“That’s for limited mileage, and only 1000 miles at that, but that’s adequate for us as we don’t go very far from home,” says Ed. “And although the premium will rise once he’s passed his test, it will still be far cheaper than for a modern car.”
Why a Morris Minor? “Well, my grandfather had one,” says Ed, “which added some appeal. We looked at a Traveller but the woodwork was really rotten so we gave that one a miss. Then we spotted this saloon that was for sale for £1500.
“As you can see, the paintwork is very dull and there is some surface rust in places, but structurally it’s pretty sound. The other advantage of this car is that it’s ULEZ-exempt, which is an important factor when you’re on a tight budget.”
Ed learned to drive at the age of 25 in a Ford Fiesta, a rather more sophisticated car than the Moggie. “It took me a while to adjust to driving the Minor,” he says, “but Patrick picked it up quicker than me.”
Patrick says: “Most of my friends are learning to drive, but nobody is driving a car as old as ours. They haven’t commented much on the Morris but my sister Poppy reckons that it’s a really cool car.”
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