To mark the 50th anniversary of the Mini, we met up with a posse of Mini enthusiasts and got them to tell us all about their cars, and to recount some of their favourite Mini stories

Officially launched on August 26, 1959, the Mini — initially known as the Mini Se7en — would change the face of the motor industry forever through its innovative design and clever packaging. Although the Mini had originally been designed by Alex Issigonis as an everyman’s car, it soon transcended its roots — becoming a popular choice for royalty, film and pop stars. As well, due to its inherently good handling and performance — which would lead to notable motor sport successes — the Mini also found favour with racing drivers; Bruce McLaren was one of the first Kiwi motor sport stars to endorse the car.

The Mini first appeared on our shores only three months after its UK debut and, in CKD form, its cost at the time of the New Zealand launch was $1340.

The Mini remained largely unchanged, in continuous production until 2000 and, of course, the name is still with us today in the form of the BMW Mini.

Mike and Jan Bates: 1977 Mini 1000 and 1995 Rover Cooper

My enjoyment of Minis started as a teenager learning to drive his brother’s Austin Mini 850, and my first car was a brand-new red Mini 1000 bought in 1970 for the sum of $2100, including a push button radio. That Mini was later fitted with a tow bar so I could ferry my go-kart to the track.

The car was sold in 1974 in favour of a larger, Japanese model. Later a change of job made it necessary for me to find a second mode of transport. After being knocked off two motorbikes (not my fault — and both on the same intersection) it was decided a car might be a better option.

The obvious choice was a Mini (because money was very tight after buying a house — and Minis are economical). I purchased a 1971 Mini K which Jan and I would own for just over 20 years. Over that period the Mini was reincarnated several times, changing from its original mustard colour to bold-as-brass yellow then Iseki tractor Blue, before we finally settled on bright red. Much tinkering and modifying was done under the bonnet, and the neighbours commented that it was a good early morning alarm clock.

With three teenagers in the family, it was time to replace the Mini with another larger car. This period saw a long gap in Mini ownership while we helped our family through university — although our interest in motor sport and cars didn’t diminish.

It was by chance that interest in Minis was rekindled after being a passenger with Bruce Carter in his Super Mini during some very quick laps around Pukekohe raceway. That’s when the bug struck again.

Luckily, a neighbour had a Mini sitting in his garage. The car was bought for $200 with the intention of getting it back on the road. Work hadn’t progressed very far when an advert was spotted for a Mini 1000 at Tuakau. It was an original 1977 model with only 52,000km on the clock, and only two previous owners. Jan named our new addition ‘Baby Blue’ and it became her special car.

About this time we joined the Mini Car Club of Auckland, and now had a working Mini with which to participate in club events.

I then decided I’d like a Mini Clubman 1275GT as a project car. One was spotted on the club website for sale in Paeroa. On inspection the engine wouldn’t go, and the interior was in serious need of work. But a big plus was that the Mini’s body was in good condition, with an excellent paint job. The original project Mini was stripped for parts and discarded — and the GT project began.

It took 18 months to complete but the car is now finished, and the family named it ‘Merlin’ (‘runs like magic’ — a joke because it wasn’t going!).

Now, with Baby Blue and Merlin in the garage, I wanted to fulfil a teenage dream of owning a genuine, British Racing Green Mini Cooper and, after 18 months of searching, one was found in Palmerston North. After some initial phone negotiations, I boarded an early flight and by 8:45am was driving the Mini home.

So, by the end of 2007, we had three Minis in the garage. I fitted a Sport Pak option along with other refinements to the 1995 Rover Mini Cooper over winter 2008 — and there’s still room in the garage for one more Mini; we’ll see.

Our involvement in the Mini Car Club of Auckland has continued, and I am now on the club committee. Minis are fun cars, and we have made a lot of friends and been to many new places.

Minis have personalities, and people smile and wave as you drive past — especially children. Everyone seems to have a Mini story, or knows someone who drove one.

Les Gubb: 1977 Mini Clubman

My Morris Mini Clubman estate was first registered in Papakura on September 16, 1977. I bought the car in July, 1989, and stared a full restoration on it in October, 1997, during which the Mini was repainted in its original colours, complete with side stripes. Upgrades include a standard MG Metro 1275cc powerplant, unleaded head, standard transmission, with a 2.95 diff ratio which brings engine revs down to 3100rpm per 100kph.

Other upgrades include 213mm front discs — donated by a 1988 Mini Mayfair — 12-inch alloy wheels (from a 1985 Mini ‘Ritz’) and a brake master cylinder and brake taken from a 1994 Rover Mini. Many interior parts were lifted from a 1994 Rover Mini Sprite (the first year that Rover seats were fitted in a Mini). The steering wheel and walnut dash are standard items for mid ’90s Minis.

I set the car up purposely for highway driving, and it is a pleasure to drive on long trips. I have attended most National Mini Meets, including the two meets run by the Canterbury Mini Club.

After each of them, I toured the South Island as far as Bluff and the West Coast. I have also taken part in many weekend trips put on by the Mini Car Club of Auckland and other clubs, especially the Kapiti Coast Club. The Mini’s last trip was to the Wairarapa in January this year.

The car is a joy to drive and very reliable — over the last 12 years I have had only one major problem, when a shim in the differential unit disintegrated.

Mini Memories

I bought my first Mini from Ivan Findlays, the Papakura-based Morris dealer, on December 14, 1961. It was a late 1960 Morris Mini-Minor, painted blue, with 10,000 miles (1609km) on the clock and it set me back £670. It was a great little car, especially as Minis were all the rage back in those days.

I have many Mini memories but I especially recall one year when the Sheppard brothers had plotted the Hepolite Rally. John Sheppard was in the lead car, and Barry Sheppard and I were in trail car, following the rally through. The weather was atrocious and we had to cancel one of the stages in the Central North island. About 2 or 3am, we were racing down a very muddy, loose metal road in the pouring rain and hit a mud puddle about the size of a football field.

Barry yelled at me — “Don’t stop or slow down. Plant your foot and keep going whatever you do or we’ll be stuck here all night.”

Trouble was, the windscreen and the headlights were now covered in mud and we couldn’t see a thing. Luckily we got through, and although the rain subsequently washed some of the mud off, the poor car was coated in the stuff.

We got back to the Auckland railway station at around 5pm on Sunday. We had left after the last car out on Saturday lunchtime, so it had been a harrowing 30 hours of driving. But still, it was a great experience.

Another year we entered the Hastings Blossom Rally, which started in Taupo. It was an overnight event, and the route took in most of the mountains in the area. There were no nice roads in those days. I was supposed to be navigating but was as sick as a dog. It wasn’t until we got down towards Napier that John mentioned we had been without brakes for the last two hours. The old Mini 850, with its single leading brake shoes, had suffered terminal fade way back and John had been forced to use the gears for braking.

In 1965 I bought my only new car, a Morris Cooper, from Dominion Motors in Newmarket. It was the days when overseas funds were required to make a new car purchase, and it was strange sitting in the sales office at Dominion Motors while the salesman asked me what colour I wanted.

“You mean, I have a choice?” I asked.

In those days, cars were so hard to come by that you had to take what you could get — no choice of colours at all.

“Sure,” he said.

“Oh! In that case, I will go for almond green, with Old English on the roof.” I also ticked the box for a Porcelain Green interior.

I had to wait five months, but it was a treat to actually drive a new car out of the Broadway showroom. It was a great little car. At about the same time, Barry Sheppard ordered a grey and white 970cc Cooper S, while his brother, John, ordered a red and black Cooper. At the same time another friend, Russell Wilson, ordered a cream-coloured 1275cc Cooper S. That year we all entered the Wills Six Hour race at Pukekohe — and won the team prize. It was a proud moment, and pleased Dominion Motors no end.

However, it very nearly didn’t happen as Russell’s Mini had developed a fuel leak. As part of the pit crew, I found that the ‘T’ fuel pipe between the Cooper’s twin carburettors had ruptured. The Pit Marshal came and wanted Russell to get out of pit lane, but I managed to rummage through John Sheppard’s parts box and found a spare ‘T’ that would do the trick. We had Russell back in the race with only moments to spare before the Pit Marshal ejected us from the pits.

Graham Crispe — 1967 Moke

Originally this Moke was sold as a New Zealand-new car by Dominion Motors of Auckland to a market gardening family in Patumahoe, South Auckland, in 1967 — the Moke has remained in the local community ever since. In the early ’80s it was sold to a neighbour, but soon became rather neglected and was subsequently left stationary in a paddock for many years.

After I persuaded the neglectful neighbour to swap the Moke for pair of car speakers, the patch of potatoes growing throughout the floor was removed, a new battery installed and, with the addition of some fresh petrol, the Moke was fired up and driven to its new home. At that time it was quite a basket case, but a moderate restoration was carried out and the vehicle was returned to the road, and used as my workshop hack until 1998. At that time I began a major restoration on the Moke.

The entire project was nearly binned after initial sandblasting of the car’s body — I discovered more holes than a kitchen sieve!

An extensive body panel and paint was carried out by a local business, while the remainder of the rebuild I carried out by myself. Soon the Moke was ready for the road once again, now sporting a new motor assembled by a good friend. The original 850cc motor had been replaced with a 998cc motor with a few Cooper modifications to make the vehicle a little more lively.

Mini Moke History

The word ‘Moke’ was taken from the Mexican name for a donkey. BMC’s designation for the Moke was actually ‘Buckboard’, and the first example was produced in Britain in 1964. The Moke was originally developed with an eye to military applications, but its small wheels and minimal ground clearance proved to be their downfall for military use. However, the Moke soon developed a following throughout the ’60s and ’70s after it featured in several movies — most notably in Patrick McGoohan’s cult TV series, The Prisoner.

Australia undertook production of the Moke from 1966 to 1981, with later models featuring 12-inch wheels and 1275cc engines.

It is believed that a grand total of 49,937 Mini Mokes were produced worldwide.

Chris Manning — 1962 Mini

My love of this motoring icon goes back nearly 10 years to the time when I bought my son, Andrew, his first car — a 1979 Mini 1275GT — and I have been in love with Minis ever since. When my son turned 17, I decided that rather than have him race around the streets in the GT, I would buy him a Mini 7 Race car. Together, we raced this car for two years. After that, Andrew found something more interesting than cars — girls! The race Mini was sold and I moved onto another project.

This started with the bare body of a 1962 MkI Mini and a motor from a 1300GT. I spent every spare moment over the next four years working on the car, and spending lots of cash customising it. I’m still working away on this project — the latest addition being a supercharger — so it is plainly apparent that I have the Mini bug.

While working on this project I decided I would also love to own an original MkI. In September 2007 I finally located and purchased another 1962 Mini. Initially I thought it was in fairly good condition, but on further investigation I discovered that my first thoughts were incorrect.

As I was tied up with my own project, the second Mini was passed over to Lee at Mini Bitz, so he could help me restore the car back to original condition. As you can imagine, as each month went by costs rose higher and higher. What the hell, I thought, it’s only money! And $30,000 later, I have a Mini that is better than when it first came off the assembly line.

Rex Coubray — 1973 Mini Van

It all started with a 1969 Mini Cooper S, which I purchased in bits in 1993 — and it still isn’t on the road!

However, as the years passed I increased my collection to number over a dozen Minis — including a 1973 Aussie Clubman GT, and a few vans (some in need of some serious TLC, others not so bad). They have been joined by some early Mini saloons and three original factory Mini Pick Ups.

There’s no rust in the car — but that’s mainly because it all fell out! Still, they are all restorable. A large shed full of parts is also included. I had to buy a shed to store everything in.

The only Mini I have that is allowed to live in the family garage alongside my all-original 1973 Mitsubishi Galant Colt GTO is my NZ-assembled, 1973 Austin Mini van. It is a nice yellow colour — Taubmans Kowhai, to be precise. The previous owner inherited the van from an uncle, who purchased it new on May 21, 1973.

That nephew, Alan, acquired the car in 1984. Coincidentally, Alan was a customer of my business. One day, Alan came to collect a job we had done for him when he spotted one of my Pick Ups sitting on top of the racking in our workshop.

“I have an old van in the shed at home. My uncle passed away and left it to me.”

My first reaction to that was to say, “Do you want to sell it?”

“No — but you are welcome to come and have a look.”

That night after work, one of my friends, Murray, and I went to Alan’s home to see the old van. As we walked down the drive, there it was sitting in the garage as shiny as the day it left the factory.

Murray nudged me — “If you don’t buy it I will!” This from a guy who didn’t at the time even own a Mini; although Murray now owns three, and is the Mini Car Club of Auckland’s club captain.
Meanwhile, upon inspection the Mini van proved to be absolutely original. Inside, the cargo area looked as if it had never been used. Upholstery, floor mats, hood lining, paint, chrome, everything, was all pretty much perfect. Under the bonnet it was the same, with just a small amount of surface rust evident around the clutch and brake master cylinders.

Lifting up the driver’s seat and checking around the battery we found the van could have been only painted yesterday, not 35 years ago. What a find!

“Are you sure you don’t want to sell it?”

“Not at the moment, but I’ve got your number and if I ever decide to part with it you will be the first one I call.”

Some months later (after a few calls from me checking that Alan was taking care of my van) I got the call. “Do you still want to buy this van of mine?” “Yes, what do you want for it?” “Make me a reasonable offer.”

After some negotiations, the money was soon transferred to Alan’s bank account and the van was in my garage — although I had to promise I wouldn’t sell the Mini overseas. That’s not going to happen while I own it.

We take the van out on good days and participate in quite a few club events, where it always gets a lot of attention. Just about everyone in the country has a story about their association with the Mini, and it’s always wonderful to meet people with such a great common interest. I will continue to be involved with this amazing little car for a lot more years to come.

It is a great achievement for any car to remain popular after almost 50 years — let’s hope it goes for another 50.

Kevin and Viv Taylor — 1999 Rover Mini Cooper S and 2003 BMW Mini Cooper S

Last of the classic Cooper S Minis

Our Rover Mini Cooper S Sport 5 was ordered by its first NZ owner, and delivered to John Cooper Garages in West Sussex with the 13-inch Sport Pack option and leather interior. There, the Rover Cooper was upgraded to Cooper S specifications, including the optional addition of a five-speed gearbox.

The owner then travelled to the UK to pick up his new Mini from John Cooper — where he got a photograph of himself and John alongside it. He also persuaded John to sign the car’s handbooks before the Mini was shipped to NZ for delivery through the Palmerston North Rover dealer.

The Works S pack involved fitting an upgraded, gas-flowed cylinder head with 1.5 roller rockers and modified, twin-point fuel injection which increased power output from 47kW to 67kW (63bhp to 90bhp). The Jack Knight five-speed gearbox worked through a 3.44:1 diff ratio. These modifications make for a very quick and quiet Mini, with all the fun but none of the earache that normally comes from driving a modified Mini.

Viv and I have owned this S since September 2006, after the original owner found he was unable to take the car with him to Australia when he and his family emigrated. Australian border controls worked in our favour, and kept this Mini in NZ. The price the original owner would have paid for this car in 1999 would probably have been more than the 2002 introduction price of the new BMW Mini Cooper.

First of the new generation Cooper S Minis

Our 2003 BMW Mini Cooper S was built in Oxford, UK, and was delivered to NZ after having one owner in Japan. This car has the usual Cooper S specifications — which means a 1600cc, supercharged engine giving 119kW (160bhp) six-speed Getrag gearbox. The car’s 17-inch alloy wheels were originally fitted with run-flat tyres, but these have been subsequently changed to more conventional rubber — making the car more compliant and way more comfortable to travel in. There is no room for a spare wheel in the boot — like the classic Mini, the battery is in the boot, but there is room to carry a tyre pando and mini compressor.

The 2003 Mini has huge brakes (they are actually bigger than the wheels fitted to the original Mini) and all the modern bells and whistles — ABS, TC, DSC, on board computers and air bags coming at you from all directions.

Viv and I have owned this car for a year and it’s a daily driver — we fight over the keys to see whose turn it is to use it. We both love to drive the new Mini, there’s something about the whine of the supercharger as you run up through the gears that adds to the enjoyment of the Coromandel roads that we love driving over.

Minis in the Family

There are several other Mini’s in the family, including a 1974 Mini with a 1300cc modified engine that we use for gymkhanas and track days, and other events with the Auckland and Waikato Mini Clubs that we belong to. There is also a 1973 Aussie Clubman GT which is partly restored — Minis do tend to become somewhat of an obsession.

And then there are my two brothers in Hamilton, who also have quite a number of interesting Minis between them — but that’s another story.

I got my first Mini back in the late ’60s so I could take my girlfriend out, instead of having to borrow my brother’s car — a Humber 80. That first Mini was an early 850cc example, complete with the whippy gear lever and starting button on the floor. This was followed by a later model with an 1100cc motor and widened wheels, which were painted chrome yellow. This was a hot Mini, and I remember the time when Viv — at that time my girlfriend — borrowed the car while I was away deer stalking. She managed to lose the entire big-bore exhaust, complete with Cooper muffler, along the highway. A kind truckie stopped and helped her pick up the exhaust from the road. At the time I was into surfing — in a day when surfboards were as long as a Mini — so the entire exhaust system was secured onto the Mini’s surfboard rack.

Unfortunately, that Mini blew up when I was driving down to meet Viv at Ohope one weekend — it threw a ring and cracked the block. There was a suggestion that this is what happens when you over-rev the 1100cc engine — but what happens on tour, stays on tour! Dad and my brothers came to get me and towed the Mini back from Rotorua — on a short tow rope in the middle of the night.

Minis also managed to feature on our wedding day, but not as a bridal car. I was now living in Auckland and, travelling down to Hamilton the night before the wedding, my Mini’s front hub collapsed. With the help of some mates we got a new hub attached on Saturday morning. I had just about enough time to clean up before getting to the church on time — migraine and all. Rings were exchanged and then, after the reception, Viv (now my wife) and I set off to Taupo in the Mini for our honeymoon.

Other memorable trips followed, including camping around the East Cape one summer in a 1966 Mini Deluxe we had bought, an 1000cc Aussie-assembled car with rather luxurious wind-up windows, very cool.

There were several other Minis, but then the kids arrived and sensible, four-door cars were required. However, when our son — Nick — wanted to buy his first car he didn’t listen when I suggested reliable Mazdas or Corollas, but took me to look at a Mini van with a 1300cc engine he’d found. The family’s Mini odyssey continued, and I found myself banging my head under the bonnet once again. Around about this time we also thought it would be good to get another Mini for ourselves, so we could attend the first Mini Nationals at Hamilton in 1995, and that lead to the purchase of the 1973 Clubman GT.

While other Minis have come and gone I always had a desire to own a Mini Cooper, but they always seemed to be just a bit too expensive. However, in 2006 we were able to purchase our Rover Mini Cooper, and when we came across an imported MINI Cooper in 2007 — in the same colour as our older Cooper, dark blue with a white roof — we just had to have it. That one didn’t turn out quite as planned (a bit of a problem with badge engineering), but it was rectified with the arrival of another blue and white MINI, this time a Cooper S — so now we were the proud owners of two Cooper S Minis, both of which we enjoy driving and polishing, although there’s not so much of the ‘we’ when it comes to polishing!

We know we will always continue our love affair with the Mini.

Many thanks to the members of the Mini Car Club of Auckland who shared their cars and their memories — and special thanks to Gary & Catherine Ashton

Edited by Allan Walton Photos by Adam Croy

This article is from Classic Car issue 224. Click here to check it out.