Beginning in 1922 the tiny seven horsepower Austin had brought motoring to a new public and broadened the market.

Against that Morris's Oxfords and Cowleys had taken 41 per cent of the entire 1925 British private car market.

The same year William Morris realised millions from the sale and stock market listing of preference shares in his business and he privately bought Wolseley, founded by Herbert Austin, which until a few years earlier had been Britain's largest car manufacturer.

The overhead camshaft was driven by a vertical spiral bevel geared shaft that passed through the dynamo carrying the armature.

The engine produced 20 bhp (15 kW) at 4000 rpm[12] allowing a top speed of 55 mph (88 km/h).

This more conventional side-valve unit of slightly lower power output entered production in late 1930 at Morris Commercial Cars' new premises in the former Wolseley works at Adderley Park, under the supervision of the young Leonard Lord.

Wrigley's had invested heavily and re-equipped its works to make components for a major mass-produced motorcar project, which had collapsed at the last minute.

The chassis built of channel-section steel has cable-operated four-wheel brakes and it rides on half-elliptic springs.

From a cartoon of the day: First urchin: (surveying a small car parked at the kerb) "Its an Austin, I tell yer."

Next, on Saturday 1 September 1928, prices were advertised: The launch was on 11 October 1928 at the opening of London's 22nd Olympia Motor Show.

[2] The Times motoring correspondent tested the fabric saloon and reported at length in December finishing with "I liked the general control and one does not get the impression that one is driving a very small car".

[5] This last saloon came with automatic windscreen wiper, rear-vision mirror, safety glass and the new chromium finish.

The body, he said, is to be coach built—steel panels on a wood frame—has as few bright parts as possible "to reduce polishing" and is finished in naval grey with red upholstery.

Decarbonisation and valve adjustment were very simple and contributed to the new car's low running costs.

The overhead valve engine was proving to be expensive to make and Wolseley's design—the six-cylinder version powered their successful Hornet saloon, and racing MGs[note 2]—suffered from oil getting into the dynamo.

So in 1931 a version with valve gear re-designed by staff of Morris Engines using side-valves and giving nearly the same power output, 19 bhp (14 kW) at 4000 rpm, was introduced.

[19] The lower cost of the new engine allowed the Minor to be sold for the magic £100 as a stripped-down two-seater.

The Minor was given a new better-looking radiator and longer bonnet, better steering by Bishop Cam, and a four-speed gearbox.

The £100 2-seater kept the old radiator, three-speed gearbox, worm and wheel steering and windscreen of a single panel.

For £90 the same chassis came equipped with a four-speed twin-top gearbox ("silent" third), cam steering and deep radiator.

[20] By the end of August 1933 all Morris cars had synchromesh four-speed gearboxes, dipping headlights, hydraulic shock absorbers, leather upholstery, hydraulic brakes, rear petrol tank, direction indicators and safety glass.

The Family Saloon and Minor added to that illuminated direction indicators and pneumatic upholstery.

[11] The Minor and Family Saloon were replaced by the Morris Eight in August 1934 with an entirely new body and a slightly larger 918 cc engine.