Rover Mini - Import minis and poor old Rover dwindling..

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Tue 27 Sep 2016 01:34
Rover Mini - Import minis and poor old Rover dwindling.. - Metropolis.

Was having a nostalgic (and concerned) window shop through the Rover section on auto trader. The numbers really are dwindling..

Anyhow I came across a Jap spec Rover mini. Its a grey import, and they've somehow fitted aircon into it as well as being automatic. Anyone else a bit impressed at the packaging?!

Hopefully the link below works.

www.google.co.uk/search?q=jap+spec+mini&source...A

I'd be interested to see how these held up in Japanese temperatures, aircon on and family of 5 + luggage...

Edited by PCharlton on 27/09/2016 at 01:35

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Tue 27 Sep 2016 07:15
Rover Mini - Import minis and poor old Rover dwindling.. - S40 Man

I used to live in Japan (1996} and there were a few old minis around then. Nearly all were LHD? Something about making the car look more foreign. I did point out that this is an English car so can be made RHD. But she where they came from.

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Tue 27 Sep 2016 15:42
Rover Mini - Import minis and poor old Rover dwindling.. - Metropolis.

Thats interesting, the ones I have seen are all RHD but then again I haven't lived in Japan. I also find it striking how well the Japanese seem to take care of their cars, I'm sure the importers pick the best of the bunch but they really are pristine. Couple of examples:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160917785...5

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160917785...4

Edited by PCharlton on 27/09/2016 at 15:42

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Tue 27 Sep 2016 23:46
Rover Mini - Import minis and poor old Rover dwindling.. - S40 Man

www.japancardirect.com/jdm-vehicles/left-hand-driv.../

This gives a bit of info on LHD in Japan. No one would reimport an LHD back to UK though so you wouldn't see one or know about it.

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Tue 27 Sep 2016 23:59
Rover Mini - Import minis and poor old Rover dwindling.. - gordonbennet

I was very tempted by one particular Merc W124 E500, V8 W124's are LHD only, ex Japan, one particular London based importer brings a few of these in now and again, it was a lovely example and at the time, about 3 years ago priced very well, much less than being asked now for cars in nothing like that condition.

No salt in Japan and quite often in their adverts you see high quality pics of vehicle undersides, something you never see in a Brit advert, invariably the cars even at 10/15+ years old are still virtually as new underneath.

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