How many A-series cars have you owned?

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Edward1949
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How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by Edward1949 »

As a young driver in the late 1960s there was a good choice of cheap bangers for impecunious youths & I went through my share of money-pits (often large cars) until I had a run of luck with A series-engined cars. The engines seemed to take appalling abuse and neglect and were easy and cheap to keep going. For some reason (boredom?) I kept cars for short periods and changed them frequently. Here's my list compiled from memory of different A series makes I've owned: numerous Minors 803/948/1098; Austin A40; MG Midget 1098; Austin Healey Sprite 1098; Austin 1100; numerous Minis ; several Maestros. Current car is 1968 Minor 1098.
(Dare I say it but the sweetest-running Minor I ever owned wasn't an A series at all, but a 1950 918cc, sadly stolen.)
Can anyone out there top this list?
Banned User
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by Banned User »

Five. My first was a ‘59 Frogeye that my grandfather bought in ‘61. It stayed in the failed until the early 80’s. I learnt to drive in it.

My next two were run of the mill Mini Clubman travellers. Then a Metro, which was a 998, then became a 1293.

Now I have the van.

In the late 80’s/early 90’s I spannered for a chap who raced Mini Miglias, so I’ve had a hand in A series engines for much of my life.
Blaketon
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by Blaketon »

1974 Mini 1000 (1st car), 1980 Mini 1000 (3rd car), 1987 Mini City (4th car and only new one) and now my 1971 Traveller (Not counting cars bought for motorsport, that is No 8 ). I still own my second car (MG Midget but that's the one with the Triumph engine), which my third saved from regular use. When I bought the second Mini 1000, I was looking for a Clubman Estate but there were none available at the time. I never gave a thought to a Minor Traveller. Was that a missed opportunity or would I not have appreciated the Traveller so much without having owned a few other cars (I did enjoy my Golf GTI but I'm happy with the Traveller)?

My parents have had a total of five Minis (All 850s, one of which had been to Downton and one of the Countrymen was supercharged), three saloons, one Hornet (Still an 850) and two estates. My father currently has a 1275 Midget and he also had a Series 1 Lotus 7, with a 948 A Series.

My mother's late aunt and uncle each had Minor 1000s and not that long before my mother's aunt died (Aged 92), she saw my Traveller and asked to try it for size. She said something like "I could still drive this, it's easier than our car (Honda Civic); I wish I'd never sold mine". An uncle of mine had a new Series 2 Minor as his first car and managed to roll it soon after buying it. It was well repaired but went on to have damage to every panel during the time he owned it. After retiring, my paternal grandfather had a run of Wolseley/Austin/Morris 1100s.
morris van
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by morris van »

I've owned six my first three cars were Minis I had a 1968 A35 van with I owned for sixteen years which had done 369000 miles when I sold it on the same engine to a classic car restorer as I needed a lot of body work done and he did it and he didn't touch the engine. I now own a 1970 MG Midget which ive owned for 28 yearsand a 1971 Austin badged Morris 1000 van.

cococola
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by cococola »

3 Maestros,2 Metros...one of which I turned over onto its roof and wrote the car off (young and speedy) :o 1 mini that had the oil light disconnected by the previous owner and the engine seized on the M42 resulting in the crankshaft to snap in half. :o 1 Morris Minor 2 door saloon,2 Morris Minor 4 door saloons, 1 (current) Morris Minor convertible, 1 (current) Morris Minor Traveller.
Morris Minors..... such fun :D
les
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by les »

No one had an Allegro? Missed a trick there!

myoldjalopy
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by myoldjalopy »

A-series cars? Five - an Austin 1300GT, an SII Minor 2-door saloon, a 1098cc Traveller, an early 1000 four-door saloon (but with a 1098cc engine fitted) and a SII 4-door saloon.
But the Austin engine went kaput, so I put in a replacement from an Austin 1100, the Minor 1000 had two replacement engines while I had it (but one was from the Traveller, which had to eventually be scrapped) and the SII 4-door has had a 948cc transplant.
So that makes five A-series cars, but eight A-series engines :lol:
Edward1949
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by Edward1949 »

les wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:12 pm No one had an Allegro? Missed a trick there!
Never had one. I always thought they had a nice body shape. Could've been a classic, let down by poor detail design, and they rusted quite badly (as did most cars then ).
cococola
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by cococola »

les wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:12 pm No one had an Allegro? Missed a trick there!
I forgot 1 blue Allegro with the strange steering wheel
Morris Minors..... such fun :D
palacebear
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by palacebear »

Mk1 Mini 850cc - 1966 (Super DeLuxe... oooh!)
Marina 1275cc - 1972 4-door
Marina 1275cc - 1972 Coupe
Marina 1275cc - 1977 Estate
Allegro 1275cc - 1974 4-door
Minor 1098cc - 1971 Traveller
Minor 803cc - 1956 4-door (now 948cc and my current A-Series car) .

Don't move on to B-Series cars or I'll be here all day 😉
1956 4-door called Max
SteveClem
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by SteveClem »

3 just now...and another 3 going back in time. A great engine.
SteveClem
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by SteveClem »

Ps. Currently an 803, a1098 and a 1275.
Blaketon
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by Blaketon »

cococola wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 3:17 pm
les wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:12 pm No one had an Allegro? Missed a trick there!
I forgot 1 blue Allegro with the strange steering wheel
An often maligned car and whilst we know BL had it's problems, I think it became fashionable to knock them. I never had an Allegro and I think the only one I ever rode in was a Vanden Plas model. However I get the distinct impression that Issigonis's 11/1300 was the better car and whilst neither are that plentiful at events, the 11/1300 is far more popular (Most seem to be Vanden Plas - the same phenomenon is apparent with the Austin Westminster - have they been better cared for or was the Vanden Plas paint more durable?) than the Allegro.
ianmack
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by ianmack »

Two Minis back in the 70s and an A40 Farina. In the classic car era six mogs, two rotten ones dismantled, two sold and two kept.

Many years ago I knew of a man who had a Moskvitch with an a series engine installed. I suppose it must have seemed like a good idea at the time. :o
cococola
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by cococola »

My Allegro story ...... I was offered my friends Allegro several years ago for £250 as my car had died on its mot. I took my wife to see the car and she told me that she would never drive it as she thought it was awful so I told a fib that we couldn't afford the car and thanks for the offer :oops: A couple of days later and my friend drops the car off at my house and tells me that we can have the car for free which was extremely kind of him :) Because of this lovely gesture we did use the car for 18 months (trouble free) and sold the car on for £300 which we gave back to our friend :D I loved the car far more than my wife but it helped us so much. :D
Morris Minors..... such fun :D
Mark Wilson
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by Mark Wilson »

cococola wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 9:45 pm I loved the car far more than my wife :D
Should this possibly have read "loved the car more than my wife did" ? :roll:
COMMANDER
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by COMMANDER »

Twelve, unless I've forgotten any.....
I Minor 1000 traveller
1 Splitscreen
2 Minor 1000 Convertibles (one current)
1 A35
2 Maestros
1 Metro
3 Minis
1 Allegro
cococola
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by cococola »

Mark Wilson wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 9:57 pm
cococola wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 9:45 pm I loved the car far more than my wife :D
Should this possibly have read "loved the car more than my wife did" ? :roll:
Ha Ha well spotted I do love my wife more...honestly :D :D
Morris Minors..... such fun :D
sid
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by sid »

1 Traveller
1 Minor van
1 1100
2 A40 Farina's.always had a soft spot for these..one was SCO 449,used to go all over the place in that one :)
1 A35 saloon...though that was the wife's at the time.
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Re: How many A-series cars have you owned?

Post by pgp001 »

Well if you count family owned ones.

My dads first company car was a Mini Countryman.

My mum ran an A35 van with side windows fitted.

My mum got a brand new Mini saloon in the late 70's.

My Aunty ran a Morris 1000 saloon.

My first car was a 1967 Mini Van in the 1970's.

I now have a 69 Traveller.

Phil
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