Morris Minor Owners Club

I am aware that, as the 1960s progressed, the Minor was still selling sufficiently well to warrant producing it but not well enough to warrant any major changes. Since the 1275 Midget engine and gearbox don't involve any great changes, I have often pondered as to why this was never fitted (Even if only in the Traveller, which when fully laden, might need a bit more go). Was it simply a case of my first sentence; perhaps it would have required upgrades to the brakes, thus involving more changes than just the engine and gearbox?

It's often crossed my mind, that when my father wanted something a little bigger than his Mini Countryman, had the Minor been 1275, he may well have bought one and not the rust prone and very inferior Ford Escort 1300 estate, which eventually resulted in him going over to VW.

I would guess that apart from having lost interest in developing the Minor they probably didn't want to upstage the Morris 1100 which sold pretty well in the mid sixties.

Iv been told even in the mid to late 60s that these were old when they were new. So maybe they just kept making them to supply demand? Guessing they were putting everything into its replacement by then.

For BMC/BL front wheel drive was the way forward and BMC/BL built their main range of passenger vehicles around the concept of front wheel drive.
Post 1966 the Minor would have been considered old hat and old fashioned and not warranting a major upgrade such as fitting the 1275cc engine which was reserved for the Marina which was the successor of the Minor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Marina

Perhaps BMC were also aware that the halfshafts wouldn't be quite up to the job of a 1275, even in standard tune - mine's broken at least two, and now I keep a couple of spares.

As a matter of interest, does the Marina have the same back axle as the Minor?

No, it's a Triumph item.

I would suggest that BMC/BL would have had little concern over half-shafts as the half shafts fitted to the Riley 1.5 (1500cc and 68bhp) where the same as the Minor.
The 1275cc Midget engine produced 65bhp so the Minor half-shafts could easily cope with the increase in power/torque when driven normally.
Half-shafts fail because of old age and all the stresses built up over many years of rotational twist.
Hard driving which leads to wheel spin and wheel tramp is a certain recipe for broken half-shafts
Half-shafts must be used on the same side as they have always been used due to the rotational twist accrued with use.

Judging by my Midget 1500, which before it went on a rolling road, had 93bhp, I'd say that's about the limit. The diff broke and I found one of the half shafts had begun to twist. I fitted a Quaife diff and got Quaife to make some halfshafts, before putting the car (Now well run in) on a rolling road and the power went up to 107bhp. That drivetrain has survived quite a few hillcimb starts (Though none since 1997).

The MGB GT V8 had marginal transmission (From the less powerful MGC - the figures suggest otherwise but the V8 quoted output was DIN) and it had the low compression, Range Rover version of the Rover V8. It was officially said that this was due to supply but that is illogical and many feel that had the MG been too fast, E Type Jaguar sales might have suffered. I suspect they may have had doubts over the transmission. Since the advent of SD1 gearboxes and with a Quaife diff, the transmission is fine (I know of one hilllclimb V8, which used a Quaife diff, that had 380bhp).

New Morris Minor half shafts can be heat treated to overcome any tendency to twist or snap and cope with in excess of 150 bhp.
I would not consider heat treating used half shafts.
The half shafts fitted to my Minor were purchased many years ago as NOS and then taken to a specialist heat treatment company in Northampton where they were heat treated.
They have stood up to many standing starts and have never failed.
I have a spare set on the shelf if ever needed.
I am certain that if BMC/BL had a problem they would have had the standard Minor half shafts heat treated as the process was not overly expensive.

I wonder if the reason the 1275 engine was not fitted was nothing to do with mechanical parts, they could have been modified alright.
The Minor had its place in the market, it has always been targeted at the market segment of family run around,solid, reliable, cute but not apart from Pat Moss,s eccentric efforts and a handful of others, a racing car.
Issigonis brief was to produce a reliable runaround, witness the engines it was first fitted with, the 1098 was about the limit, particularly as the Mini and the 1100 were entering the market before the Minors demise.
I am surprised the Chinese parent company that now own the MG brand have not seen it right and proper to develop a new traveller, following the Germans lead with the very successful re-released Brazilian built beetle I think there would be a real winner here, not least as the nostalgia market is pretty big these days.
Perhaps someone should have a word with the designers in Longbridge.

I have a fwd 1275 A plus in one of my Minors mated to a Borg Warner three speed automatic its the way forward .

I would think it's much to do with the 1100/1300 (ADO16) cars. They were introduced in 1962/3, and I went to the Cowley factory around 1963 for a 'works' visit to see the latest assembly techniques. There was much grumbling about the Minor even then, as it could not be assembled on the same line, go through the same pre-paint line and ran down its own, by then rather archaic, assembly line to one side of the other lines.

Sadly, things had moved on and overtaken the Minor technology really quite soon after it was designed, which at the time in 1948 was world-class for a small mass-produced car.