Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Webb
The Morris Oxford series MO had weak axles and the diecast door handles used to just break off. Having said all that I loved them and learned a lot about how cars worked. The price for a Morris back in the 1970s varied from free to a few hundred dollars and I don't think I ever paid over a hundred for one.
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I have a story about a Morris Oxford titled, "The car that wouldn't die!" My brother bought Morris Oxford for $75 in the late '60s. After a year of faithful service and the purchase of a '57 Chevy with a high performance 327, we decided it was time to let the Morris go. Simply selling her wasn't in the cards though, we decided that nothing short of a fiery end fit for a Viking King entering Valhalla would do. Off to Blueberry Bowl (pre Provincial Park era) on Hollyburn Mountain we went with our load of shotguns, shells, and many glass 1 gallon wine bottles full of gasoline. At the time, Blueberry Bowl had recently been logged and there were many logging roads, one of which was on a steep hill at the bottom of which was a hairpin turn onto a bridge. If you missed the turn you would fall into a 150 ft. deep chasm. We spent a delightful afternoon alternately bashing into things with the Morris and holing it with blasts from the shotguns. She took it all in stride and we actually were reluctant to end that which she clung to so tenaciously, but to all things, there is a season. We loaded the gas filled wine bottles into the back seat, turned the engine on to better guarantee ignition, tied the steering wheel down and with a push, off she went. It was a glorious, fitting end for such a dependable vehicle, the likes of which few autos can aspire to.