Morris Minor Owners Club

What makes a Morris a De Luxe model?

Hi Deano.
Minor 2-doors and travellers were available with the option of standard or DeLuxe model (not sure about LCVs) and all 4-doors were DeLuxe. A deluxe model usually had a 'D' on the end of the chassis number (not always though!).
The actual spec for deluxe changed very frequently so it's hard to tell what it should be but the common features would be leather seats instead of vinyl, (62-64 ones came with duo-tone seats instead of mono-tone), wheel embelishers, bumper overiders, passenger sunvisor, i think at one point windscreen washers were a deluxe feature too.
oh, and a heater

I don't think they EVER came with wheel embellishers from the factory!

you could specify later 4 doors as standard. they came with plain door trims (without the heat formed panels), no over riders or passengerside sun visor!!! heater was extra as well, but no one would really bother with a standard.

The main idea of the standard model was really so that they could advertise the car 'starting from' a lower price full knowing that most people would upgrade to the deluxe

sidney so your blue moggy is a standard as it doesnt have overriders???
i think mines standard. no overrides, viynal seats, 1 sun visor and a round type heater. is this the most standard moggy you can get????

Pretty much. The heater would be an extra!

Andrew, yes your moggy is a standard model but you do have a radio in yours which was an optional extra!

To be honest I'm not sure about the blue one! it did have overriders once upon a time as there are marks for them on the bumpers but of course these can easily be added or taken away but it does also have a passenger sunvisor (which again could be added later) it has an upgraded heater and not the original interior so it is very hard to tell, but, the windscreen washers seem like a later fit so I'm guessing it was standard.
The grey one I'm guessing would be DeLuxe as it has overriders and a heater but again it is hard to tell!

Under Specification my Traveller Heritage Certificate says RHD, Home Market, De-luxe
Under Factory Fitted Equipment there is nothing listed.
Fat lot of help that was
My Series MM just says RHD, Home Market. I don't think that they had De-luxe then.

The chassis number on my car suggests it was a deluxe model, however it has very few extras to the standard model, with the exception of a heater and passenger sun visor, which I thought had become standard fittings by the late sixties? or maybe not?

jackcranfield wrote:The chassis number on my car suggests it was a deluxe model, however it has very few extras to the standard model, with the exception of a heater and passenger sun visor, which I thought had become standard fittings by the late sixties? or maybe not?

Your picture also shows over riders on the front bumper and do you have an ash tray ?

Yes is does - was this also optional?

ash tray was a deluxe feature

I notice some had the ashtray on the transmission tunnel in the back and on some it was under the dash, when did this change? Or could you get both? My '61 has one under the dash.

Andy, I think the change came to the tunnel at the facelift in late 63...

The under dash ashtray was introduced in October '54 and the swivel ones under the parcel shelf in October '64. Not sure when the transmission tunnel ashtray was introduced but an ashtray became available as an optional extra in '60 so it could have been then.

From the cars I have owned so far...

1 - 69 D ashtray on rear tunnel
2 - 65 D ash tray on rear tunnel
3 - 68 S ash tray under parcel shelf
4 - 61 D ash tray under dash
5 - 60 S (Trav) no ash tray
6 - 60 S (van) ash tray under dash

No guarantees that this is how they left the factory but might help in some sort of "working out"