1. An 8hp Morris parked outside a typical 1930s semi-detached house.
EXU 348 is a Morris 8 saloon from the 1930s, and judging by the solid 'Easiclean' wheels rather than spoke wheels, is a Series 2.
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Background to the Morris 8
The Morris 8 first hit the roads in 1934, with the Series 1 Morris 8 appearing in 1935. It was built as a rival to similarly sized models from Austin, Ford, Wolseley and other British manufacturers and proved to be an excellent seller, taking over from the outgoing Morris Minor first seen in 1928. Unusually for this type of car, it featured hydraulic brakes on all four corners, at a time when cables and rods were very much de-rigueur. Also slightly unusual for the time was fitment of an electric (6v) fuel pump, when other manufacturers were content to use a mechanical AC unit. The engine was a sidevalve unit of 918cc, coupled to a three speed gearbox. The Series 2 made its debut in 1937, when the 'Easiclean' wheels were fitted and a painted grille replaced the chrome on the earlier car (the car in this photograph is fitted with a radiator muff over the grille). In 1938 the car was updated once again, and became the Series E Morris.
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Morris 8s were available in 2 and 4 door form, as well as a handy little van and the neat tourer alternative. The two door car shown here was photographed in the 1950s, by which time it was already 20+ years old. The houses in the background are typical of the buildings found in suburbia from the 1930s onwards, with leaded windows and stained glass much in evidence. If these houses still stand, no doubt the window frames will have been replaced with uPVC double glazed units, and the roof adorned with television aerials.
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2. Two photos of Morris 8 Series II GPE 194.
The latest Morris Eight pictures feature a Series 2 registered as GPE 194, a Surrey-area number, on what looks like either a family holiday, or perhaps a day out. Note the roofrack fitted to this particular Morris, and AA badge fitted to the grille. The second photo shows a glimpse of a Ford Prefect parked alongside the Morris.
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3. A broken down Morris 8.
Next is a photo of 2 door Morris 8, apparently broken down at the side of a road with a flat tyre. The Dad is seen here mid-way through replacing the n/s/r punctured tyre, being closely monitored by his good lady and their offspring. On the road next to him is what looks like a tyre inflator - the car's bonnet is also open, so he could be using one of those tyre inflators that plugged into the car's engine. The idea was that you'd remove one of the car's spark plugs, and screw in the inflator's connector. Then fire up the engine, running on three cylinders obviously, and the compression (if there was any) from the fourth cylinder would be used to inflate the car's tyre with a nice fresh air mix (information regarding the Schrader spark plug air pump, and a description of how it worked, can be found on this page).
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One of the car's wheels is just visible at the rear, leaning against EXC 365's bumper. The EXC series was first used in the London area, and later adopted by Solihull during the 1960s issue. Note the old-style road sign just visible in the distance, on the lefthand side of the road.
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4. A Series 2 Morris 8 of 1937.
The next photo was sent in by Emma, who was looking to find out the make and model of car shown. The painted rad cowl confirmed it as a Series 2 Morris 8. A check of the registration (AFE 477) identified it as having been registered sometime after September 1937, in the Lincoln area. The people in the photo are members of the Philips family, and the location was Kingham Farm, Chipping Norton. I'm guessing that the car was a couple of years old in this photo, note the mismatched tyres on the front wheels. Thanks to Emma for allowing it to be shown here.
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5. In the Army.
The location and date of this photo remain a mystery unfortunately. At least the car is easy to identify - the steel Easiclean wheels are the giveaway, confirming that this is a circa 1937 Series 2 Morris 8. The scuffed running boards suggest that the car was a few years old when this photo was taken, possibly a scene from WW2 or shortly afterwards. Note the sign for Craven A to the right of shot.
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6. Another Series 2 version.
Two more photos of a Series 2 Morris 8. Unfortunately part of the car's registration is hidden behind the young lad sat on the front bumper, although the "GC" part suggests an early life charging around the busy roads of the South East - London in particular. A small sign in the background refers to a "Private Road" with "Coshells" written below it.
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The second photo shows a young chap sat behind the car's steering wheel. Note the roof rack fitted to the Morris in this picture, and the 1950's Morris saloon lurking to the right of shot.
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A number of Morris 8s survive in preservation, with many owners who remember the cars 'in their day' still choosing to run one of these little cars - one such owner is Roy, who has a Series 1 and remembers them well from years ago. His Morris story is here. Another owner is describing his ongoing restoration of a Series 1 Morris 8 on the site forum.
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Parts availability for the Morris is good, with many used and new parts being available via owners' clubs, and classified ads such as these.
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7. Picnic time with a 1938 Series 2.
Les has been a regular photo contributor to the site over the years. This photo sees his uncle sat leaning against a Series 2 Morris 8, enjoying a picnic on a pleasant sunny day. Les believes that the scene dates to the late 1940s, so evidently the Morris was a few years old at the time. For a 10+ year old car, it looks to be in very good order - most likely it spent the war tucked away in a garage, on blocks, waiting for peacetime to return. Fuel in the late 1940s was strictly rationed still, so for most motorists the use of a motor vehicle was quite restricted - high days and holidays and, as would appear to be the case here, summertime picnics.
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EUC 716 was registered in London, in 1938. It sports an RAC (Royal Automobile Club) member's badge, and an extra spotlamp. Unusually, for a small car,
a width indicator has been fitted to the nearside front wing to aid parking. The car was clearly very well looked after, thanks for the photo.
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Return to the old transport photos - Page 5. Photographs of the Series 2 tourer can be found here.
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