While the 1953-1973 Morris Quarter Ton Van and Pickup were based on the snappy little Morris Minor that was designed by Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis – the man responsible for the Mini. The Morris was significantly beefed up for the small truck and van duty. Unlike the unibody, or monocoque Morris Minor car, the 1953-1973 Morris Quarter Ton Van and Pickup had a separate chassis, beefed up suspension and a low-ratio differential.
Also known as the Austin 6-CWT or 8-CWT Van & Pick up, the 1953-1973 Morris Quarter Ton Van and Pickup 803, 948 and 1,098 cc flathead four-cylinder engines. Rear-drive and a four-speed manual transmission finished off this simple package. Power ranged from a poky 34 horsepower to a beefy 48 horsepower and up to 60 lb-ft of torque. While these paltry numbers are no match for modern small/mid-sized pickup trucks, the 1953-1973 Morris Quarter Ton Van and Pickup weighed under a ton (somewhere around 2,000 lbs).
The reason we’re featuring this tiny truck came from a question sent to me years back. The question was simple, “Looking for a unique, cheap hobby pickup truck that’s easy to work on. Something that has easy to find parts.” While I did end up suggesting a Datsun 620 pickup truck, I added the Morris as a possible alternative.
There are some nifty Morris design motifs out there, including various woodies, panel-wagons and even postal versions that had rubber fenders (it helped in the tight confines of small towns and villages). It is quintessentially British.
Over a million Morris vehicles (cars and trucks) were built and parts are fairly easy to find. There were more than a few left-hand drive 1953-1973 Morris Quarter Ton Van and Pickup trucks to land in the United States. Prices for Morris Minor cars and trucks range from about $4,000 for rough runners to abouty $25,000 for top-notch restored examples. Extremely inexpensive considering what some Volkswagen collectables are going for today.
I have bugged the boss-men at TFL to get one as a project, but my idea was scoffed at. Bummer, I’ll have to do it another way. I think they have gobs of personality. Plus, it’s kind of cool to be an anglophile from time-to-time.
Would you restore one? Let us know in the comments below.
Speaking of old trucks…
