Trans-Moggie-fication

When Chris Street starts talking about Morris Minors his eyes light up with a passion writes Steve Sharpe.

His workshop - a shed resembling an old barn and a small forecourt - nestles away from the main Wells to Bristol road.

And on the forecourt sit the hulks of cars ranging from a shy old Morris Minor to a brash but fading MG.

Chris Street is the CS in CS Autoclassics. He and an assistant specialise in repairing, renovating and rejuvenating Morris Minors. As he says so himself: "A career in old cars is not a twopenny-halfpenny money earner any more.

"Classic cars are moving into the future. The Bugatti Royale which sold for £11m in the States set something of a precedent. And classic car prices moved quicker than house prices last year. It's a good investment, and that's why people are spending money on the lowly Morris Minor," he explained.

His philosophy is that despite today's "use­it-and-throw-it" attitude many people would rather spend money on restoring an old car than spend an equivalent amount on a brand new one.

"People would rather drive something individual," he says.

His love-affair with cars began when he prepared them for rallying as a member of the Royal Navy Car Club. He has been involved with Morris Minors for more than 20 years.

Chris joined the Navy when he was 15, which enabled him to receive an excellent apprenticeship in a variety of qualifications.

He left after the Falklands campaign in 1982, and after working initially at a Chantry engineering firm, he set up Autotech in Wells.

"I wanted to start my own business but didn't want to go back into management, although I am qualified in mechanics and aeronautics. I really wanted to go into something associated with classic cars."

He soon came into contact with Geoff Moore of AD Engineering, who was working on improving the Morris Minor's braking and suspension system.

Working in conjunction with the Morris Minor Centre in Bath, he assisted in the development of the Series III, a new system to update the old brake and suspension systems of the Minor.

The prototype for the improved system - a traveller with the registration number WAH 793H - was written up with rave reviews in motor magazine Autocar, but Chris says he did not receive any acclaim for his part.

While working on getting the Series III ready for general production he learned that AD Engineering was being wound up. But he carried on himself and has since moved up a gear to the Series IV, an Improvement on the system.

Chris feels that the Series IV will bring the Morris Minor - or "Moggie" to those on first name terms - up to the standard expected for today's gruelling motoring. He aims to negate the inherent weaknesses built into the standard Morris, especially the brakes and suspension.

Although his main love is the humble Minor, Chris does work on more prestigious cars, including Rolls Royces, BMWs, Mercedes and MGs. He has repaired Austin A35s, A40s, Austin Healey Sprites. He often has to construct parts for the rarer vehicles because they're not readily available.

He owns about ten Moggies at the moment, in various states of renovation, and also repairs and improves for other people. He often cannibalises Morris Marinas for their innards and accessories, but often goes for unrelated vehicles for new seats and other parts.

Chris does have a very special car he calls his own. A Mercedes Special - a stunning and sparkling motor of which he is justifiably proud - is kept behind closed doors.

One Mr Hemmingway of the United Nations owned the pale green car, and took it all over the world with him. It came into Chris' hands via a local lady.

Business is looking up for CS autoclassics. He advertises in the motoring press and the owners' club magazine but gets a lot of custom through the mechanic's best friend - the grapevine.

Chris said that a good showing - he displays cars around the country's motor shows - can provide up to £50,000 of work.

In his own words, an 'old dog' - a 'rust-bucket', 'heap' or 'pile of junk' to the layman - can be transformed into pristine condition in three months, but it can cost around £12,000 to build up a project from scratch.

The following the Minor has can be gauged by the fact that the membership of the owners' club hovers around the 10,000 member mark.

In complete contrast, Chris is a member of both the Morris Minor Owners' Club and the Mercedes Owners' Club.

In the future he hopes to bring the Morris Minor into the new age, creating a niche in the sporting field. Chris wants the Morris to take the sport of classic car rallying by storm - the car has already had some success in its class of rallying.

Chris Street is a man who obviously loves his work. He talks about each project as an individual, each vehicle as a part-animated entity. Although he works on other cars it is obvious where his true devotion lies.

He feels that the 'classic' car is making a deserved comeback. And if a lowly Morris Minor - its shape a throwback to the era of The Beatles and the bubble car - can be restored to its former condition but with all the comforts offered by a modern production line vehicle, who's to disagree?

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