Morris Minor - Interior Colour / Body Work

[Mrs.P2010]

Help is needed!

I have Morris Minor 1000 called Evelyn, made in 1967, who is currently undergoing a complete overhaul after sitting for years. She’s getting all the welding she needs, a new clutch, new brakes and generally the works to bring her back to being a beautiful car again.

Now comes the bit I’m struggling with… WHAT COLOUR?!

I absolutely LOVE Old English White (WT3). It’s the colour I keep coming back to, and I’m thinking long-term. I’ve even wondered whether, once she’s finished, she could potentially be hired out as a wedding car, which is one reason the Old English White appeals to me. (Also thinking long term - it would be a great car for my daughter to use as a wedding car - I used one for mine and she wants to use one when the day comes)

BUT… then Dave - a lovely gentleman we met at the CO-OP one day who is now helping me with all these jobs and teaching me everything has thrown another spanner in the works and suggested Emerald Green. he thinks we should go big and different, so it stands out.

The other thing making this decision difficult is her interior. She still has her original blue/grey interior, and I simply cannot afford to replace the seats/interior. So I need to choose a colour that will actually work with what she has.

I’m also questioning what her actual original exterior colour was. At some point in her life, someone has hand-painted her light grey with a paintbrush — and I mean you could literally see every brush stroke!

As I’ve been sanding her right back, I’ve started uncovering what looks like her original paint underneath. It’s a lovely duck-egg blue/grey colour, so I think she may originally have been Smoke Grey, but I’d love someone more knowledgeable to confirm that.

The problem is, I cannot find her original colour code anywhere on the body. I’ve completely stripped her down and have looked everywhere I can think of, but I simply cannot find a colour code or anything that confirms exactly what colour she left the factory in.

So I’d LOVE to hear from people who know these cars far better than I do:

Would you put her back to her original colour and keep her as close to factory/original as possible?
Would Old English White (WT3) work with the blue/grey interior?
What do you think of Emerald Green with the blue/grey interior?
Are there any other period-correct 1967 Morris colours you think I should consider?

I have had a look at what some of the colours would look like using AI, but I know some people aren't keen on AI-generated images, so I won't post those here.

I’m still very much a novice and learning as I go, so I’d genuinely love to hear your opinions — especially from anyone who has restored a Minor and had to make the same sort of decision.

Original and correct, classic Old English White, or take a chance on the green?

Thanks in advance!

— Sarah & Evelyn

[svenedin]

The blue interior and the paint that you have found on the body strongly suggests the original colour was Smoke Grey BU15. It is an odd choice of name because as you say, it is a light grey-blue somewhat similar to duck egg blue.

My car is Smoke Grey and I do get a lot of comments from people saying how much they love the colour. Although it was a very common colour at the time of production, nowadays people don't see it very often so they tend to comment.

Smoke Grey changes a lot according to the light. Sometimes it looks very blue and other times quite grey. It goes beautifully with the blue interior.

If you want to know what the original colour was for certain, apply for a Heritage Certificate from the British Motor Museum.

It is your car so the choice of colour is up to you! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc.....

My own opinion is that OEW is nice but I see it too much. It is a bit like magnolia walls. Inoffensive, very pleasant but a bit m'eh. Empire Green is a bold choice and was not a colour that was used when your car was made. I recall the dress advice "blue and green should never be seen" (except with something in between) so if you are not replacing the blue interior it might make for a displeasing colour combination.

One thing worth noting about Smoke Grey cars is that there is a lot of variation. Control of the exact shade of colour was not as good as it is these days. There was variation between batches, different manufacturers of the paint at different times (e.g ICI Smoke Grey is different) and of course there is ageing of the paint. There is even variation of the paint on different panels on the same car. It is not an easy paint to get right.

My car in the picture is not concours ex-factory. For its age, 1969, the wheels should be dark silver and the hood should be an off white. As I have owned the car for 37 years, it has never had dark silver wheels in my tenure but it did have the original off white Everflex hood. I had to replace the hood decades ago and chose black Mohair which I personally think suits the car better but that is a matter of opinion! Interestingly, the spare wheel was also OEW not dark silver which does cause me to question whether it ever had dark silver wheels despite what the books say.

Stephen

IMG_3773.jpeg (4.32 MiB) Viewed 227 times

[moggiethouable]

Mine is also smoke grey blue.
Duotone seat covers were no longer available on production models after 1964, but I flew against my usual mantra of keep it standard by fitting them to this, my 1965 saloon.
I am pleased I did.