What was the original project code name for the Morris Minor?

The original project code name for the Morris Minor was Mosquito.

The name was chosen during the Second World War by Miles Thomas, Morris Motors’ managing director, for a secret new small-car project led by Alec Issigonis. Keeping the work discreet mattered because the design was unusually advanced and because company founder William Morris, Lord Nuffield, was expected to dislike its unconventional engineering.

The Mosquito was intended to replace the pre-war Morris Eight. Issigonis’s concept emphasized a roomy cabin, compact dimensions, small wheels, rack-and-pinion steering, and independent front suspension. Several ideas were simplified before production, including the proposed flat-four engine, but the resulting car retained the project’s spacious and modern character.

When the production car appeared in 1948, it was marketed as the Morris Minor rather than Mosquito. “Mosquito” is therefore the development codename, not an alternate production name. A common mix-up is confusing it with the later Mini, which Issigonis also designed; the Minor predates the Mini by more than a decade.