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The only modern equivalent of the original concept is the current Ford Ka. Simple, no frills, low cost / high fun motoring.
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The only modern equivalent of the original concept is the current Ford Ka. Simple no frills low cost / high fun motoring.
Ah yes, and you've even got the rust :)
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Yeah .....a bit.......s'pose :-(
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And the Ka even had a pushrod engine with its roots in the 1950's until quite recently, although at least Ford didn't make you go to the aftermarket for the 5 speed gearbox claiming it was "technically impossible".
My first car was a 1976 Mini 850, and yes it was noisy, uncomfortable, slow, tiring, spartan, rusty, mechanically unreliable, a total pig to work on, and had no brakes worthy of the name. But the cars I've driven since that planted anything like the same grin on my face had Lotus and Cosworth badges on the back. That direct steering and bobbly ride, the hairtrigger throttle response and the sheer agility of the thing. I haven't driven a Mini for years, but I suspect I'd still enjoy it today. And yes, it always amazed people how much space was inside it, although in 850 trim, it was pedestrian to the point of "are we going to make it up this hill?" when loaded four-up.
My sister has an early 1997 Ka 1.3 and I get the same feeling when driving it. Kart-like handling, an engine which hides its lack of power with surprising mid range zip, and the ability to make 60 mph on a good B-road feel heroic as you play with its balance on the throttle and superbly weighted steering! The Ka simply adds refinement and the ability to tackle a motorway without breaking out the earplugs.
Take legal and marketing departments out of the equation and the BMW version is no more relevant to the discussion than a 5 series. A completely different car for completely different buyers.
Cheers
DP
Edited by DP on 15/01/2008 at 08:41
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The only modern equivalent of the original concept is the current Ford Ka. Simple no frills low cost / high fun motoring.
The BMC Mini was space utilisation like we've never see before, or since. See one next to a BMW Mini and you realise just how well the space was used. The Ka is just a fashion exercise on a Fiesta platform.
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Not denying the design led roots of the Ka, RT. Just suggesting that its raw concept is based on providing a pragmatic and utilitarian transport solution which bears comparison with the original Mini. Much more so in fact than its namesake successor.
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"pragmatic and utilitarian transport" could have been acheived by putting Fiesta mk1 back into production although I'll accept that Ka is much nearer the spirit of BMC Mini than BMW Mini, I never got the point of that.
Incidently, I saw my first BMW Clubman recently - they just look hideous - calling it Clubman whose naming rights they have, rather than Traveller is just taking the mickey.
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The mini most of us know was compromised in space efficiency. The mini as it rolled off the line in the late 50's wasn't.
The huge door pockets gave you masses of elbow room and storage space, thanks to the sliding windows and pull string door opener. Brilliant. - Lost of course to wind-up windows, door cards and fancy door opening links.
The single speedo in the centre with the full width and deep shelf underneath. - Gone in later minis
The space under the rear seat and front seats. - large enough for a suitcase in the back - gone in later mini's replaced by fancy seats.
The boot lid with its swing down number plate so you strap loads of stuff on it and in it andf still be legal - Gone in later minis.
You could really take 4 people and their luggage (with some thought to distributing it around the car) on a holiday. Stunning design and attention to detail far beyond its time.
All lost along the lifetime of the mini. I remember my first holiday in a mini. It was 1964, I was 10 the car was 4. To my young eyes this felt modern, fresh and clever. To my old eyes a 1960 mini still looks fresh and young and clever. It turned into a cramped and overweight imitation of itself.
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I bought my first car in 1976. It was a 1968 Wolseley Hornet. For those who don't remember them they were the sort of nerdy / WI version of the Mini with a silly wee boot grafted on the back. Good kit though including leather interior and wood dash etc.
I had set my heart on a "proper" Mini which was cool, but my Dad persuaded me to have the Hornet as it was a lot cheaper, being deeply unfashionable. I like to think it was "character building" as I tooled about in my Noddy car while all my mates had motorbikes and lairy Escorts ( bendy aerial compulsory) and the like. The wee car was actually a hoot to drive in the way of all early Minis or Mini derived vehicles. It just didn't really cut it in the testosterone laden mind of a seventeen year old. It was fairly quickly replaced with a really dishevelled Triumph Spitfire which was much loved but taught me hard early lessons in the economics of car ownership. That was replaced by a Mk1 Escort which I still maintain was the car I really learned to "drive" in. Anyway, 36 cars later I can now look back with great fondness on the little Wolseley and sort of wish I still had it for a toy.
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>The mini most of us know was compromised in space efficiency. The mini as it rolled off >the line in the late 50's wasn't
I drove a new style mini recently and was surprised how cramped it was inside. The most annoying thing was my head touched the roof which it never did in the original! No way could I live with one but an original Cooper for weekends would be great!
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I have had two. Nobody's mentioned its ability in the snow. A few times I got home when many others were floundering and awaiting a tow truck or to pluck up the enrgy to walk.
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"I remember my first holiday in a mini. It was 1964, I was 10 the car was 4. To my young eyes this felt modern, fresh and clever. To my old eyes a 1960 mini still looks fresh and young and clever"
Absolutely spot on AE. Mate won £500 on premium bonds in 1966(ish) and bought a brand new (basic) Mini - off we went to Spain for camping holiday with 2 other mates in a MG Midget for a month. We took almost all of their "gear" in the Mini along with ours. Fantastic holiday, fantastic little car, never missed a beat.
Only 40 years ago? Seems like yesterday!
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The only modern equivalent of the original concept is the current Ford Ka. Simple no
frills low cost / high fun motoring.
What about the new Tata cheap car? Who knows if it'll be fun to drive but the use of interior space is impressive. It's got the thinnest seats since a 1950s car!
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Maybe Gareth Maybe. The proof of the Tata pudding, should it make it to these shores, will be whether the back seat is accomodating enough to facilitate....er... recreational activity........this I seem to recall ( being told ) was always the acid test of.....um.....entry level cars ;-)
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Maybe Gareth Maybe. The proof of the Tata pudding should it make it to these shores will be whether the back seat is accomodating enough to facilitate....er... recreational activity........this I seem to recall ( being told ) was always the acid test of.....um.....entry level cars
;-)
I'm sure that won't be an issue. If you can persuade a girl to come for a drive in one, the rest should be easy by comparison.
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>>It was a 1968 Wolseley Hornet.>>
My great uncle had one, his was slightly earlier, I reckon around '65, 'C' reg I think, it and the almost identical Riley Elf were the most refined variant of the Mini.
I had a '68 Beetle, would have prefered a Hornet any day, hindsight and all that.
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Yes - but at least a Beetle was quite sort of cool in its day. Trying to be a teen macho in a Hornet was a tough call !
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My great uncle had one his was slightly earlier I reckon around '65 'C' reg
I think it and the almost identical Riley Elf were the most refined variant of
the Mini.>>
IIRC, there was an 'even more refined' variant under the Van Den Plas badge?
An old girlfriend inherited a Hornet which rusted away before her eyes.
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IIRC there was an 'even more refined' variant under the Van Den Plas badge?>>
Mmm ... I can't find any reference to this by Googling - maybe I dreamt it! There were VdP Allegros - a classic example of attempting to polish a turd!
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My Dad had a Van Den Plas Princess 1300 auto as his retirement present to himself ( the forerunner of the Allegro ) It was coincidentally a rather odd shade of brown !
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thats was the Austin 1100 variant tho wasnt it?
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