Morris Minor Owners Club

32 years ago today I bought my first Minor, XWL 61 ,which I still have

Anyone had one longer??

Andy

I have had my minor WDF 714 of 1958 for at least 48 years man and boy and my first car to whit. I have known the car ever since new and used to repair and service it before I purchased it for the princely sum of £142 with 42k on the speedo. It had two very careful (I am not joking) lady owners before I had it.
I am sure there are much longer ownerships than mine out there

Have had our Series II saloon for 23 years. Celebrated her 60th birthday last week 17/11/54

I have only had my Series MM since Oct. 1978 which makes it about 35 years.
I know several people who have had their cars longer than that

philthehill wrote:I have had my minor WDF 714 of 1958 for at least 48 years man and boy and my first car to whit. I have known the car ever since new and used to repair and service it before I purchased it for the princely sum of £142 with 42k on the speedo. It had two very careful (I am not joking) lady owners before I had it.
I am sure there are much longer ownerships than mine out there

£142 was a lot of money then!

Paid £100 back in 1972 and still have it:

One on left only 10 years, but one on right from 1972

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POMMReg wrote:

philthehill wrote:I have had my minor WDF 714 of 1958 for at least 48 years man and boy and my first car to whit. I have known the car ever since new and used to repair and service it before I purchased it for the princely sum of £142 with 42k on the speedo. It had two very careful (I am not joking) lady owners before I had it.
I am sure there are much longer ownerships than mine out there

£142 was a lot of money then!

It was lot of money to me and paid off in £2 instalments.
As an apprentice started off with £3.15s a week (seemed to save more proportionally then) and when fully qualified was only on £17.10s a week; and that was the going rate for a fully qualified Motor mechanic back then.
Is it me or did money go further back in the 60s/70s?

Bought MBO145 in June 1985, so 29 years ago, think he was about £400 as the engine was in the boot!
Sold in 1992 for £2000 then bought back for £2000 in 2000!

philthehill wrote:Is it me or did money go further back in the 60s/70s?

I think it did. Although Income Tax was a kick in the teeth, the taxes on everyday things like FOOD, did not exist (Thatcher brought that in with VAT on take-away hot food) - once VAT has been applied to a facility or item, it cannot be removed (BBBB rules), booze and cigarette taxes were lower, we didn't have home computers with expensive high-speed Internet charges, mobile phones or colour TV licences either. There was Purchase Tax, but that was on big purchases, like cars. The same Thatcher also ceased the VAT exemption on DIY goods that were purchased for Home Improvements!
GPO (PO Telecoms) call charges (land lines) were very cheap compared with now, especially on "local" calls before the introduction of STD facilities - local calls were untimed and you were only charged 1 unit (4p from kiosk and 3p from home line and no VAT) for as long as you could talk for (days if you could manage it, provided you did not hang up) - this was NOT advertised but, instead, subscribers were always reminded to be "brief", especially if using a public phone, as "others may be waiting") - the good old days, especially if you knew how to "tap" out a number (in a kiosk) and not pay your 4 pennies in the first place!
My first Moggy purchase was in 1977 - a downsizing from a Vauxhall 2lt Super Automatic (19 mpg) but, alas, I had to take it off the road in 1984. It still exists (with its 234 BVB plate), but is not currently licensed.
I think the "cost of things in the past" should become a separate thread.
Regards,
George.

I got given my 1970 Traveller in 1989 for my 18th birthday - a hand-me down from my mum, after the front suspension collapsed and she got given a new-fangled 1982 Austin Metro instead.

I've carried out much work on it since, as a never-ending 'rolling restoration', and it's now covered 156,000 miles - pretty good going, I think.