1929 Morris Cowley

Morris Garages may not be a name familiar to anyone but vintage car buffs but everyone is familiar with the popular MG which is actually the Morris Garages' name shortened to its initials. These initials, within the well-known octagon, were first seen on the running boards of the 14/28 MG Super Sports Morris in 1924.

The company was the Oxford distributor of Morris cars and the MG logo was officially adopted in 1929. Morris Garage began as a bicycle and motorcycle shop. The owner, William Morris, was eventually awarded the title of Lord Nuffield in honor of his considerable contributions to the British automobile industry.

The diminutive Morris Minor was developed as an economic alternative to the company's larger and costlier six-cylinder models. Two Morris Minor models were produced: a two-seater fabric Saloon and a four-seat Tourer which, in fact, was less costly than the more popular Saloon.

Demand for these popular little cars necessitated limiting color choices in order to keep up with production demands. Fabric models were available only in Niagara Blue and the newer Folding-Head Saloon in brown.

The Morris Minor (1929-1932) was featured in several models:

A 20 HP Fabric Saloon, four-seat Tourer, Sports Coupe and the best-selling two seater with dickey seat. This model was powered by a four-cylinder in-line 1548 cc, 11.9 HP water-cooled engine, designed with 69.5 MM bore X 102 MM stroke aluminum alloy pistons. Additional specifications were a three-speed gear box, spiral-gear driven camshaft, coil ignition and a four-wheel, cable operated brake system.