BBR Mogsworth - Morris Minor 1000 - My Car

This isn’t your grandparents’ Morris Minor. Sure, the badges on the car might say it’s a Morris Minor 1000, but anything more than a cursory look will reveal some parts that it definitely didn’t leave the factory with.

Roll cage. Metal interior with detachable steering wheel. Digital speedo. And under the hood? A full Cosworth setup pushing 271bph (putting it around Stage 2, and almost five times as much power as a normal Minor 1000).

If you’re interested in what it actually is, it’s a BBR Mogsworth - a 1 of 1, owner Alan tells us, and it was made in Leeds. While the engine, gearbox and rear diff may all be Sierra Cosworth, it’s sat inside of a full space frame chassis with independent suspension, and using Westfield (a Lotus Seven-inspired two-seater) geometry. All in a car that weighs 880 kilos with fuel.

So decidedly not a Morris Minor, then. A Morris Major, if you will.

While the Melbourne Raceway stickers in the rear window might suggest it’s a drag machine, those are hints at Alan’s past crewing for a drag racer. The Mogsworth was originally created for hillclimbing, he believes, due to its short gearing and its creator’s proximity to the famous Harewood Hillclimb - the longest speed hillclimb course in mainland UK.

“It runs out of puff around 125mph - it’s about as aerodynamic as a brick”.

The choice to put Cosworth parts into such a unique vehicle is definitely an interesting one, but one Alan believes is more aimed at pleasing the driver more than anything.

“Why [the builder] put that running gear into that car I’m not sure. That in an Escort would have been worth twice as much. But he wanted fun”.

And it certainly does look fun. So much power in such a light car, and one with a wheelbase not much longer than two metres, sounds like more than a handful, however it’s far from a garage queen.

“I try to get out in it every weekend,” Alan says. “When the weather’s right it’s parked on the drive at home, because obviously nobody knows what it is so it gets left alone.

“It gets a run a bit through the week as well - more so through the summer. It gets a lot of use in summer just nipping about, because it’s something that you can just jump in and go.

“It’s daily driveable, and it returns about 34 mpg”.

For a car built from the ground up, it’s surprisingly robust too. “It’s left out in the rain and everything,” Alan mentioned. “If there’s room in the garage then it’ll go in the garage, but if not then it’s been left out in the rain, snow, frost and everything. Just jump in and go.

“We do keep a check on it - we have a little workshop at home with a ramp - just lift it up, make sure nothing’s moving or wearing, and it’s used as much as possible”.

Knowing that this feat of engineering isn't confined to a climate-controlled car enclosure, but is instead living its life as what it was always meant to be - a car - is a great addition to its story, and a great addition to the roads of the UK.

So if you find yourself at a set of lights, in the wrong lane, and with a Morris Minor next to you, don’t assume you’ll be able to nip in front. It might just be faster than you.