1957 Morris Isis Deluxe Series II - very rare classic British car

Meet Phoebe!

Phoebe is a very rare classic British car of which there are believed to be only about 30 remaining on British roads and in this original colour scheme of Black over Swiss Grey. Phoebe is one of only 3 or 4 still in existence.

Phoebe is a Morris Isis Deluxe Series II. You will know of the famous Morris Minor. and possibly its bigger sisters the Morris Oxford and Morris Cowley. The Morris Isis is the even bigger sister of the Morris Oxford.

Built in 1957. with the very reliable and widely used BMC C series 2. 39cc engine shared with for example the big Austin Healeys. the Isis was intended for larger families and very interestingly has the gear stick and handbrake to the right of the drivers seat so that Morris was able to claim a seat in the middle where a gear stick is more commonly found. Hence this is a 6 seater car.

The mileage is recorded as 53. 24. and I believe this to be entirely genuine based on the history documents that I hold for the car. including most of the previous MOT certificates. tax discs. original registration douments and previous sale histories including being sold at the famous Christies Auctions. The mileage may increase slightly as Phoebe is taken out for short runs.

I have owned Phoebe for just over 5 years. She was in a sorry state when I found her but over the last 5 years. I have put a lot of time. effort and money into restoring the car and putting it back to its original specification. which is mostly done bar relatively minor details.

Phoebe had a bare metal re-spray about 2 years ago. where any bodywork faults and corrosion was dealt with. so she should provide some years of trouble free use as far as the bodywork goes. Since then Phoebe has been dry stored in a modern garage. As part of the restoration process. the engine was removed and repainted. the engine mounting points were renewed. the engine bay was repainted and the nearside side sill was replaced. Additionally. the dashboard and wheels were also repainted at the same time. I have also had the headlining replaced.

Mechanically. Phoebe has had many new parts as well. including dynamo. voltage regulator. battery. wiring loom. HT leads. water pump. fan belt. contact points. fuel pump. fuel tank guage seal. door seals (of which one remains to be fitted). chromed bonnet and boot hinges. bonnet release cable. blower cable. used front bumper and various pieces of used chrome work.

I've done my bit in bringing this car back to life and restoring and maintaining an important piece of national automotive history. Sadly. due to present work and personal circumstances. I am just not getting enough use from Phoebe and she needs to be in the hands of someone who can give her the time that I am unable to do. As always with a classic car. there is more that can be done to improve the car. and I could cite examples such as the front bumper that would benefit from re-chroming. as would several of the smaller pieces of chrome work.  The clock has not run during my ownership. and whilst the fuel guage and oil pressure guage work perfectly. the voltage guage and temperature gauges do not. probably due to dirty earth contacts. Likewise the small side lights probably just need the earth point cleaning up. There are various small replacements parts that I have that could be fitted (such as carpet trim edging and an interior light) so things to tinker with. but none of which has a material effect on the car's operation. I have left the interior as original. because I like the look and smell of classic car original well worn interiors. The stitching on a couple of short sections of seams on the front seat has come away. so some who prefer posh new interiors could optionally choose to have the seats re-upholstered and carpets replaced.

The car will come with lots of spare parts. nbsp;original Morris engineer's workshop manual. parts list. operation manual. original adverts. historical documents. not to mention the original starter handle (which will actually start the car). jack and wheel brace. The car has 5 excellent tyres.

Phoebe has been shown several times. including at the Cowley Classic Car show. and she always draws a lot of interest.

So what am I looking for? I am only looking to recover a chunk of the money I have spent on the car and that is reflected in what I regard as the very reasonable reserve price.  The car sells itself. with its beautiful Issigonis lines. classic 1950s rear fins. chromework and two tone colour scheme.

What I don't want are tyre kickers. time wasters. and people just wanting to come and have a look at a piece of automotive history. I don't have time for any of that. You are bidding to buy the car. If you wish to inspect the car. this must be done before the auction closes.

Phoebe is an old car. almost 60 years old. and as such she is to be respected. driven gently and of course she comes with risks of breakdown as all old cars do and because of this. Phoebe will be sold as seen with all faults and without warranty implied or given. in the full context of what that means.  As an old car. Phoebe is not perfect. Please do not come expecting to find a mint condition brand new car. or you will end up disappointed. I have tried to be very honest about the car. and this link to my YouTube video of the car may also be of some assistance:

Also published at eBay.co.uk

Want to buy this car?