Morris Eight !

[mikey4444]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Eight#/media/File:Morris_8_saloon_-_1939.jpg

I saw a smashing Morris Eight yesterday (not the one above)

The chap had only bought it the previous week, so he was still getting used
to taking it to Asda and coming back out, to find people gathered around it !

The car had been exported to New Zealand as soon as it was made, in 1939, and lived there until 10 years ago, when it was brought back to the UK again.

It had been completely restored and was in the same condition that it would have left the factory all those years ago ! The chap said it was only 8 hp.

Maroon and black.....it was stunning....look at that wonderful grill !

The chap is local, so I am sure I will be seeing him again....hopefully !

I will take a photo next time.

[jambutty]

Baby Austin's mikey ?

[mikey4444]

jambutty...the original Baby Austin was a bit before my families time, although I have always understood this name was taken over by the A30, and I am fairly sure that this was my Dads first car...either that or a A35.

[jambutty]

If I remember rightly mikey, it was an A30, A35 was the bigger Austin, Dad had both in his younger days and I can see him now proudly posing outside one of them to have his photo taken. Seeing one, as you have seen a Morris, would take me right back.

[bhg481]

A30 and A35 shared a body. A40 was the next size up.

[jambutty]

Thanks bhg, it was a long time ago, just a nipper - I remember A40 now!

[bhg481]

The 30 and 35 etc represent the approx bhp of the engine, so the A35 had the "improved" version of the A30 engine, pushing the bhp up slightly. Your dad's car had a 40 bhp engine.

[jambutty]

The Baby Austin was his first car, he was so proud of it. I remember it was grey.

[mikey4444]

On a related subject, I saw one of these in Cornwall a couple of years ago::

https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lea-Francis#/media/File:Lea_Francis_BW_1.JPG

It was owned by the chap who now owns the Lea Francis marque, and he was hoping to get anough money together to start building these again ::

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Lea_Francis_30230.jpg

He had all the presses for the body parts...he just needed a couple of million quid !

[jambutty]

They look good, but never been into sporty little cars myself.

[bhg481]

Too low to the ground to get into, you can't see a thing once you're in, too difficult to get out of and if you want to carry more than a hanky you need a carrier on the boot lid. Not my scene.

[jambutty]

Hard to get out of if you have dodgy kness too!