eet Moggy, my 1956 Morris Oxford. Moggy was my first car, bought when I was 19; quite a jump up from the slightly dodgy, rusting Toyota shared with my sister and belonging to my parents!

A view of Moggy and Mount Taranaki, from my previous house's driveway

The purchase was made in 1995. It was, in fact, for sale a year or so earlier. I went to look at it then and I wanted it, but my Mum and Dad didn't entertain the idea so enthusiastically; I was living at home, and what they said, went. In hindsight, it was probably better that I waited anyway.

Moggy in 1995, outside 45 Tancred Street, Christchurch

When I bought it, Moggy had only 54,000 miles on the clock by two owners; the first owner had it until 1994, the second had it for less than a year.
The second owner was, in fact, one of my science teachers at school. He owned a green Oxford which I noticed in the staff carpark. It stood out from the mundane modern cars along with my music teacher's Wolseley 4/44 and my physics teacher's Austin Cambridge.

Moggy was in lovely original condition when I bought it and it still is, apart from the odd scratch on the paint (Shay's handlebars...) and the paint is now thin in places from years of polishing.

To buy and drive a car like this in perfect condition was and still is a treat. Reliable, cheerful, characterful, a car big enough to fit your friends in (7 people at a squeeze) and go cool places.
Now I wanted another one to restore and drive too so I wouldn't wear Moggy out.

As it turned out, I was offered a 1954 Morris Cowley instead...

The April 1995 edition of New Zealand Classic Car magazine featured Moggy (and Oxcart) although that was before I owned either.

The alpine Oxford

Here's Moggy at Cass Field Station, Southern Alps, South Island, New Zealand

Moggy has only needed routine maintainence over the years, and the only 'highlights' (that I can remember) have been:

pre-2002

2002

2004

2005

2006

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