seal fitted. |
| March 1957 | Fuel tank enlarged from 5 to 6 gallons, 487048, Saloon; Traveller,
485127.
Mud deflector plates made available for rear brake drums. |
| September 1957 | Canvas hood on convertible replaced by plastic coated material, 524944. |
| November 1957 | Geariever reset and lengthened. Traveller 552906; other models, 557451. |
| October 1958 | Courtesy light switches fitted in front doors, 654750. |
| December 1958 | Rear spring design changed from 7 x 1/4 inch leaves to 5 x 1/4 inch leaves, 680464 Saloon and Tourer only. |
| February 1959 | Early type dry paper element air cleaner, Saloon 698137; Traveller, 693918. |
| March 1959 | Wider opening doors, self-cancelling direction indicator switch fitted to steering column. Horn button moved to centre of steering wheel. Traveller, 704254; four-door saloon, 705224; two-door saloon 705622. |
| September 1959 | Combined inlet and exhaust manifold. Foot space between gearbox cover and clutch pedal increased. PVC interior roof lining fitted instead of cloth. Front passenger seat on two-door saloon and Traveller modified to give better access to rear seats, 750470. |
| During 1960 | HS type SU carburettor introduced, Engine No. 9M/U/H 353449. |
| January 1961 | Morris Minor 1,000,000 produced as special edition of 349 cars. Special features included Lilac colour, white upholstery with black piping, 'Minor 1,000,000'badging on sides of bonnet and on boot lid and special wheel rim embellishers. 1,000,000 1,000,349 (these car numbers designated out of sequence). |
| October 1961 | Flashing direction indicators incorporated into front and rear lamps.
Semaphore type direction indicators discontinued. Glove compartment
lid removed. Windscreen washers fitted on De Luxe models. Seatbelts
anchorage points built into all models. New range of colours and
upholstery offered, two-door saloon, 925555; four-door saloon, 925448;
Convertible, 947088; Traveller, 925679. |
| April 1963 | Fresh air heater introduced. Air intake on radiator cowl. Redesigned windscreen washer system, 1039564. |
| October 1963 | Windscreen wiper blades lengthened and now work in tandem. Zone-toughened
ndscreen introduced. New design combined side/flasher lamps at front and rear. Extra round amber flashing indicating light fitted to rear of Traveller. New type air cleaner fitted to prevent carburettor icing in cold weather. N / S door lock fitted to two-door models. Two-door saloon, 1043218; four-door saloon, 1043752; Corivertible, 1043271; Traveller, 1043226. |
| October 1964 | New design fascia panel. Better trim and more comfortable seating. Automatic boot lid support. Glovebox on passenger side fitted with lid. Combined ignition and starter switch. Other switches modified to 'flick'type. Swivel ashtrays under parcel shelf. Crushable sun visors. Plastic rimmed interior mirror. Twospoke safety dished steering wheel. Fresh air heater performance improved. Blocked oil filter warning light fitted. Crackle finish heater fitted - still offered as optional. Two-door saloon, 1082280; fourdoor saloon, 1082284; Convertible 1082717; Traveller, 1082537. |
| October 1966 | Sealed-beam headlamps fitted. Fuse in sidelamp circuit introduced, 1159663. |
| October 1967 | New type paper air cleaner element introduced, 1196653. |
| June 1969 | Convertible discontinued. Final Car Number 1254328. |
| Late 1969 | Oil filter switch ceased to be fitted. Amber warning lens fitted but not used. |
| 1970 | During the last months of production some models were fitted with an alternator instead of a dynamo. |
| November 1970 | Saloon production discontinued. Final Car Numbers, two-door saloon,
1288377During the last months of production some of the vehicles assembled
at the Morris
Commercial Cars plant at Adderley Park, Birmingham were fitted with steering column ignition locks. ; four-door saloon, 1288299. |
| 1971 | During the last months of production some of the vehicles assembled at the Morris Commercial Cars plant at Adderley Park, Birmingham were fitted with steering column ignition locks. |
| April 1971 | Traveller production discontinued. Final Car Number 1294082. |
| Footnote: Reclining seats were fitted to some vehicles though they were never fitted as standard equipment. | |
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