Morris Minor (1928)

Morris Minor
4-seat 2-door fabric saloon 1928
Overview
Manufacturer	Morris Motors Limited
Production	1928–1934 86,318
Body and chassis
Class	Small car
Body style	4-seat 2-door fabric saloon 4-seat 2-door tourer 4-seat 2-door coachbuilt saloon 4-seat 4-door coachbuilt saloon 2-seat semi-sports 2-seat 2-door S.V. Special Coupé 5-cwt van
Layout	front engine rear wheel drive
Related	Wolseley Hornet, MG Midget
Powertrain
Engine	Wolseley 847 cc single OHC Morris 847 cc side-valve Straight-4 Engine clutch and gearbox mounted as a unit at four points on rubber washers.
Transmission	three speed gearbox central gear change lever Clutch: single plate dry propellor shaft: inside torque tube Hardy disc joints final drive: spiral bevel four speed gearbox Sept. 1932(not on base model)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	standard 78 in (2,000 mm) track 42 in (1,100 mm) 4-door saloon 91 in (2,300 mm)
Length	120 in (3,000 mm) 13 in (330 mm)
Width	49.5 in (1,260 mm)
Height	depending on coachwork
Kerb weight	700 kg (1,543 lb) 13¾ cwt (2-door saloon)
Chronology
Predecessor	None
Successor	Morris Eight

Wolseley SOHC Morris SV
SOHC engine under the bonnet of Family Eight Special Coupé 1932
Overview
Manufacturer	Wolseley Motors (1927) Limited, Ward End works, Birmingham Morris Engines Gosford Street, Coventry
Production	SOHC 39,087 SV — 47,231
Combustion chamber
Configuration	4 in-line
Displacement	847 cc (52 cu in)
Cylinder bore	57 mm (2.2 in)
Piston stroke	83 mm (3.3 in)
Cylinder block alloy	iron, cast en bloc detachable head pistons: aluminium connecting rods: steel crankshaft: main bearings: two, roller in front, plain behind
Cylinder head alloy	detachable without disturbing camshaft or valve gear.
Valvetrain	overhead valves single overhead camshaft camshaft driven by vertical drive at the front of the engine valves operated by fingers mounted in eccentric bushes. side valves
Combustion
Fuel system	S.U. carburettor
Fuel type	petrol, tank in the scuttle
Oil system	force-feed lubrication to all parts
Cooling system	water circulated by thermo-siphon 2-bladed fan
Output
Power output	20 bhp (15 kW; 20 PS) @4,000 rpm 19.25 bhp (14.35 kW; 19.52 PS) @4,000 rpm Tax horsepower 8.06
Chronology
Predecessor	none
Successor	918 cc Morris Eight

78 in (2,000 mm)
track 42 in (1,100 mm)

This article refers to the motor car manufactured by Morris Motors Limited from 1928–1934. For the Morris Minor manufactured by Morris Motors Limited from 1948–1971, see Morris Minor.

The Morris Minor was a small 4-seater car with an 850 cc engine manufactured by Morris Motors Limited from 1928 to 1934. The name was resurrected for another newer car for the same market in 1948.

Beginning in 1922 the tiny seven horsepower Austin had brought motoring to a new public and broadened the market. Against that Morris's Oxfords and Cowleys had taken 41 per cent of the entire 1925 British private car market. Morris sales had begun to slow in 1926. They were revived by a new face for the Morris Oxford and Cowley and an expansion of Morris's range both up and down the scale.

The same year William Morris realised millions from the sale and stock market listing of preference shares in his business and he privately bought Wolseley, founded by Herbert Austin, which up to a few years earlier had been Britain's largest car manufacturer.

William Morris now had ample wherewithal to go after Herbert Austin's little car with his own small Morris. With a surplus of production facilities, and Wolseley's design engineers added to his own at Morris Commercial Cars, little time was taken for development of the Morris Minor. A more complex design than Austin's Seven the all-new car was on the market before the middle of 1928.

The new Morris engine was designed by Wolseley by this time also personally owned by William Morris. It was largely a new design but following a conventional Wolseley SOHC front camshaft drive concept if much smaller than any existing Wolseley unit. The overhead camshaft was driven by a vertical spiral bevel geared shaft that passed through the dynamo carrying the armature. A single SU carburettor was fitted and coil ignition used. The engine produced 20 bhp (15 kW) at 4000 rpm allowing a top speed of 55 mph (88 km/h). The electrical system was 6 volt.

The Morris Minor's engine was produced in two versions. From 1928 to 1930 all the cars had an 847 cc overhead-camshaft engine designed and made by Wolseley. It remained in production for the more expensive Minors until 1932.

Morris's in-house engineers at Morris Commercial Cars led by Percy Rose, who had designed the chassis, devised a simpler valve train for the same block. This more conventional side-valve unit of slightly lower power output entered production in late 1930 at Morris Commercial Cars' new premises in the former Wolseley works at Adderley Park, under the supervision of the young Leonard Lord. Initially for the lower-priced cars —first for the £100 car, later for others — it remained in production until 1934.