Oxford Bus and Morris Motors Museums

On Sunday 2 August we shall be holding a special event at the museum, when we shall have lots of visiting coaches and buses from the 1950s and 1960s. We shall try to recreate the atmosphere in Gloucester Green Coach Station in its heyday.

At the end of May the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a temporary reduction in the VAT rate on museum admission charges from 20% to 5% until 31 August, and we have therefore reduced our entrance fees for the period.

The Morris Bullnose Club visited the museum on 10 May. It brought a fine collection of 20 Morris vehicles, most of which were Bullnoses.

The first five vehicles to arrive.

From the left they date from 1924, 1928, 1924, 1926 and 1926. All the cars in the lineup are bullnoses and were built in the Cowley factory. William Morris reluctantly dropped the distinctive radiator design in 1926 because, as car engines became more powerful, they needed more cooling, which the bullnose design could not provide.

1928 Morris Commercial light ton van, PX 9155 The 1928 Morris Commercial light ton van in the picture, PX 9155, is a rare survivor. Only four are known to be in preservation in the UK out of just over 3,000 that were made by William Morris at his Soho Works in Birmingham between 1926 and 1930.

PX 91255 was first sold to EW White Funeral Directors of Chichester. It was originally painted yellow, which seems an odd colour for a hearse. The van’s current owner thinks that it may have been used for transporting wood and completed coffins rather than at funeral services!

Matt Harris acquired the vehicle in 2023 and takes it to shows and classic car runs. It is insured for any driver over 25. Matt allows young people to drive it hoping that they will get interested in old cars. He keeps restoration to a minimum to preserve original features. However, the van now has a starting motor, so the starting handle is seldom used.

Some of the 60 members of the Morris Bullnose Club went round the museum and enjoyed it. We provided tea, coffee and biscuits in the back of the café for the party. The visit was a great success, and they are considering returning for their next Annual General Meeting!