THE CAR THAT CHANGED TIFF NEEDELL'S LIFE – THE MORRIS 1000 TRAVELLER
Tiff Needell should be no stranger to Tiff Needell. He's a celebrated British motoring journalist and racing driver, and this is the story of how a Morris 1000 Traveller changed his life.
We all have vivid memories of our first car. And, for petrolheads, those memories can extend even further back to way before we could even think about getting a drivers licence.
For Tiff Needell, there was one car that changed his life forever.
When he got his drivers licence in 1969, he often used his mother's Morris Minor to go out and about. Like any youth who like to be behind the wheel, he enjoyed sliding the little cabbie around corners and roundabouts at every opportunity.
After studying to become a civil engineer, he bought himself a Morris 1000 Traveller. It was rusted in the front wings, not to mention the moss and rot in the woodwork. Regardless, he loved it.
Then, in early 1971, he won a Lotus 69 FF in an Autosport magazine competition, and his world changed forever.
This is the story of how his Morris 1000 Traveller helped Tiff transform from a civil engineer to a racing driver. He competed in all forms of motorsport, making his way through the formulas, racing in the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1980. He competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the British Touring Car championships, British Rallycross and more.
In 1987, he co-hosted BBCs Top Gear and then Fifth Gear. He's featured in numerous TV shows and still contributes to Drive Tribe and Lovecars on YouTube, and even lent his voice to Codemasters TOCA Touring Car video game.
Tiff Needell is an icon of British motoring, and this is the story of how a simple Morris 1000 Traveller got him there.
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