| Back in 1978 I had already been in the Morris Minor business for some time. By then I was engaged in all aspects of the business: service, repair, restoration, modification, invention, design, manufacturing and importing. Now I was in need of a tow truck. I didn't really want to buy some old tow rig. What was really needed was something that was effective, practical and a Morris. The problem was that if I built a Morris tow truck it would be cute as the dickens but way too small to do the job. Having been in the trucking business for some time prior to starting Morriservice, I knew that the only configuration capable of hauling more than its own weight would be a semi truck trailer rig. That's how the Morriservice Semi came to be. I built a new aft section for the truck frame and mounted a 5th wheel. I built the trailer 18 feet long mostly to keep the rig in perspective. Morris cars are only a little over 12 feet long. The whole rig worked out to about 5/8 scale of a full size semi. It was highly successful. Grossing 5000 pounds it ran down the road at just about the same speed as the big guys. It would carry the hills at about the same rate also. They'd slow down some and start shifting down and so would I. It was loads of fun and a very efficient little hauler. Everyone seemed to love it, thumbs up from groups of bikers, smiles and looks from just about everyone else. It was the subject of many magazine articles here and abroad. It was featured on television news and in a commercial aired in England. I enjoyed that little truck for nearly 70,000 miles. BW |
 |