Car enthusiasts the world over are celebrating 50 years of the Mini this week – it was this time in 1959 that the little car first entered showrooms.
It’s amazing how quickly a car introduced as an austerity measure, but one which would do away with the “bubble” cars that had sprung up from people like Isetta (it helped save BMW) and Heinkel (made in the UK by Trojan) became a fun car instead. If that hadn’t happened, we would not be celebrating now.
Of course, the car was the brainchild of Alec Issigonis, a brilliant engineer but also one revealed to be quite truculent in his own way, according to “Mini – The Definitive History” by John Pressnell that has been published by Haynes in time for the Mini’s big party.
One of the major problems with the original Mini was that the floor leaked, directly as a result of Issigonis insisting it was constructed the wrong way when the production people planned to do it the right way. It could quite literally have sunk the Mini.
As it was, the car survived and was built up to 2000, giving it a 41 year life. The last car was still as recognisable as the first because the basic shape never changed and BMW, now the masters, revived its shape, albeit it much inflated and stylised, in the new Mini launched in 2001.
Almost 5.4 million original Minis and derivatives were built and the BMW car, produced in the old BMC Mini plant at Cowley, has just passed 1.5 million in eight years. Its cult car status owes much to the fact that big stars such as Peter Sellers and many tuning companies invigorated the Mini in terms of both image and performance.
There was no shortage of people ready to tune the Mini, among them Jan O’Dor, a Hungarian immigrant who founded his own firm, Janspeed, after working first for Daniel Richmond at Downton Engineering. Richmond was the man who actually did much of the engine development for the original Mini Cooper. Janspeed went on to race Minis with some success and also did development work on the 1.6 engine for the first BMW Mini.
These days, says current Janspeed boss Mark Vaughan, the latest BMW is much easier to tune thanks to the switch to turbochargers in place of the previous supercharger and he’ll happily help you wring more from your Mini.
The current car – I’ve just been driving the latest Cooper S convertible – is highly amusing and makes a great drop top, far better than the folding hardtops on rivals if only because a huge amount of metal roof isn’t suddenly dropped over or behind the rear wheels when the car is open.
The Mini uses a folding soft top which is actually a very elegant solution, even though rear visibility is much compromised. The front section can be slid back like a sunroof, leaving the side rails in place, or the whole roof can be lowered electrically to sit on the rear parcel shelf, where it looks like a pram hood. Its value is that it’s not heavy.
Even better, the Cooper S gets a 175 bhp, version of the 1.6 petrol engine jointly developed with Peugeot so the car has a 138 mph top sped and 7.4 second 0-62 mph time. It’s quick and makes the car really good fun to drive yet, at the same time, it’s reasonably parsimonious with its 34 mpg average. For some reason, Peugeot doesn’t offer this engine in its own, much heavier, 308 CC.
The big drawback of the Mini, of course, is that it’s not a true four seater and the boot is minimalist, too. But it’s the type of fun car that’s bought by singles or couples who might otherwise look at a two seater such as the Mazda MX-5.
Hood up, the Mini Convertible feels rigid and even when it’s down the shake is not too bad. It’s the complete opposite of what I would want in my own car but that’s why it appeals. Younger people would find it an instant hit, despite the £19,000 price tag, while oldies would do well to have one instead of getting back on motorbikes. The Mini, after all, won’t let them wobble into the nearest hedge!
Maurice Hardy
They reckon that everyone in my motoring generation has been touched by the Mini in their lives, most likely through owing one.
But we have never actually bought a Mini, although we did briefly own one in 1986 after we won it in a draw organised by Heinz, who were giving away a car a day for 100 days. It went to my parents, as we already had at least one new car a week thanks to this job, and they enjoyed it immensely as it was their first new car.
Modern Minis did not make in initial good impression with me - the first we had in 2001 alarmed me as a drove to town because there was a knocking noise on the roof. It was the windscreen trim flapping about – and one of the wheel arch extensions fell off, too.
The current Mini is far better. The engines are a vast improvement on the originals sourced from South America and the BMW / Peugeot unit in our Mini Cooper S convertible was impressive.
In fact the whole car was spot on, if not a little expensive. There were some follies, like a meter to show how long you have had the roof open to enjoy the sun – all very well, except it blocks a fascia vent that’s much needed when the roof’s closed. A case of style over substance, no doubt, but isn’t that really what the Mini has always been about?
Annette Hardy
Car: Mini Cooper S Convertible
Does it fit your ego?...
0-62 mph: 7.4 secs
Top speed: 138 mph
Bhp: 175 @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 177 lb ft @ 1600 - 5000 rpm
...and your wallet?...
Price: £19,000
Urban: 34.9 mpg
Extra urban: 52.3 mpg
Combined: 44.1 mpg
CO2 emissions: 170 g/km
Insurance Group: 16
Best bits: fun; fast; frugal.
