My 1957 Morris Minor Utility

Look at any picture of Minor in the countryside or out of town and you can't help but think England, 1950s.

The same goes for Lance Blanch's 1957 Morris Minor utility. His beautifully restored car is a reminder of a calmer, more relaxed time when Sunday driving was a pleasure rather than a struggle over jammed roads.

Lance's car has been in his family since 1960. His parents bought him from a merchant who enlarged him to an Austin A40. “We lived in a small town and they needed a car to carry things,” Lance explains.

Lance learned to drive a car and his mother drove it all the time until just two weeks passed before her death in 1995. “After her death, Morris came to me and I kept it in my garage for several years. Then I decided to completely restore it, and in 2009 it hit the road again,” says Lance.

The car has been serviced regularly throughout its life, and when the restoration began, taking care of it paid dividends over the years. “It had only a small amount of surface rust, and there was no rust at all on the frame,” says Lance. However, Lance took the car down to bare metal and restored it.

Lance makes sure he rides it at least once a week and it always gets attention. “A lot of people come up to me and ask about the car. Everyone seems to have either had a Morrie or knew someone who had one,” he says.

The car has original numbers, original engine and steering wheel. The wood-encrusted instrument panel makes a concession to technology, replacing the old transistor car radio with a CD player. Recognizing the need for safety, Lance installed seat belts, high-back bucket seats and front disc brakes.

Lance is a regular promoter for the Morris Minors and is active with the Queensland Morris Minor Club. “We were able to organize a demo day at the RAF Amberley Heritage Center on 18 May,” he says. "The Royal Air Force has given us the opportunity to exhibit our vehicles alongside all of their theater aircraft, including Saber, Mirage and F111 fighters, Sioux and Iroquois helicopters."

This rare opportunity has already attracted over 50 vehicles to participate in the event. All variants of Minor will be presented: two- and four-door sedans, convertibles, Traveler station wagons and, of course, Lance's Utility.

David Burrell, editor of www.retroautos.com.au