Minor birthday, major celebrations (From Oxford Mail)

Minor birthday, major celebrations

8:40pm Wednesday 19th November 2008

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People responsible for the birth of an Oxford icon are being encouraged to join a celebration of its 60th anniversary.

The Morris Minor, which was assembled at Cowley for much of its 23-year lifespan, is being commemorated with a special parade through the city this month — and former Morris and Pressed Steel workers are invited to line the route.

The Morris Minor Owners’ Club (MMOC) of Great Britain has organised a procession featuring models from every year of production — starting from 1949 — to wend its way from the car’s birthplace through the city centre.

On Sunday, November 30, the cavalcade will leave what is now the BMW Mini factory before taking in Cowley Road, the Plain, Magdalen Bridge, Longwall Street, St Cross Street, South Parks Road, Parks Road, Banbury Road, St Giles, Beaumont Street, Worcester Street, Hythe Bridge Street, Hollybush Row and Abingdon Road to arrive at the Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel.

The first Minor, a two-door saloon, rolled off the Cowley production line on September 20, 1948. By the end of its life in 1971, 1.6m had been sold.

MMOC secretary Ann Ford, from Didcot, said: “The group of cars from each year of production have been given special permission by BMW to have an internal lap of honour around the plant. Every car will have a plaque on the front showing which year it was from “They will then lead off the parade ahead of dozens of other Minors.

“Anyone who owns one is welcome to come down and join in.

“There is a real buzz around Minor owners about this event. It is the birthplace of their car and a very significant date, and a very significant place.

“Anyone who helped build the Minor is also welcome to come down, have a chat with the owners and see the fruits of their labours.”

Mrs Ford said the Oxford event would cap a year of celebrations and mark a link between the club and Marie Curie Cancer Care, which also came into being in 1948.

She said: “We have a beautiful white Morris Minor saloon, named Katy, which was donated to the club. Over the course of the year it has been all over the country, from town to town, and we have asked people to buy a yellow daffodil sticker — which is the logo of Marie Curie Cancer Care — for a pound and put it on the car.

“It is now almost completely yellow and covered in stickers. We are still counting the money and people are still buying stickers, but we have already raised about £4,500 and we will be presenting a cheque to the charity on the day.”

The parade, which will be started by Lord Mayor Susanna Pressel, will leave Gate Five at the BMW factory at 11am. The day before 300 Minor owners will each donate £5 to Marie Curie Cancer Care to be given a tour of the Mini plant.

tairs@oxfordmail.co.uk l Engineer obituary: Page 18

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