The classic Morris Minor is one of the most recognisable cars in the world, despite being out of production for more than 50 years. However, top-secret plans almost saw the British icon brought back.
The Morris Minor was originally on the production line between 1948 and 1971 and sold more than 1.6 million vehicles, with many considering it to be the ultimate British car.
It was the first British car to sell more than one million units in 1960 and is still classed as one of the greatest UK-made cars to have ever been developed.
This was met with major praise from the automotive industry, with a commemorative Minor made for each dealership around the UK, complete with a lilac exterior and white leather interior.
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Morris Minor models are some of the most popular classic cars
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According to Autocar, the Morris Minor almost made a comeback in 2005 thanks to a revival plan in the immediate aftermath of MG Rover’s bankruptcy in 2005.
The proposal was led by former Ford of Europe and Maserati boss Martin Leach’s Magma Holdings consultancy and Shanghai Automotive Industries Corporation (SAIC), although the original plans did not mention the Morris Minor.
Steve Young of Indego Consulting, worked closely with Leach and said it was entirely his idea and was seen as essential to the revival of the MG Rover.
The proposal was originally met with optimism given Leach’s career, backing from a company familiar with MG Rover, the support of the Unite the Union and SAIC being involved in talks before it collapsed.
Production of the Morris Minor ended in 1971
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Young told Autocar: “SAIC would have done all the engineering work with input from the UK. They had the capability.
“General Motors [which has a sizeable joint venture with SAIC] had supported them heavily with an engineering centre and were very generous in getting them up to speed.”
The winner of the bid would have been able to gain the rights to the MG and Rover names, in addition to Morris and Austin branding, suggesting that there was a possibility to bring the Minor back.
Unite and its chairman Tony Woodley were keen to see the Magma-SAIC initiative move forward as it promised to support as many jobs as possible at the Longbridge site in Birmingham.
More than 1.6 million Morris Minors were sold
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Richard Bremner, senior contributor to Autocar, explained how the Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC) of China eventually won the bid, despite being less credible.
The Chinese government eventually pushed for the NAC and SAIC to merge in 2007, with the latter acquiring the intellectual rights to the Rover 75, 45 and 25.
Sadly for fans of the British classic, there were no further plans for a return of the Morris Minor after the bid went to the Chinese NAC company.
In 2023, car enthusiasts from around the world joined to celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Morris Minor at Scolton Manor in Pembrokeshire.
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A classic 1948 Morris Minor was sold at auction in September last year, selling for £22,500 with only 15,538 miles on the clock and a top speed of 64mph.
