Researching car history

[c_p_george]

Hi everyone this is my first post on here so here goes

My names Carl and I have a standard 1961 Morris Mini Minor. I'm in the process of researching my cars history and have got my heritage cert and have just got back my car history search from the DVLA it has answered some questions but thrown up lots more, so I need to pick some brains!

I established the car was originally first registered in shropshire and was sold by Kennings, I managed to track down the old showroom where I believe the car was sold from, it was still standing although now a NCP car park.

Having got my list back I realised the first owner was registered as a lady from Kent. I have a photocopy of the original registration document,which shows the car was first registered in July 1961 and continued to be taxed with the shropshire stamp until 1963 and from 1964 it appears to move to a Kent stamp, although its not very clear but is def not Salop.

I find this a little confusing as the owner was never resident in shrewsbury/shropshire as I have traced her through the electoral role and she never appeared to live outside London or Kent, it appears the first registered keeper may not have owned the car until 1963 at the earliest. Does this mean the car sat on a forecourt for 2 years? If so why tax it? Would it be legal to have a car without a registered keeper for that period of time even back then?

Kennings I know, did car hire and company cars but surely they would be down as the first keeper? Or could Kennings have moved stock around the country as dealer networks do today?
Sorry for all the questions I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions to explain the discrepancy

Thanks for any advice

[rich@minispares.com]

it could also have been a ministry of supply car, as kennings where a supplier for the disabled driver cars.

what colour is it?

[c_p_george]

Its red, heritage cert says Cherry red, but looks more like damask red, was the ministry of supply still going in 1961?

[c_p_george]

That would make some sense as I know the owner was listed as a retired civil servant in the obituary (unfortunately she doesn't appear to have any descendents) so she may have had the car all along but I don't understand why the car was taxed in shropshire if she had it, unless it was in Shropshire as a fleet car and she then purchased it, did they dispose of fleet cars in this way in the 60's I don't really understand the fleet system and how it work back then if anyone has anymore information on mistrust or fleet cars that would be really great, here's the original registration document if it helps it was listed as a deluxe.

[rich@minispares.com]

as far as I know, the ministry of supply would issue cars to kennings (and other large dealers I guess) to suit the requirements of the customer - as the disabled driver ones would be tailored to the individual customer.

once the cars where finished with, they would then be returned to Birmingham and where then sold off (this is what happened to my car after four years, but it might have been when my original owner died / stopped driving)


I do wonder if your car was a 'company car' issued to the lady if she was a civil servant.

some things to check

if the seat brackets are odd and there are holes drilled in the floor, the chances are its a disabled car


does it also have a fire extinguisher fitted under the lh dash (using the five holes that are stamped in all mini dashes)


if you get the heritage cert it will tell you more, from memory this was marked as 'ministry of supply' for my car

[c_p_george]

I'll have a look at the brackets where would the holes be? No evidence of a fire extinguisher, the lady had the car def from 1964 until 1983!

The heritage certificate just says kennings and company limited, I be emailed Shropshire and Kent archives to see if they have anymore info as suggested by the DVLA

I'm really enjoying discovering the history of the car and would recommend it! the DVLA have been extremely helpful best £5 I've ever spent!