Speaking as a 6'2" individual I had no problem in a Mini (Countryman - the wood structure was strictly decorative compared to Morris Minor)
In those days more shopping was local and just-in-time. A walk of half a mile or so would have gotten you to grocer or to butcher. You could argue larger cars made supermarkets more viable and therefore helped the decline of local shops making larger cars more desirable. Though I remember a visit when my mum took me and my brother with her shopping at Sainsburys and next door Bejam and fitting the provisions easily into a Hillman Husky.
I'll also suggest it was the Volkswagen Polo that sat alongside the Fiesta in comparison rather than the Golf.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
