Kate Dawson’s Toyota 4K-powered ’56 Morris Oxford is her ride-or-die car. Purchased as a rusty shell so that she had a project to keep her occupied through the COVID lockdowns, the Morris’s build journey saw Kate forging deeper relationships with those who worked alongside her and a desire to encourage others to get involved in the car scene.

First published in the December 2025 issue of Street Machine

How did this Morris come into your life?

Dad and I had recently finished his ’64 EH wagon, and I wanted a distraction from COVID lockdowns. While scrolling on Facebook Marketplace, I found a pair of ’56 Morris Oxfords for $1000. The original owner had recently passed away; I bought them from his family. We were all set to do the six-hour drive to pick them up when we went into lockdown, so I had a Morris shipped down. It rocked up just before my shift at Macca’s – it was the only time I’ve ever been late for work! I was excited to see it, but it was worse than I’d expected. Six months later, we collected the other body. It was great to have the project during lockdowns – if I was bored, or sick, I’d go work on the car.

What needed to be done?

Dad and I fixed the rusty driver’s floor and half the boot, using the donor car for patch panels. Then we did a full respray in Chevy Tropical Turquoise and Camry white. I had chosen the paint before I even found a car! But waiting on parts took the longest – I had to get them from the UK, or India, where they’re known as the Hindustan Ambassador.

You’ve upped the power game as well.

Dad’s a mechanic, so he taught me to rebuild the 1500cc Morris engine. But after the first week, I found it too slow, so we replaced it with a Toyota Corolla 4K 1.3L engine and gearbox. The diff is custom, and it has Nissan Tiida wheels and front discs. The Tiida rims have rivets added so that I could run Moon hubcaps.

Has your Morrie lived up to expectations?

People call it a Morris on steroids. It was never going to be stock. I wanted it to be different, but I didn’t really have a plan; I just wanted a project car and to get it on the road. Now that I have it done, it’s freaking awesome! To me, it represents every late night, early morning, and blood, sweat and tears spent working on it alongside my father. I wouldn’t change that for the world. I’d like to thank him, Mum, my partner Trystan and the rest of my family.

You run Ladies Cruisin’ Classics on the socials, too.

The Morris inspired me to create @ladiescruisinclassics on Insta to help educate people on the basics, like changing globes and wipers, along with showing us having fun in cars. My family has a budget Starlet enduro racer, so I share reels of that, too. If I can help or inspire just one person, then I’m happy.

Girls — wanna be famous? Become an Iron Maiden! Email car details, pics (2MB+) and contact deets to [email protected]. You and your ride could appear in the mag!