Morris Minor Owners Club

Blimey, that's one less spares company!

We have to hope that ESM will continue to maintain (or improve) its standards without the pressure from its former major competitor.

Don

ESM are also incorporated with The Morris Minor Centre Bath.

https://www.mmcbath.co.uk/

I have used both ESM and Bull Motif quite regularly as I tried to support both companies. They have always provided excellent products with quick delivery at reasonable prices. Long may ESM continue.

The loss of a part supplier is a concern but as for a reason could it be that sales are falling as many cars have been restored and fewer people are starting projects. As a car is restored to good condition, lives in a dry garage and gets only light use when the sun shines its need for parts must surely diminish. There have been worries previously that many of us are ageing and fewer youngsters are interested. I have done extensive work on four Minors, one a bare shell restoration, but as the arthritis spreads I don’t think there are going to be any more. (Well, unless I find a lowlight convertible somewhere....)

Maybe someone who knows the people at Bull Motif could ask them. And if they are now mostly supplying Austins what will they call themselves?

ive a feeling this is the start of a snowball effect. Bull Motif have bad press with the owners of A30/A35's. Many of the owners use ESM for engine/gearbox/electrical parts etc (the same items as MM use). So it can't be long before they annonce another change.

When you see some of the wrecks on ebay that get bids, some folk will still be spending a few bob on parts!
Although I do wonder where the old car situation will end up, well motoring in general, for that matter.

Although I do wonder where the old car situation will end up, well motoring in general, for that matter.

Regulated to death probably, though hopefully not in my lifetime (53 almost 54 at present).
I think the intention is for all vehicles to be electric and then driverless at some point down the road (no pun intended ).
And at some point they will, very likely, all have trackers fitted from new, whether you like it or not........

The time left in which internal combustion engined vehicles will be allowed to be driven on the roads is coming to an end, within the next 50 years I reckon.
At which point a few will end up in museums or private collections and the rest will be crushed and melted down to be turned into cutlery.
That's providing the poor little PC things of the future still feel safe holding a knife and fork and don't need to erect a safety barrier and take out extra insurance first................
Mind you they'll probably be all be on vegetarian protein pills by then, so no need for knives and forks........

The point is we should all make the most of and enjoy the freedom of personal choice we still have at present and drive our classics to the fullest.
Best wishes,
Mike.

Well there is one perspective! As a young-ish (and vegetarian) Morris owner who has undertaken significant restoration work on my own car and helped friends with others, funneling hundreds of pounds to ESM and BullMotif, and driven my Minor for tens of thousands of miles, I'll try not to take offense.

The speed at which electric and driverless cars are being adopted is overstated. We have some time yet, and I look forward to converting a Minor to electric power in the future. Perhaps ESM will sell me the parts - we could certainly do with an off the shelf bellhousing to adapt electric motors to our gearboxes!

I can’t think of anything worse than an electric Minor.....well except veganism. Thankfully I’ll be dead before either are compulsory.

Why did the vegan cross the road? To tell you that they're a vegan...

Sad news in terms of competition, I'm sure, but I have always been well served by ESM. Often they have had stock of items where Bull Motif and David Manners (Morris Minor Birmingham, as was) have drawn a blank.

Times change and things move on; let's hope we can keep our Minors going for a while longer yet!

Sad news in terms of competition, I'm sure, but I have always been well served by ESM.

And ESM pretty much own Charles Ware as well from what I can gather.
So a lack of competition is the thing that concerns me.
If any one company can monopolise any given market, you can be sure that prices will only go one way.
We won't be so happy if we end up paying Jaguar XK money for Morris Minor parts..............
Best wishes,
Mike.

Somewhat doubtful, I suspect - there's also Andrew Eggleton (ame353 on E-bay) who sells lots of Minor bits at keen prices.

https://www.morrisminorspareparts.com/

Somewhat doubtful, I suspect

I hope you're proved correct, in fact I am more than happy for my concerns to prove unfounded.
However, I think I have good reason to raise them and draw peoples attention to a possibility.......
Best wishes,
Mike.

jagnut66 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2019 6:44 pm
And ESM pretty much own Charles Ware as well from what I can gather.

Where did you gather that info?

The age of the combustion engine may be passing but I wouldn’t be too pessimistic about the future. There are plenty of examples of transport which are no longer mainstream but are kept because they are historically interesting and people enjoy them such as canals, steam railways, sailing boats, horses.

I wouldn't be too concerned about prices going crazy just for profit. Even if all other competitors are gone for Minor specific parts, the last remaining enterprise still has one remaining competitor of a sort, the non-buyer. Surely one would want to keep their business going and perhaps offer other services. The most likely scenario as demand drops, is the prices will reflect the true cost to produce it with modest profit. I think that any business person will realize there is no long term benefit of outrageous prices.