Blue Traveller - 324 UXN (may have formerly been Green reg: 920 DOD)

[Uppermead]

I have become the owner of a Blue Morris Minor Traveller which had been under restoration by a friend of mine (my son-in law’s father) who sadly passed away last year before the project was completed. It is 90% completed and we hope to finish this in the coming few months.

Unfortunately we do not have any history of the vehicle at all to give us an insight into its past !According to the log book the car was manufactured in 1960 but has the date of first registration as 1981 when it was first registered as a Blue Minor 1098cc Traveller with the VIN number M/AW3808006 , which is correct on the cars vin plate.

I have contacted the DVLA and they have no records other than to forward a copy of the registration document in 1981. This is interesting as the original application shows the car as a Green car with the registration 920 DOD. The chassis number listed is the same.

In the process of restoring the car we have found the original green colour under the blue paint which helps tie this in.
We have no information as to the cars whereabouts from manufacture in 1960 to its “first” registration on 08th June 1981 or why the registration mark may have changed from 920 DOD to 324 UXN - this mystery is intriguing to us!

As part of the restoration the car has had a replacement engine so the the engine number listed on the document is no longer correct (we will update the log book in due course) - however we do still have the engine old block with engine number 10ma-U-H221256 which we will restore in time but this does at least ties in with the reg document. (we assume the car would have originally been built with a 948cc engine which must have therefore been replaced before 1981).

If you have any information you have that could shed any light on its history or could point us to any other sources to approach that may be able to help we would be most grateful.
Mark.

[panky]

DOD Department of Defence ? Could it be a decommissioned forces car that was reregistered once it left it's old life.

[ManyMinors]

DOD registrations were issued in the normal way in Devon in 1960

The original registration was probably sold and the car re-registered, hence the later registration date.
The UXN registration numbers with numbers first, were never originally issued and have only been handed out in recent years as "age related" replacement registration numbers.

As you say, a 1960 Minor would have originally been a 948cc model. Many of our old cars have gone through all sorts of changes during their long lives

[Uppermead]

Many thanks!
Good idea re- maybe a ex- forces car, guess there is now no way of finding this out now?
I guess that any military records would be open for public information if they ahd them going bck that far!

Looks like last (and only) MOT was in 2005 in Southampton.

[Bill_qaz]

You could apply for a heritage certificate from Gaydon who hold morris minor records.

[POMMReg]

Contact Plymouth PRO - got evidence for DVLA for a similar vehicle cpl yrs ago.

OD/FJ/DR all Western National/Devon General/Royal Blue omnibus companies

[POMMReg]

Contact Plymouth PRO - got evidence for DVLA for a similar vehicle cpl yrs ago.

OD/FJ/DR all Western National/Devon General/Royal Blue omnibus companies

Engine is mid 1966

[geoberni]

I have contacted the DVLA and they have no records other than to forward a copy of the registration document in 1981. This is interesting as the original application shows the car as a Green car with the registration 920 DOD. The chassis number listed is the same.

In the process of restoring the car we have found the original green colour under the blue paint which helps tie this in.
We have no information as to the cars whereabouts from manufacture in 1960 to its “first” registration on 08th June 1981 or why the registration mark may have changed from 920 DOD to 324 UXN - this mystery is intriguing to us!

Typical DVLA ineptitude. The records would have existed, but DVLA have somehow lost them, unless there was some inexplicable loss of records and the original County Records office.

It's possible that DVLA have the records, they just can't be bothered to search manually through their archives.
My 1955 car is on it's 3rd registration.
First one was 'Cherished' transferred.
DVLA issued a 1963 'A' Plate as they were want to do at that time.
In the 1990s, the owner managed to get them to issue an Age Related since under the law it is illegal to make a car look younger.
DVLA will no longer do that, as they say the law doesn't apply to plates they have issued before the law came in...
They really are a law unto themselves.

If DVLA have a document showing it was 920 DOD, then they should also have the records relating to it being changed to 324 UXN.

[geoberni]

DOD Department of Defence ? Could it be a decommissioned forces car that was reregistered once it left it's old life.

We are British, we've never had a 'Department of Defence'... that's an Americanism

Many thanks!
Good idea re- maybe a ex- forces car, guess there is now no way of finding this out now?
I guess that any military records would be open for public information if they ahd them going bck that far!

AFAIA, the MoD didn't buy Travellers until the mid to late1960s possibly as some form of back door government help to BMC.
They would all likely have been disposed of by the mid 70s.
They would also have a separate MoD ID Plate, see this topic from 2014 viewtopic.php?t=56620

[POMMReg]

Check body number - assume clap hand wipers?