Morris Minor Monthly - Dedicated to the Morris Minor

"I DON’T KNOW about you lot but I seem to have seen a lot more Morris Minors being used in the media just recently, from block buster movies to soaps and even pop video’s, just check out the latest release from the London based 4-piece band The Holloways. The video for their catchy tune Generator features a Minor van that the boys use to carry their equipment in, it’s a popular choice on many of the music channels and so will get viewed by millions of youngsters which can only be a good thing. Yet again in this issue we have a great mix of Minors for you to feast your eyes on including one the best looking cars I have photographed for a long time, well in my opinion anyway, the 4-door belonging to Phil Winstanley . The car sits perfectly and has some really nice touches like the radiused rear arches, not to mention the highly tuned A-Series motor. I’ve been thinking long and hard about introducing some alternative British classic cars from the Minors era into the magazine as mentioned a few months ago, perhaps just a couple of pages each issue as I am sure that many of you have a love of old cars in general and not just the Morris Minor, please let me know your thoughts on this, and anything else you would like to see included in the magazine. And don’t forget to keep sending those stories, show reports, feature cars and event details in, every little helps!"

Jon Betts - Minor Monthly Editor

"AS YOU WILL SEE from our special report starting on page 16, this years MMOC National Rally went ahead without too many drama’s thanks to the hard work and commitment from all those involved. The weather up until the morning of the show at least was at best described as wet and I’m sure had the rain continued on Saturday the show would have been in serious trouble. On a slightly more depressing note, I have noticed on a variety of internet forums that the number of posts regarding stolen Minors is on the increase. Three cars were noted in one area all within a few days of each other which to me looks extremely suspect. Obviously if the thief is determined then no amount of security will stop them but please try to be as conscious as possible and put as many obstacles in their way as you can. This increase in stolen cars obviously prompts the question, why are they being stolen in the first place, certainly not for joy riding I’m sure. I can therefore only presume that it’s for re-sale, so if you are offered parts or even a complete car from a dubious source please contact the Police. Remember that cheap engine could have once been powering someone’s pride and joy"

Jon Betts - Minor Monthly Editor

"AS I WRITE THIS month’s Ed Speak, the MMOC National rally is only a couple of weeks away and I for one can’t wait. It will be a great opportunity for me to meet many of our readers who also pop along to this long standing event. If you can’t make this rally however there are many other similar shows up and down the country organised by the various owners club branches and other classic car organisations, enough in fact to keep you busy for most weekends from March to October at least. This month we have included a Morris Oxford in our main feature alongside a Minor Tourer which I hope won’t upset too many of you, but I have to say that there are many close relatives of the Minor which don’t enjoy the popularity, or even the luxury of their own dedicated magazine as the MM does, so this is just our way of celebrating those other models. Also this month I would like to introduce and welcome Alison Hall to our small but dedicated team at Minor Monthly as she takes on the position of advertising sales for the magazine, you can check out her Tourer in our Staff Car feature elsewhere in this issue."

Jon Betts - Minor Monthly Editor

"WE HAVE A bit of a foreign flavour running through the mag this month with Mike Foster bringing us more tales from the lovely island of Cyprus while Zoe Powell brings us news of Mark Attard’s collection of Minors in Malta. We also have another Maltese resident in our new feature, My Minor & I, speaking of which if you fancy seeing you and your Moggy on that page please drop me a few snapshots and a couple of paragraphs describing yourself and your fascination with the Morris Minor and we’ll add you to the pile. We’ve also got the second part of the Morris Minor Touring Club of Australia’s epic tour from last year, which certainly puts things into perspective when we moan about having to travel for a couple of hours to get to a show! Whilst putting this issue together I got to spend a wonderful day with members from the Iceni Club over in Norfolk. They we kind enough to set-up a series of photo shoots with members cars, the highlight of which was seeing three Minor Millions together in one place, not something that happens too often, but sadly you’ll have to wait until a future issue to see them for yourselves. See you all next month "

Jon Betts - Minor Monthly Editor