Retro Redesign of Morris Minor

[Alex'n'Ane]

I do like the wheel arch merger curve thing at least.

[rossrox]

take a look on this thread http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28542

i personally would think that everyone on here would not want the minor to go the same way as the mini, beetle and fiat 500 did, huge crappy versions.

and i have said this before... a new minor would end up looking like a chrysler pt cruiser, it has ALOT of the same features as the minor does.

i would deffinatly stick to sketching your ideas, as AntB said your limited to what the cad package can do.

if you were to "update" the minor i think most of the thing would be on the interior i.e aircon, an eco engine blah blah. but the outside is pretty perfect and doesnt really need changing.

[Fingolfin]

I was hoping someone'd point out the previous thread!

[SGTBILKO]

I thought this one might do as a two-seater version (at a pinch).

[Alex'n'Ane]

I did mention the previous thread but finding it is more effort.. There are some very very nice designs on the previous thread.

[pyebibby]

I did mention the previous thread but finding it is more effort.. There are some very very nice designs on the previous thread.

this on http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... esign#wrap

[silloyd]

For all of its faults, one of the Mini re-vamp design kept was the principle of the layout of the grill and headlights, i.e. it kept a similar 'face'.

Moggies have a happy 'face' (in a Wallace kind of stylee)

[frame][/frame]

so, if you want to keep the family resemblance then you can adjust things like the height of the wings and bonnet, the width and length of the car, etc., but you need to keep it's happy face (no offence but the angle of the wings in Dani's pictures give an angry look)

...of course, underneath you can hide a beefy engine, trick suspension, air con, ........

[AntB]

you may also want to factor in what it would actually take to get the car built and through legislation.

how far back would the engine need to be to make it through ped impact safety requirements, does the a-post need to be far chunkier now front impact tests are more stringent etc etc?

form follows function

[simmitc]

Where's the wood? The whole thing currently looks as though someone squashed it and shunted it. I'm sure that it will appeal to someone, but (and I am sorry to have to say this, particularly as I can't draw for toffee, and therefore can't offer anything better) to me it is quite repulsive.

I would echo the comments about incorporating the features necessary to meet current legislation, and also about not using naff CAD products. I really would like to see a new Minor, but this isn't it. Sorry.

[dani]

hi guys, Iam sorrry its one of the designs that i could come up with on pro-e takign in account of alll the legislations...i do like the fact tht morris minor has a nice smily look but at the same time i want it to be able to look a bit more appleaing to everyone...i want someone to look at it and go i would love to have one...thats why i have tried my very best to keep the features of the boot as its one of the most appleaing and changed the look on the outside...

thanks guys
dani

[rossrox]

the boot you say... most appealing???
i personally would have thought if someone thought about a minor they would think of that lovely curvy bonnet and them wings that curve down in to the doors, not the boot
your design is very square, as i said previously, stick to sketching, its harder work, but looks better!!!

[dani]

Hi guys sorry about the delay on the questionnaire, had some difficulties with my other assignments...here is the coppy of it if u can fill it out and mail me, it will be most appericiated:[frame][/frame]

[chickenjohn]

Don't take this the wrong way please but thats ugly, from the front it looks like a Hummer.
The apeal of the Morris Minor is its curves, so if aynthing rather than making it square looking with sharp angles, I would focus on the curves and make it more sweeping, wide arches lower sweeping foorline and lower ride height.

Ugly, agreed, I don't mean to offend, but I don't like those designs at all. I'd say it all looks totally out of proportion. Rear window is far too small, roof all the wrong shape- looks more like a 1920's car from the rear- in the way the roofline curves down far too low. In fact I expect the driver would not be able to see out the back of the car safely using the interior mirror. Too boxy, with a few sharp radius curves. Front window is much too oval, and the "face" of the car is just all wrong, the side view looks out of proportion, like a clowns car or a cartoon car. There is far too much detail- such as all the lights at the front, too cluttered, slab sided. ......the windows look too big in proportion to the lower body of the car. And the way the doors curve back at the bottom into a teardrop shape looks wrong and again, nothing like a Minor.

If I were you, I'd make it look like a worn bar of soap, with flowing curved lines and a simpler more appealing "face", ditch the overiders, the excessive detail and fake bumpers too, measure the proportions of a Minor- in particular the relationship of the glass area to the metal bodywork area, and stick to that but do it with a modern look. The boot lid needs to me much bigger. Also lose the slab sided look. There is barely a flat surface or straight line anywhere on the Minor at all- apart from the bottom rear of the front wings- the rest is all curves, often double curvature as well, which your design lacks. Think aerodynamic shapes- like 1930's and 1940's aircraft, or the Mallard streamlined steam train, think Art-deco. The Minor was inspired by 1940's American cars , which were inspired by aircraft design of the time.

and it does not even look like Minor in the way the "new" Mini, Beetle and Fiat 500 look like their classics. It looks more like the Nissan Cube! Or Postman Pat's van.

I don't mean to sound harsh, just giving you honest feelings of a longtime Minor owner and restorer on seeing those designs.

It should make us all appreciate, even more than we already do what a genius Alec Issigonis was. No computer software then- all done by hand.

[dani]

Thanks very much for the last comment...this is excatly what i really needed to get a good idea...thank you i do most appericate your opinion...

[Bald Moggie Man]

I think your playing it too safe in the wrong areas. I am working on a custom moggie design at the minute that will update the Moggie both in looks and use. I don't want to reveal too much incase someone beats me to doing it but there are endless possibilities if you look at modern car design. I have a few ideas that will be like marmite (Love them or hate them!) but the Moggie WILL be different!

[dani]

good luck to you on them designs mate...and thanks again for the comment

[mohawk9069]

re designs of old cars would be so much better if germans werent involved!

[dantournay]

re designs of old cars would be so much better if germans werent involved!

I agree. Some of the new mini concepts like the Paceman & scooter are horrible and I think that the problem is that it's German interpretation of British style. That said this is probably as close to a new Minor you're going to get. IMO 'Mini' is evolving into what the Morris was as they now make a saloon, convertible, 'traveller' and just need a pickup for the full set. Even the logo's very similar plus they roll out of Cowley

[davidlyus]

the sad thing is the world has changed since 1948
take a modern victim the VW golf it has been developed out of existance
I personally have no intention of driving into a concrete block at 30 or whatever and dont require a car designed to
In 1972 the vw beetle was the car most recovered from motorways with a blown up engine ,sits a 70 all day till the fan belt breaks, and the tricky handling! and poor fuel economy; The main problem with the minor was caused by internal politics at bmc,it was sold in left hand drive versions with the door lock only on the RHS. It had minimal developement from a company that survived a surprisingly long time after the model was deleted.The mini had to be developed as it had a lot of mechanical weaknesses when launched