Dorset man driving his family Morris Minor since 1976

Greg Hoar’s grandmother was 78 years old when she bought the classic British two-door car brand new in 1967 for £628, which is worth around £10,000 in 2023.

Amy Hoar drove it for almost a decade until her eyesight declined and it was lent to her then 17-year-old grandson.

Greg, now 64 and from Corfe Mullen, has kept hold of the vehicle for 47 years and has clocked up almost 200,000 miles on road trips all over the UK.

Husband and wife Greg and Nicky Hoar in the family Morris Minor. (Image: BNPS)

His wife of 41 years Nicky and two children, Emily and Peter, also learnt to drive in it.

Emily was taken home from hospital as a baby in it in 1986 and Greg's 14-year-old grandson Joseph is already 'eyeing it up' for when he can drive.

The 'dove grey' coloured Morris, affectionately known as Moggie, has been carefully maintained by Greg in the years since.

Greg, a heritage consultant, is also well known in the Wimborne area for his work on the model town attraction.

He said his car ‘puts smiles on faces’ and he is often approached by members of the public who reminisce about owning one.

Greg Hoar with the Morris Minor on a camping trip in 1977. (Image: BNPS)

“The car has so many memories,” Greg said.

“It must be quite unusual to find someone who is still driving the car they did their driving test in so many years ago.”

More than 1.6m Minors were produced by Morris Motors between 1948 and 1971, becoming a favourite of British households.

This year, a string of events are being held by Morris Minor enthusiasts to mark its 75th birthday and Greg plans to keep hold of his for as long as he can.

Greg Hoar driving his Morris Minor (Image: BNPS)

He said: “In the early years it was easy to source Minor spare parts from scrapyards, and there is a Morris Minor community today.

“I've restored it every 10 years, with the latest one being in 2017, but it still has a lot of original parts including its core frame.

“Whenever you are out and about in it, it puts smiles on faces and we get approached in car parks by people saying they owned one or their family did.

“The Minor is a part of British heritage and we will keep it running as long as it goes.”