IDRIVECLASSIC reviews: 1940s 1950s Morris Oxford MO 

As the previous owner of this car I’m delighted that Colin has got her back on the road again, and have loved seeing Mary (she’s named after my grandmother) being so nicely reviewed in this video.

Thanks for this Steph. Great memories of my Dad hiring an MO for a week every year 1959-61 from the local Morris Garage for the family trip to Leicester to see the relatives. ( 100 m 3 hours then ) Mid week onward trip to Grimsby also involved ! The MOs never let us down. My treat was operating the H/Lamp dip switch with right foot ! Great to know that you youngsters are keeping these classics alive. Best Wishes to you all..

I remember when this model Oxford first came out after the war and fell in love with it, but I never owned one, which was a great pity. Thanks for this video Steph. Great series.

Taken home from hospital as a baby in one 61 years ago. We had it till I was about 12. We had a few more and I only recently sold my last one. Love em to bits.

'Flashy glowy sticks' I love your terminology, every video has a classic phrase in it 😂

My father had a Morris Oxford. It is part of my earliest memories. Out with dad, sat on the red leather, no belt or child seat, hearing him talk about Oxo winning the Grand National. It was 1959 and I was 3years old. About 30 years later I learned horse riding and the first time I went into the tack room the smell took me right back to my dads Morris Oxford. Thanks for posting this video, I enjoyed it very much.

Loved the video. I've travelled thousands of miles in my dad's MO - his first car. Absolutely loved it. Built like a tank. I could hear the SU fuel pump ticking away when you turned the ignition on. I'm surprised you didn't mention the quarter lights - the little window vents - they are so useful.......ventilation without a draught. You also showed the little cover on the bumper where the starting handle would go, which was always handy if the battery was getting a bit flat. Really useful too for setting up the points gap correctly in the distributor. If the car had one weakness it was the fibre gears driving the camshaft - they used to strip teeth for a past time and obviously would need to be replaced, but it was a very easy job. I remember dad always used to carry a spare set in case they were ever needed. I loved the warm glow of the instrument lights when driving at night. Oh, and that floor mounted switch to the left of the clutch was the headlight dip switch. One other thing I remember clearly was the trumpet like sound the exhaust always made on overrun when going down a hill. Great car though - thanks for the video. It brought back so many memories. I can still remember the reg. Dad's car was a 1953 model - OTT 109.

My first car was a 1953 Oxford MO, TVT 360. My dad bought it for me as I was crazy about cars, it was 1975 I was 14, I think he bought it to keep me out of trouble, he had it towed home because it was a none runner. he reckoned it would take me six months to get it running. However, a new battery, a head gasket set, 4 new valves, and 2 weeks of cleaning polishing and maintenance, basically my every waking minute, it was back on the road.

I love to hear you say "it takes me a minute to get my head around it"! You give great interviews! :)

Thank you so much for this one. My grandfather had a maroon one, the same year as the one you were driving. We used to go on holiday in it in the late 60s towing a tiny Sprite caravan. Such happy times. The smell you describe, I can still remember. Made my day thank you.

Your affectionate tribute to this lovely old car is much appreciated. Column gear changes were a trend that came and went (mostly in the 1950s), with the manufacturers then reverting to the more direct floor change. Many column changes weren't particularly good, but that on the Peugeot 404 was excellent - once the gearbox oil had warmed up, one could execute smooth changes by means of stretching one finger from the steering wheel. Keep up the good work, Steph, and continue to love your Minor (I've had two of them).

I had one of those in the late sixties. Very comfortable with lovely leather seats, but in central London the fuel economy was dire.

I remember my first car, a 1961 A35 van bought in 1969 for £30! This had semaphores and in order to get the left hand one to come out, I had to lean over and bang the B post! Following that, in the 1970 s I had another couple of A30 / A35 s and then a Morris Traveller. Very reliable little cars for their time.

I love these early 50s Morris cars as they hold very special memories for me. My Uncle owned a grey 1952 Morris 6 which was basically similar to this body shell, but with a different bonnet line and radiator grille he called her "Emma". She sported the 2.2 litre Morris 6 cylinder overhead camshaft engine. The Wolseley version is probably better known as it was used as a police car and featured in many British films of the 1950s. I remember us travelling to our holiday in summer 1962 as a family with my Uncle driving and me sat on the front bench seat between him and my Dad as we sped down to South Wales along then then new M5 and M50. Dad bought her off my Uncle in 1964 and so she was our first family car. The six cylinder engine sounded beautiful! Great review as always Steph :)

Another well presented, enthusiastic, informative and entertaining video Steph'. Now i love this car too!

Had one of these {in green) as my first car in 1966. She (has to be female) was 13 years old then and cost me the sum of £35. The bench seat was very handy for a young guy and his girlfriend (now wife) as we could have a cuddle as I drove along. Sadly she eventually went to the car graveyard with a cracked engine block, but wish I still had her. Lost the car, but kept the girl !!!

Blocked fuel cap breathers really were a common issue back in period. The breather used to be a tiny hole in the filler cap which could easily get blocked by dirt. I noticed the SU petrol pump when Colin was under the bonnet and they can be notoriously troublesome. When I was a mechanic in my youth you soon learned to rebuild them and there are a number of specialists who provide parts and rebuilt pumps.

Perfect upload time for me in NZ 👍 I saw the Semaphore operate in the rearview mirror. Merry Christmas.

Great car. The traficator semiphores on my first morris minor were a bit of an expensive feature. They would stay out if you forgot to cancel and then switched off the ignition, got out the car and brushing against the side accidentally snapped off the the still horizontal arm. After my third replacement, I invested in a set of flashing indicators, which although took away some of the charm of the traficators, proved a considerable improvement and saving.

Hello, Steph thanks for all the great cars you show us all. My uncle had one of these so I remember it well in the 50s.

Always a joy to listen to your enthusiasm in the videos. Being a mid-seventies man who grew up when the roads were full of the cars that you road test, I have to smile when you point out the controls to me of course they are not unusual.

I had a 1952 Morris Oxford, when I was a student, 50+ years ago! It was slightly different to the one shown in that it had a different grill and a 1485 cc engine. It had belonged to a 90-year-old gentleman, who bought it the day he retired, and gave up driving when his eyesight failed! Like yours, it had a column change, and a bench front seat, and semaphore arm trafficators. The dashboard was very similar in layout, Including the umbrella type handbrake control. As you say, no synchro on first, but then that was quite common on cars of the age and one quickly learned to double de-clutch when changing down. I know it didn’t have much power, but it would cruise along the motorway at 50 to 60 quite comfortably. Only snag was the heater wasn’t very effective and I remember freezing to death on driving back to Uni on a cold December night. The only modification I did was to have screen washers fitted in about 1973 when this became a legal requirement. I loved that car to bits and it gave me a degree of freedom and mobility that I’d never had before. Sadly it expired when driving up to Bedfordshire to meet some friends. The half shaft broke and I could not get a replacement. Nor was anyone interested in buying it at any price! It broke my heart that I had to abandon it in a local scrapyard near Flitwick. I only managed to salvage the airhorns, which had been fitted at some stage and had rather a regal sound.

I just watched hubnuts road test on the 1953 Triumph Mayflower and this Morris Oxford MO seems so much more advanced!

Fantastic review as always, so much detail. You should really have your own programme on mainstream tv. Thanks again for bringing us another interesting car. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas.

When production of the Morris Oxford ended in 1959 an Indian car company built bought the rights to it and was called the Hindustan Ambassador. It was in production till 2014 and was available with an Isuzu 2l diesel engine.

Hi Steph, thanks for the bringing this. I love these. Nice and roomy and beautiful. I hope you have a lovely Christmas 🎄

I've only ever seen one of these on the road. It was in the '70's when I was at junior school. It was afternoon playtime and I was gazing through the railings at the traffic stopping for the traffic lights. This grey MO Oxford pulls up and I say to myself "What the hell is that?" It obviously wasn't a Minor, much too big. Even by the seventies they were a rare sight on the road. Years later I found out what it was and it seemed weird because in my mind, Oxfords were always big square things with little fins on the back. The MO Oxford was a fairly posh car when it was current, driven by respectable types who had a few bob.

Love your coat against the backdrop of that interior. Perfect. Lovely car too!

Love that you go into detail on the dashboards i also love a bakelite switch!

Absolutely great car! Amazing video Steph, many thanks for bringing this to all of us! You are great!!!

What a gorgeous example of a wonderful old car. I remember the column change on a Wolseley 4/44 a long time ago (try and find one of those for a drive!). Thanks for another great video!

🎉thank so much for your fun and informative stile. You do a great job.🎉

Loved the video thanks Steph! Would be interested to see you review a Wolseley 6/80 one day. Have been really intrigued by the MO Oxford for some time now and your video has reignited the spark. Side note: love the jacket! Keep up the good work! :)

Just wonderful! Hello again from the US and thank you and Collin for another fun ride.

Wow! That was my Dad's first car shortly after we came to Canada from Scotland 1957 (me @ 4) except in dark green! Thanks for the memories and Merry Christmas! 🎄👍

Thanks Steph, my father had one of these during the early to mid 60's. For some reason still my favorite car he owned, brings back many happy memories. If I ever buy a classic car I would want one of these. I live in Australia, so they are very rare, but I have seen, so some must have been imported.

I am in Australia. In the mid fifties my father owned a 1952 and this model. My brother and I spend many days in the backseat of these cars. Traveling up the East coast on 2000 klm round trip each year to visit rellies . The roads in those days were often unsealed, but both Morris’s happily took to them in their stride. Also cruising at 50 mph on the sealed roads. Sometimes needing a small tap on the electric fuel pump, to remind it to do its job. At least the designers foresaw this and put it in a handy position. A solid car, that even without seatbelts, somehow felt secure in.

Your vids always cheer me up. You can see how much you love this car and indeed all the British Iron you drive. Have a great Christmas and congratulations on the new job. Can see you being full time youtube very soon.

Great vid Steph, lovely old car. Have a great Christmas! 😊

So great to see this car has survived all these years! Great video as always keep it up!

Stumbled accidentally over you channel a couple of automobiles ago, and I have to say: What _enthusiasm!!! . . ._ On this MO, I noticed the heater, if I'm not mistaken, it sure looks like the heater in the Landrover 110 we had at my dad's garage, possibly the same manufacturer then?... I remember very well our old headmaster driving a shiny black MO (this was on the island of Hitra, on the Norwegian coast (outside the city of Trondheim). Good job Stephanie! 😘👌

Hmmmm, hadn't considered one of these before. Thanks for the great review. I now know what to expect when looking. 👍

My first car was a 1953 Oxford, as this one but different cast front grille. That was 1963! It was pretty well rusted out with the big end bearings starting to rattle. I had sold my dad's car for the price he wanted, and blagged this one in 'part exchange'. Ran it for a few months until one of the big ends gave up. Many happy memories. Now in my dotage, I run old Volvos, which have similar characters.

Really enjoyed that, Steph. Beautiful car, and in good hands.

Lovely review Steph nice to see you back

Thank you for your video, I remember now that we a Morris Oxford here in the Fiji Islands and I have a photo of it, and your video has ignited my memory, thank you again.

It’s a raised MGB GT!! Great review Steph, column change is interesting, I drove a LHD Vauxhall Viva a few weeks ago, I kept going for the passenger door for the gear lever lol

Lovely presentation of a gorgeous old car. Dad had an oxford 58 i think with manunatic . was the most comfortable car ever. Had between 62 and 72 when rust finally succumbed to rust and he got a hc viva company car. Love your enthusiasm and style. Tony from Australia.🤶🎅 Merry Christmas

The gearchange and the handbrake are just like those on our 1986 Ford E150 Econoline Camper Van!

Morris did make some great cars, My sister had a Morris minor, which ran great, one common fault on that model was that sometimes one of the front wheels would collapse due to the connection to ball and socket failing, this failure happened not when the car was being in a straight line, but normally when turning sharp left or right, those who had one of these cars will recall this fault, other than that i was a pleasure to drive.

At end of video you say something like "if some poor soul would ever marry me?" Well I think whomever does marry you is getting an absolute gem! Of course by this time that may well have happened ! You are a star and our hobby is in safe hands with young people like you, keep up the good work..

Lovely car ! Bags of character. Great video.

We had a Morris Traveller in light blue when I was a kid. I first saw one of these (in black) in the village down the road from me. It was well looked after and looked like a Morris Minor on steroids😀. That little side-valve engine sounds really smooth

Wow! Cracking car, last saw one of these on the road in 1984 in Edmonton, north London, I rode past it on my way to work, when I worked for Mr Scrooge of EMS Holdings in Borough. Very impressive looking car. Of course I have seen them on display, but this was a car used everyday. Hope you have a super festive break.

That's why people buy an old car as a hobby, because modern cars are just a metal box on 4 wheels to get from A-B

Beautiful car. Wonderfully presented and narrated.

Brilliant as usual Steph, so nice to see the 'flashy glowy sticks' working as they were intended.

As a little boy my next door neighbour had one of these.....thanks for the fond memories 😊

Love this video of your fur coat- er, this MO 😂 hope you have a lovely Christmas and all the best for 2020!

Brilliant video, I had a Clarendon Grey 1954 MO back in the 1980s. Lovely relaxed, comfortable motor car. Thank you so much for your video’s, knowledge and enthusiasm. I have watched and enjoyed many. Best Wishes. Oh PS, I used mine as a wedding car for my younger sister🎂👍🌈

Gorgeous. Might be your best video yet. Column shifts were so much more fun.

"Faceless cars on finance" this says it all. Thank you for another interesting video.

LOVE that clock in the mirror inside the glove box lid

Fabulous video Steph! The Morris Oxford is to me,a smaller version of a Morris 6 MS which is like a spartan Wolseley 6/80. So glad I watched this as I love these cars and I was just imagining the smell like you said and the wonderful gearbox whine that it has.I hope you have a happy Christmas Stephen,all the best from Rachel in Australia..xx

Great car, it seemed to handle well when Collin was driving. I like the column shifter, looked handy and quick to shift.

Love the review, fab Steph :)

Love the front end on this car that grill is awesome 🏁🏁

I had an accident in 1973 that removed my upper frequency hearing and many of the consonant sounds. As a result, since cc has become available, I've depended upon it. I got a laugh out of some of the gibberish the automated cc generated here. Still, loved your commentary -- what I could follow. My first view of what we tend to call turn signals in the US was in the 1940's, I believe, and involved a visiting British preacher's "English Austin." So far as I remember, the semaphores didn't light up, but my dad and others found them quite amusing. By the time I was old enough to drive, flashing turn signals were pretty much the rule, and even most older cars had installed them.

Great channel and it is so nice to see such a cute young woman to appreciate and review these vintage cars!

I LOVE that split screen!

Great video Steph, my Dad had the later model , a '54. I remember it smelt of burning rubber when he did 80mph in it.

Great video as usual Steph and what a gorgeous car

I owned a 1962 Morris Oxford 1622cc, that had a bench seat with floor change, great passion wagon.

Great Video, I loved it, well done Steph'

Great fun vid ! I'm just going to look at your Volvo 164 vid .

That car is in exceptional nick....great presentation too.....

charming. Simply charming. My oncle had one. I remember. Thanks.

What a delightful presentation. Much better than top gear. I used to own a grey one. That was in 1972. It cost £35 as can garage trade in.

I had the van version of this car (the half-ton van) - It was my first work-van (pre-driving-licence ;-) in 1968, we called it 'The Green Goddess' - Yes! it was Pea-Green but as reliable as any modern car, and like the Tardis, you could just keep filling up the back and it stiiill wanted more :-) ... They were really comfortable cars and you felt indestructable driving them. Considering they were fairly basic cars they 'were' luxurious :-)

Im from Australia an i just brought one of these for 600$ as you can probably tell from the price it's not in as good of condition as this one. But I'm planing on bringing it back to this kinda condition.. loved the video. Great work.

Excellent review of the Morris Oxford. Good work, Steph Poor unfortunate soul? He would be the luckiest groom alive, Steph 😊

Great video my mums friend who is in his 70s still has his dads 1948 Oxford that is dad bought new . The Oxford gets used daily even to tow a trailer

Wow what a stunning car this is! I usually remember Morris Oxfords being the same as Austin Cambridge A60. Theres loads of them driving around in Sudan.

800,000 miles steph lol , to the moon and back😊 great video and lovely car ,have a nice xmas 🎅🎅x

Very knowledgeable. Beautiful car and driver..

There is nothing better than a Morris Minor other than a BIG Morris Minor. Colin has a beautiful MO there. Well done with that column change Steph. Super review, thank you.

It's such a time warp car, I hope the owner keeps it in a dry garage!

I owned a beautiful 1954. I bought this in 1964 for $50 USD. I sold it to buy a 1959 OXFORD. I miss that as well. Nice video.

uncle in Oz in late 70s... Had two oxfords. Similar body shape to this one. Were what in Oz is called a ute. Had metal sides and drop down talgate. A worker vehicle. Funniest was he had an exact pair. Were painted bright Orange/ red. With black mudguards. Must be rare these days if still around.. Great junkyard pickup cars they were used for.

Foot operated dip switches,bench seats and column change seem pretty familiar to me,makes me feel old!

Nice I love cars of this era, I have a 1953 Hudson Hornet Coupe myself.

Lovely old car. My haflinger had a floor dip switch

Thanks for the memories. I had an early Morris Minor after owning the 54 Morros Oxford. (In NZ) Thereafter I called it the Morry Oxcart as the Morris Minor was light-years ahead - as far as handling went.Just no comparison, really !

Great car & love your videos

My late uncle had one, had it for ages. Blew head gasket, so Uncle decided it was,'t worth repairing and parked it up in back garden, and bought Oxford Traveler (series 3 ?). MO stayed in back garden for about 20 years, until collector got to hear about it. Offered uncle ridiculous money, so uncle sold it. Surprising that it hadn't rusted away, but was pretty solid. Even managed to get the engine running briefly. Guy fixed it up, and enjoyed it. Happy Days.

I owned two Morris Oxfords. A near mint condition 1954, in grey, bought in 1964 for $50 USD. In 1969 I bought a yellow 1959 in perfect condition for $400 USD.. Both were beautiful cars. Thanks for the memories.

I love your English classics. Ever think about coming to America and reviewing American classic cars? It's amazing how different the terminology is on the other side of the pond

I like Morris Oxford ,Morris minor and mercedes ponton so much . If I will ever a get chance to own any of these cars that will be the mission accomplished moment for me .

Another great video Steph! Looks like you’re in Kent again!

Back in the day when I was a kid my Dad often borrowed his mate's 50's Cowley for holiday's as we didn't own a car. Getting in it after it had sat in the sun made me feel sick. A peculiar odour which would make me wrench. A childhood memory I can't erase.