1952 MM Tourer sedan or is it a Tourer??
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:44 am
I have a black 1952 2 Door MM Series Minor Sedan.
I have owned this car for 27 years and it is currently undergoing a long term restoration.
Its currently a resprayed bare body on wheels. When i bought the car it was a worn but original, complete going car.
I recently thought that I would obtain a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust build certificate from england for the car, as I have one for my other cars.
I knew it was about a Jan/Feb 1952 build car but what came back from England is very interesting
The build number matches, the engine number matches,the key number matches, the colour (interior and exterior) matches but !!!!
The certificate has the car/chassis number with an FCA21 prefix which equates to a black RHD export Minor Tourer
The build plate on the firewall has the SMM prefix saying its a 2 door Sedan which it is.
The build certificate says the engine number is a SV motor built 1948-50 without a water pump.
These numbers match the build plate on the firewall but as the car was built Jan 23/24 1952 and dispatched to export on 28 Jan 1952, was there a backlog supply of motors without waterpumps sitting around from say 1950 ?? The motor in the car is not the original number so I dont have that to check.
My reference books say that the FCA prefix wasnt introduced until April 1952 and that the SMM prefix was used up to car no 139438.
Also my car has the later bakelite/plastic glovebox lid emblem which was introduced inl March /April 1952 replacing the metal badge.
I emailed British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and they kindly rechecked their details but came to the same conclusion that the car left the Cowley factory as a tourer . They said if the build records were wrong when the car was going down the production line, that the information should have benn corrected at the dispatch department when the dispatch record was filed out.
I was still under the impression that BMIHT were wrong, until I went and examined the car closer.
It has the tourer strengthening panels underneath the dashboard and the strengthning brackets on the inner sill and welded to the B pillars.
I guess my questions are, has anyone else come across a similar situation where their hardtop 2 door sedan started life as a tourer?
Did my car get converted to 2 door sedan while still in England or when it got to Australia?
But why does the the build plate on the car have the SMM prefix one if it left England as a tourer ?
If built in Jan and dispatched on 28 Jan, the trip to Australia used to take about 12 weeks by ship.
Why has it got April 1952 characteristics??
Was it damaged in transit and then if repaired why as a hardtop why not repaired as a tourer??
Was there a shortage or waiting list of sedans in Aust and a glut of tourers, so some were converted to sedans?
I await any information or thoughts
Thank you in anticipation
Ken
Launceston Tasmania Australia
I have owned this car for 27 years and it is currently undergoing a long term restoration.
Its currently a resprayed bare body on wheels. When i bought the car it was a worn but original, complete going car.
I recently thought that I would obtain a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust build certificate from england for the car, as I have one for my other cars.
I knew it was about a Jan/Feb 1952 build car but what came back from England is very interesting
The build number matches, the engine number matches,the key number matches, the colour (interior and exterior) matches but !!!!
The certificate has the car/chassis number with an FCA21 prefix which equates to a black RHD export Minor Tourer
The build plate on the firewall has the SMM prefix saying its a 2 door Sedan which it is.
The build certificate says the engine number is a SV motor built 1948-50 without a water pump.
These numbers match the build plate on the firewall but as the car was built Jan 23/24 1952 and dispatched to export on 28 Jan 1952, was there a backlog supply of motors without waterpumps sitting around from say 1950 ?? The motor in the car is not the original number so I dont have that to check.
My reference books say that the FCA prefix wasnt introduced until April 1952 and that the SMM prefix was used up to car no 139438.
Also my car has the later bakelite/plastic glovebox lid emblem which was introduced inl March /April 1952 replacing the metal badge.
I emailed British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and they kindly rechecked their details but came to the same conclusion that the car left the Cowley factory as a tourer . They said if the build records were wrong when the car was going down the production line, that the information should have benn corrected at the dispatch department when the dispatch record was filed out.
I was still under the impression that BMIHT were wrong, until I went and examined the car closer.
It has the tourer strengthening panels underneath the dashboard and the strengthning brackets on the inner sill and welded to the B pillars.
I guess my questions are, has anyone else come across a similar situation where their hardtop 2 door sedan started life as a tourer?
Did my car get converted to 2 door sedan while still in England or when it got to Australia?
But why does the the build plate on the car have the SMM prefix one if it left England as a tourer ?
If built in Jan and dispatched on 28 Jan, the trip to Australia used to take about 12 weeks by ship.
Why has it got April 1952 characteristics??
Was it damaged in transit and then if repaired why as a hardtop why not repaired as a tourer??
Was there a shortage or waiting list of sedans in Aust and a glut of tourers, so some were converted to sedans?
I await any information or thoughts
Thank you in anticipation
Ken
Launceston Tasmania Australia