The Old Mini.

[tonyav]

Have you ever owned one ?, was it your first car. Or did you learn to drive in one. Some interesting pic's here from Italy !.


http://cars.uk.msn.com/features/international-mini-meeting-2013-we-sample-some-mini-mania#image=1

[Cloverjo]

I've had two minis. They were my first two cars. I loved them. Both black. One was a mini Sprite. I changed to a 4 door car when my son was getting bigger and I had to drive him and his friends around. my son drives his own car now, but I'm still with a 4 door. I would love to get a mini again. I have a bashed up Polo, which I love, but hanker after a mini again.

[Hopkirk]

My brother is very tall, his height mostly being in his legs.

He tried to drive a mini once, but could only do so with the right indicator on.

[tonyav]

One of my mates from my teenage years used to own a very early Mini, the engine stabiliser bar ( left, top on the engine. from engine block to bulkhead) had worn and every time that he accelerated the gearstick would half disappear into the floor and then reappear when he took his foot off the accelerator !. LOL, the bloody things that we drove around in.

[Quoi]

My first mini was a 1968 van - i am a bit tall so i had to duck a bit to see out of the window properly. My knees were bent so far that it got in the way of the gear change.
I remember driving at 20 mph with 4 workmates in the back - they were soaked in condensation by the time we got there haha

[flump1]

Tony, this brings back memories ! I had a mini and as is the wont with ladies , I named my cars. The mini was called Hilda..the heap.! Every now and then, the handbrake could be lifted onto the passenger seat but boy I loved that car !

[tonyav]

Yes Quoi, the things that you could fit or make fit into those old Mini vans, used to be thousands of them and those old Ford Escort vans around.

[SpikeyBush]

When I was looking for a car when I first got my licence at 17, the first car I looked at was a 1978 Mini Clubman Estate. It was a beautiful car, lovely condition and had all the bells and whistles you could expect from a top of the range Mini of that era (ie velour seats and an 8-track) however I'm rather tall and couldn't get comfortable in it and therefore ended up getting a Vauxhall Viva instead.

[Answerprancer]

Never owned one but been in many including a friend's Cooper S Innocenti which went (as J Clarkson described the Ford Puma) "like a small dog that's been drop-kicked by Rob Andrew"!
I saw lots of BMW minis at Brands Hatch a couple of weeks ago and gave due homage to the only 'real' mini and its driver.

[belrec]

My dad used to race mini's against Hilman Imps (remember them?) and I have a pic of me at a Silverstone track day at about one yr.

My brother who is 6'5'' had a whole bunch of them a loved them too.

I had three, my first was a clubman (not the estate) bright orange :-)

The second was the classic style cute little round bottom and fantastic on corners, used to terrorise the Berkshire countryside a bit.

third was a really beat up old thing but still made it everywhere.

I used to just go for a drive just for the love of it.

Such classic cars it is a shame they aren't still made and no matter what anyone says the BMW Mini is really not...

[Amus1]

We have an '83 mini, automatic. (lol 10 inch wheels- as larger whels were introduced later. So avoid speed bumps!) Lovely car! It's going to take part in the Blackpool mini run this year in June!

[jg96]

In 1989 got a new job with a company car we traded in my Mk 4 Cortina for a 1983 Mini Mayfair for my wife to use. Ran it for a few years and then around 8 years later I spotted A 843 TDM on a hospital car park in Wimbledon I was working at and we live in Lancashire!!