Is Shropshire home to the oldest Morris Minor van in the country?
This is possibly the oldest Morris Minor van in the country – although it's seen better days over its 61 years.
Hidden in a barn for almost 50 years, a treasured Morris Minor van – alleged to be the oldest in the UK – is now being brought back to life by a north Shropshire man.
Mike Sargeant, from Wem, bought the vintage van in July from a person in Suffolk.
He discovered the vehicle had been kept hidden away since 1967 and its engine had been taken out.
He said: "I wanted to get it back working again and, as I have re-built other Morris Minor vehicles, I decided to use the spare parts I had and get this one in working order as well.
"I am still in process of fixing it and it may take me a while yet."
He added: "The car is of quite a historical value so I contacted historian Russ Harvey to find out how rare it was and a bit more about the history of the vehicle."
Mr Harvey said the van was a particularly rare find and the register has confirmed its authenticity as the oldest in the UK and Europe. "In fact it's the second eldest survivor worldwide.
There is only one older, number 635 in Canada," Mr Harvey added.
"Mike has obtained a heritage certificate for this van, it confirms it was assembled between June 22 and 23, 1953, and was delivered to the dealers on July 1, 1953, amazingly just over a week after assembly.
"The car was taken off the road some time during 1967 and was placed in a barn believed to be in Suffolk along with six other vans.
"Back in the 1990s most of the vans were cut up or scrapped but rumour has it this one was stuck behind machinery and a lathe making it difficult to get at – if correct, it almost certainly ensured its survival. As to who the original purchaser was, it is a mystery, as is all its early history."
