A seventy-three-year-old cute Morris Minor is likely to be a head-turner at The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally, which is scheduled to be held on 21 January, 2024.
The present owner of the vehicle, Subrata Sarkar, is proud of his possession, and on a sunny Sunday morning, he takes out his car from his Howrah residence, crosses Vidyasagar Setu, and reaches Park Street, one of his favourite places to have a cup of hot tea. “He needs a weekly run, and when the weather is good, I do it meticulously. If you travel in my car, you will never feel that Morris Minor is 73 years old.”
Reading an advertisement about the sale of a Morris Minor in a newspaper in 2020, Mr Sarkar visited the house in north Kolkata to have a look at the vehicle. “The condition of the car was so pathetic that I could not resist my tears. The engine had been grounded long ago, the chassis was badly damaged along with the body, and the wheels did not move,” he said.
The car, once the darling of a zamindar, came to Kadamtala in Howrah, the house of Mr Sarkar, on a truck.
Luckily, he got hold of an old mechanic who assured him that if he could hold patience, the Morris Minor would be on the city roads once again.
Mr Sarkar, who runs his family business, spent hours restoring the Morris. After the repair of the electrical line, the trafficator started functioning. It is the predecessor of modern-day indicators. The wheel was repaired, and the original movement was restored. “Months were spent restoring the engine. One day it roared, fulfilling my dream, and in the next couple of months, the vehicle will be again on the Kolkata roads with its past glory and elegance.”
The painting was done at the workshop of Suryapratim Mitra in south Kolkata, and when it came out of the workshop, Mr Sarkar could not recognise his vehicle. “I have imported some badges and spares from England. Seven months’ toil and sweat finally paid off when I drove down the car on Vidyasagar Setu.”
People in Howrah cheer when Mr Sarkar drives his vehicles every Sunday. “The car has earned me respect. People now respect me for maintaining such an old vehicle and using it regularly,” he added. “I believe that instead of having two or three old cars, I will keep one in pristine and original condition,” he said.
Morris Minor cars were quite familiar to Indian families. In Kolkata, there were many Morris Minors and Morris 8s in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1980s, changes took place in the minds of Indian buyers who preferred trouble-free Maruti. The old cars were either destroyed at Mullickbazar or sold to people outside Bengal.
Morris Minor was first shown at a motor show in England in 1948. Immediately, it was a big hit. England was devastated because of World War II, and this was the first post-war British economy car. It was meant for middle-class people, though it had received the patronage of rich people who wanted to keep this beauty in their stable along with other British and American giants.
Soon after its introduction, it became the darling of car lovers. The company sold more than 16 lakh Morris Minor cars from 1948 to 1972. From 1948 to 1953, the company introduced the MM Saloon. From 1952–56, MM Series Two was introduced, followed by MM 1000, which was introduced in 1956 and continued until 1971. Morris Parcel and Pick Up vans, as well as MM two-door and two-door convertibles, and later four-door cars, became very popular. Initially, only black and white cars were introduced, but later other colours were added.
Morris Minor is a classic example of engineering perfection along with elegance. The space utilisation is so neatly done that the travellers can sit and enjoy the drive because of its perfect utilisation of space. There is remarkable head room and elbow room.
“The car has given me peace of mind, and driving the vehicle gives me enormous pleasure and pride, and I am thankful to God that I have been able to maintain it so meticulously,” maintained Mr Sarkar.
The car has also been used in Meghna Gulzar’s latest work, Sam Bahadur.