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.

As part of our 50th anniversary tribute to the Mini, we were invited to Taupo to check out the annual Mini Fun day promoted by the Mini Racing Drivers Club of NZ Inc

It was a crispy start to the morning leaving Auckland at sparrows and, with an NZCC shutter man at the wheel, we headed south hoping to beat the dark weather front that seemed to be heading to the same destination.

On arrival at Taupo track there was a frenzy of activity on and off the circuit as drivers, mechanics and myriads of helpers rallied around, organising the day’s activities. As luck would have it, the weather — albeit absolutely freezing cold — remained fairly fine for the best part of the day. However, by mid-afternoon it started to get rather ugly, but that didn’t deter the enthusiasm of the Mini drivers one iota.

The meeting was run in two separate events during the day, with drivers able to enter one or the other. Invited clubs included Minis Waikato Inc, Mini Car Club Auckland, Minis of Manawatu and Minis of Wellington Owners’ Group, with the purpose of the day to promote the MRDC and circuit racing to other Mini enthusiasts.

I believe that all Mini owners could actually attend, providing they were members of a MotorSport NZ-affiliated club.

Firstly, the Clubsport Competitor Coaching Sessions gave drivers the opportunity to drive around the track at their own pace, whilst testing and developing skills in a non-racing situation. Generally, there were several cars spaced around the track at any one time.

Secondly, the Clubsport Circuit Dual Car sessions involved close competition between two cars over a five-lap duration from a standing start; essentially this was an informal un-timed event. It also gave drivers the opportunity to match themselves with competition, with no less than eight cars starting from the grid, with each pair launching 10 seconds apart. Competitor coaching sessions continued to run in between Dual Sprint groups, allowing all drivers the option of spreading their activities over the whole day.

It was necessary for all drivers to participate in the Coaching sessions before Dual Sprinting in the afternoon sessions.

Buckling Up

Normal scrutineering procedures were carried out prior to racing, and all Minis eligible for competition had to comply with MotorSport New Zealand Schedule A requirements. Any Mini with a standard WoF and a fire extinguisher (Sch A 4.6) was also eligible. Classes of cars participating included Mini 7, Mini Miglia, Super Mini, Open Class and Mini club members’ private road cars which, I have to admit, were fairly impressive on the track.

Passengers wanting a ride could, providing they were invited by the car owner, as part of driver coaching, or as an appreciation of support as friends and sponsors, which meant me.

Robin Greenland was kind enough to buckle me into his fully race prepared Mini (Number 12) and take me for a ride. Robin competes in the Mini Miglia series (restricted to 1380cc) and is the current lap record holder in his class at Taupo.

No! I wasn’t scared. Okay, just a bit — especially as getting into the car was a challenge in itself. However, once buckled in securely (I literally couldn’t move) we were off. The first thing I noticed was how relaxed and professional Robin was in his whole approach to motor racing. As we headed out on to the track, safety for all concerned was paramount as far as Robin was concerned, and once on the circuit it only took a second or two to understand why this man is the lap record holder.

At this point, I must apologise to NZCC readers — I did actually try to video my on-track experience (for later uploading to our website), but filming was easier said than done. For a start there was very little room to even hold a video camera and, in order to film, I was actually obstructing Robin’s view. I wasn’t too keen on that idea, nor was he for that matter. Also, given the fact that I was struggling to even hang on to the camera, let alone try and keep it still, the enterprise was near impossible anyway.

Heading around the track with Robin was an eye-opening experience for someone like me, who thinks that big, old and heavy gas-guzzling V8s are the be all and end all. Robin’s Mini was unbelievably quick, and handled sensationally as he threw it into every corner, taking every line perfectly to ensure maximum speed in and maximum speed out.

Along the straights it seemed like we passed everything in sight as Robin calmly piloted his pocket rocket into the braking areas at full speed with relative ease. There was never any hint of under oversteer from the Mini’s obviously rigid chassis, except for a slight drift as we carried out of the corners.

Mind you, the noise emanating from the other side of the firewall was deafening, as the four cylinder 1380cc, 92kW (124bhp) engine seemed to hit maximum revs instantly as Robin selected each dog’ box cog at precisely the right time, every time. Unfortunately, just as I was getting used to all this excitement it was our turn to head into the pit area so the next group could head out.

A truly awesome experience. Robin’s commentary whilst out on the track gave me some insight to this man’s absolute passion for racing these little icons of motoring history — and was a fitting end to a cold, but exciting day at the race track.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Dan Wakelin

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

We recently took the opportunity to spend a day checking out the new John Cooper Works MINI Clubman thanks to the good folk at MINI New Zealand

I was trying to remember the last time I had driven a Mini, I couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like Minis, it’s more a case of lost opportunity over the past 37 years of driving. Nonetheless, I was looking forward to getting in behind the wheel of a new Clubman as I had spent a fair bit of time with Mini lovers from all over the North Island while gathering information for our special Mini 50th anniversary issue. Plainly, their enthusiasm for the marque had definitely rubbed off on me.

As I was ushered out into the BMW (NZ) parking by Michael Grieve, it was clearly obvious which car I was getting for the day by the Clubman’s JCWORX number plate. Michael explained how enjoyable this car was to drive and, after a few moments spent showing me the finer details, I headed off to try it for myself.

Giant Leap

So many things go through one’s mind when driving a completely unfamiliar car for the first time. You are never too sure what to do first — adjust the stereo to your favourite station, look for the air conditioning controls, have quick look around to see how many people are staring at you or just give it an almighty squirt to see how fast it goes. I found myself reluctantly thinking that this is one seriously cool vehicle — I tried not to, but I couldn’t help myself. After all, I’m a muscle car man — how could I possibly think this way? However, I’m going to tell you here and now; the Clubman worked it’s magic on me. After all, how can 1.5 million people be wrong since 2001 — one small step for BMW, one giant leap for the Mini.

An estimated 25,000 passionate owners globally have joined in the recent 50th birthday party celebrations, testament to the phenomenon of the Mini’s worldwide award winning reputation and the car is now sold in 80 countries.

It’s little doubt that BMW have backed a winner, investing over a billion pounds into the Mini since 2000, employing over 7000 people. It’s abundantly clear that even with the current global economic climate, this resilient symbol of British design and engineering retains loyal customer appeal as can be seen by strengthening order books in recent months.

It actually didn’t take me long to realise why so many people were so passionate about this brand. Sure, I was driving the John Cooper Works (JCW) MINI Clubman, the latest addition to the MINI line up, which focuses more on sporting performance, but there was never any doubt as to what I was driving — a MINI with real attitude, and a car that reflects the tradition of the original Cooper modified Mini. And I was enjoying every moment of the experience.

Serious Kit

The JCW Clubman is a fairly serious piece of kit — for a start, the 155kW (207bhp) four-cylinder engine with its twin scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection was a pure delight; offering rapid acceleration even in the taller gears, which surprised me. A firm grip on the leather bound, three-spoke sports tiller was required occasionally, as some noticeable torque steer could be felt — especially when accelerating out of tight bends. The six-speed gearbox felt nicely balanced and easy to use, although a gear indicator light of some description would have been handy.

Then I discovered the ‘Sport’ button and, of course, pushed it to see what would happen — once activated, the car took on a completely new feel. Not only did the throttle response feel more positive but the ride instantly became firmer. The MINI’s sports suspension, with it’s lowered ride height, taking handling to another level. I felt as if I was in a go-kart as a result of the car’s low centre of gravity. Stopping the JCW Clubman was never an issue, as rather large, fixed aluminium caliper sports brakes — startlingly finished in red, with the John Cooper Works logo’s up front — brought proceedings to a halt with significant ease.

I was getting more and more used to this car with every passing hour. The interior was not only extremely accommodating for someone who is over six foot tall, but looked the part with its array of toggle switches and art deco-style dash components. These were not only stylish but incredibly easy to access and use. Seating, whilst firm, was comfortable with plenty of adjustment and it was easy to find a good driving position that offered all the necessary support for those club track days.

After a great day of MINI driving, I have to say that the JCW Clubman gave me a whole new perspective on smaller cars — what they are capable of, their style, and, more importantly, how good they make you feel. My smile at the end of the day was proof positive that the new MINI still has soul.

John Cooper Works MINI Clubman – Specifications

Engine 1598cc/straight four cylinders
Bore/Stroke 77mmx85.8mm
CR 10.0:1
Power 155KW (207bhp) @ 6000rpm
Torque 260Nm @ 2000rpm
Transmission six-speed manual
Suspension Front — single joint McPherson strut Rear — longitudinal arms with centrally guided track arms, Z axle
Brakes vented discs front, discs rear, ABS, EBD, CBC, DSC, traction control
Wheels/Tyres 17-inch light alloy/205/45R17

Dimensions:
Length/Width/Height/WB 3714/1912/1407/2467mm
Track fr/rr 1453/1461mm
Kerb weight 1280kg

Performance:
0-100kph 6.8 seconds (claimed)
Top speed 238kph
NZ Price (as tested) $ 63,900

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

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

The Mini was introduced 50 years ago in Britain, while here in NZ we saw it first in February 1960. The saloons and performance models are recognised as all-time classics, but let’s look this time round at some of the less common Mini varieties — just as much fun, but perhaps even more collectable than the everyday saloon or Clubman.

Automatic

A real rarity these days, even in Britain where many more were sold than the trickle that came into NZ, the four-speed AP automatic transmission in the Mini automatic was an advanced unit for its time. It was announced in late 1965, and came into full production some while later in 1966. NZ assembly took place in 1969. In the UK it remained an option on the Mini and Clubman models, though not Coopers, right through to 1996. Australian models entered production in January 1968, labelled the Mini-Matic — our picture shows this car. NZ imports (in limited numbers) began in 1967.

Full automatic operation, and the alternative of full manual selection control of all gears, were the selling points of this transmission. It was a technical tour-de-force actually, as the gear train plus a torque converter had to be crammed into the engine sump. Heat build-up in the sump’s confined space was a problem, probably the main reason why the transmission was only available with 848 or 998cc motors, though four experimental Cooper S were kitted out with the auto ’box — Chris Amon used one for a while. Performance was only a little down on the manual, though fuel consumption took quite a hit.

Estate Car

The Austin Countryman/Morris Mini Traveller models were based on the Mini van chassis, with its 102mm longer wheelbase. They were introduced in September 1960 (UK market) but did not arrive in NZ until 1962 — they were all built-up units, with none locally assembled. They weighed slightly more than the saloons, so performance was down a bit, but the extra carrying capacity was quite a plus point. The rear ride height is set slightly higher on these cars than the saloons. All models retained rubber cone suspension. Early UK models were in ‘woody’ style, but from 1962 some UK and most NZ market cars came without the wood strips, which were just glued on, and not in any way structural.

The MkII estates with the 998cc motor go better, at little or no cost to economy, but these only became available from 1967, 848s just until then, and 998s only after. The MkII version was in production till 1969 (around 46,000 built), and was then replaced by the Clubman estate. All told, 108,000 Austin Countrymans and 99,000 Morris Travellers were built. Not many were sold in NZ.

Van

The Mini van, introduced in February 1960 in Britain, had a longer wheelbase (by 102mm) than the saloon and always used dry suspension. Some enthusiastic drivers reckoned these factors helped it handle even better than the saloons, and it was also very light, so made good use of its limited power. It was always a small van in terms of carrying capacity, in terms of both size and payload (254kg) which affected its sales against more capacious rivals, though it was ideal for town use. Most of those rivals, however, could not compete with the Mini van as a dual-purpose weekend fun car. You could fit side windows to lighten the interior, when the car was bought for personal rather than business use.

This was a successful vehicle, particularly in Britain where it could be bought without sales tax, and over 520,000 were sold all up. There was no flash radiator grille on these models, just plain body-coloured metal with rows of slots to let the air in. It was available only with the 848cc motor until 1967, the 998cc engine was an option from 1967, and surprisingly, sales figures show the smaller engine sold better than the 998. For the last four years in Britain (1978 to 1982) it was known as the Mini 95.

NZ assembly and sales began in 1965 with the 848cc engine. The 998 model came on stream in 1974, though availability ceased only a year later in 1975. Aussie models began assembly in 1964, then with wind-up windows in 1965, and continued for many years, fitted at various times with 848, 998 or 1098cc motors, and then from 1971 they sold a Clubman-front mini-van, with 998 or 1098cc motor.

Pick-up

The pick-up was built on the same floorpan as the van, and like its sibling was compromised for commercial use by the small size of its load area, and low payload. Purchasers who could live with those limitations found it useful enough, and a plus factor (with the van also) was the low loading height of the load platform. With its small wheels and low ground clearance it was not greatly suited to rural use, though its fwd traction could come in handy at times.

Like the Mini van, this had a plain metal body-coloured slotted grille. Total production (1961-1983) amounted to just over 58,000. NZ dates and availability more or less paralleled the Mini van, but numbers sold over here were very limited. It was initially sold with the 848cc motor, while the 998 engine was an option from 1967, and soon outsold the small-engine version.

Moke

Another vehicle where small size turned out not to be an advantage for its designed use! BMC originally intended it for the military, but it did not meet the Army’s requirements with its small wheels, low ground clearance, and not enough payload.

BMC worked away at the design, fitting bigger 12-inch wheels, but it never really caught on as a commercial vehicle, though finally a niche market developed as a fun vehicle for beach, urban fashion or holiday use.

The design got passed on to Australia, where development continued, with 13-inch wheels and 998, 1098 or 1275cc motors, and sales carried on from 1966 to 1982. Finally production passed to Portugal, where assembly spluttered along from 1983 to 1989. Sales eventually topped 50,000.

NZ availability began in 1968, with UK (cheaper) and a few Aussie-built cars available in limited numbers.

Elf (and Hornet)

Badge engineering hit the Mini line-up with these two little cars, reworked in detail by long-time Austin stylist Dick Burzi with Riley and Wolseley upright radiator grilles up front, an upgraded interior and a small (but usefully larger) rear boot grafted on the rear. Critics panned them at the time, but in hindsight they got it wrong, as the up-market twins sold well, with combined sales just over 59,000. NZ saw only a few Hornets (I imported one from Britain myself!), but the Elf sold like hot cakes over here, and there has been a high survival rate — though recently large numbers have disappeared offshore.

Both cars went through three series, MkI with the 848cc motor, MkII with the 998cc motor and improved brakes — a much better car — and then MkIII (from late 1966 in NZ) with Hydrolastic suspenders, flush door hinges, and wind-up windows.

I always thought BMC missed some marketing tricks with the Riley Elf, which should have been sold with an optional Cooper engine (Riley had a long history of performance saloons), and the auto transmission too was curiously not offered on these two up-market models until late in 1967.

The Elf, and a smaller numbers of Hornets, were imported from 1961, fully built up, and from 1964 the MkII Riley Elf went into local assembly by Dominion Motors.

Australian Minis (Mini K)

A couple of good Minis reached us in limited numbers from Australia, where the Aussies worked up an interesting version of the basic Mini body shell, the Mini De Luxe, a 1965 Aussie upgrade of the standard Mini, selling in NZ with a single carb 998cc motor, and wind-up windows way ahead of UK models.

Better yet was its March 1969 replacement, the Mini K (K stood for Kangaroo), which incorporated around 80 per cent local Australian content in its build. The good trick with the K was the use of the long stroke 1098cc version of the A-series, as used in the ADO16 1100s.

Thirty-seven kilowatts (50hp) and strong torque made this little car into quite a vigorous performer, not far off a Cooper in on-the-road performance, with excellent top-gear flexibility.

Some came into NZ through 1969 and 1970, a more expensive alternative to the standard NZ fare of 850 or 1000 Minis, and the K briefly entered NZ assembly for a few months in 1971. It was replaced in August 1971 in Australia by the new Clubman models. It was kitted out with De Luxe specification, and a Mini K van reached production with a saloon-type grille and 1098cc motor. It was the last of the original short-front Minis to be built in Australia, which moved quickly into assembly of the longer-nose Clubman models.

Buying Notes

All Mini models are mechanically very similar, with technical improvements in most cases appearing simultaneously on all models. Models from late 1962 have usefully stronger gearboxes with better synchromesh, and the MkII models from 1967 (1968/9 in NZ) were better again with all synchro ’boxes.

Brakes were greatly improved from 1964 on, and the 998cc motor rather than the 848cc one (discontinued in NZ from 1974) gives useful power and torque bonuses to any model it’s used in, at almost no cost to economy. Hydrolastic suspension did give a better ride, but at some cost to handling precision, and now many years down the track the Hydrolastic system is difficult to get properly looked after — join your local Mini club, which will be able to advise who can handle this.

In Britain separate Austin and Morris Minis were sold till 1969, after which Mini was used as the brand name, though Austin was briefly in use again in the 1980s. In NZ we still used the Morris name until 1976.

Pre-purchase checks should include a check for CV joint wear — drive the car on full lock, and listen for clicking or, worse, knocking noises. It is less of a problem in later model cars. It can be fixed, but is not a cheap job. Check also for integrity of the rubber boots over the joints.

Under the bonnet, access for major jobs is not good, but ordinary servicing is not so bad. The old A-series engine is quite reliable (the 998cc probably the best of them) when kept well serviced, and will usually clock up over six-figure odometer readings between overhauls. Unleaded petrol is not too much of an issue with additive use, while hardened valve seats are a good idea at rebuild time.
Under the car, minor oil leaks are common. They can be fixed, but a drip tray will likely remain an important feature of your garage kit.

The transmission (clutch, gearbox and gear change) is not the best feature of Minis. There is likely to be minor judder and shunt on many examples, but if it’s really bad, try for another car, and likewise if gear selection is really gnarly! Transmission repairs are expensive. Worn synchro, worst on second gear, will show up on well-used cars. Transmission noise (frequently found) may turn out to be just the idler gear, which you can probably live with.

Minis with 10-inch wheels can wear tyres fairly quickly, but replacements are still available. Wear is less of a problem on 12-inch wheels, and once again new tyres are still around, but in both sizes it is now harder to find tyres off the shelf, though they are available to order.

Body rust is not too great an issue with the Mini, and most parts are still available from specialists — your local Mini club will know about the best places to go.

Specifications

Automatic Mini
Production: 1965/6-1996 in many different models, total n/a
Engine: 848/998cc ohv, four cylinder, 25/29kW (34/39bhp)
Performance: 848cc 0-80kph (50mph) 18.3 secs, top sp 113kph (70mph), 998cc n/a

Mini Estate
Production: 1961-’69 Austin Mini Countryman 108,000/Morris Mini Traveller 99,000
Engine: 848/998cc ohv, four cylinder, 25/28kW (34/38bhp)
Performance: 848cc 0-80kph (50mph) 21.1 secs, top sp 111kph (69mph),
998cc 0-80kph (50mph) 17.2 secs, top sp 121kph (75mph)

Mini Van
Production: 1960-’83, 521,000
Engine: 848/998cc ohv, four cylinder, 25/28kW (34/38bhp)
Performance: 848cc 0-80kph (50mph) 18.3 secs, top sp 119kph (74mph)
998cc 0-80kph (50mph) 17.2 secs, top sp 121kph (75mph)

Mini Pick-Up
Production: 1961-’83
Engine: 848/998cc ohv, four cylinder, 25/28kW (34/38bhp)
Performance: 848cc 0-80kph (50mph) 18.3 secs, top sp 117kph (73mph)
998cc 0-80kph (50mph) 17.2 secs, top sp 121kph (75mph)

Moke
Production: 1964-’89
Engine: 848/998/1098/1275cc ohv, four cylinder, power varies
Performance: Varies — 1098cc (1970) 0-80kph (50mph) 12.9 secs,
top sp 109kph (68mph)

Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet
Production: 1961-’69, Riley 30,912/Wolseley 28,455
Engine: 848/998cc ohv, four cylinder, 25/28kW (34/38bhp)
Performance: 848cc 0-80kph (50mph) 18.3 secs, top sp 117kph (73mph)
998cc 0-80kph (50mph) 15.7 secs, top sp 124kph (77mph)

Australian Mini De Luxe/ Mini K
Production: 1963-’71, production n/a
Engine: 998/1098cc ohv, four cylinder 28/37kW (38/50bhp)
Performance: 998 0-80kph (50mph) 15.7 secs, top sp 129kph (80mph), 1098cc n/a

Words: David Cass

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

Following from our Young Person’s Guide to Classic Cars (NZCC, January 2010), we talk to teenager Josh Kelly about his Mini

Some 14 years after the very first Mini Se7en — designed originally by Alec Issigonis — rolled off the assembly line, our striking feature car was built in Petone, on January 17, 1973.

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of this motoring icon, which basically remained unchanged until 2000, while the BMW version has since become a popular choice for more modern Mini enthusiasts.

Over the years Minis have become a favourite among young and old, male and female, those affluent, those who scrimp and save every cent to buy their favourite little car and, no matter what part of the world you live, there’s a Mini story or enthusiast lurking somewhere.

Josh Kelly, like many people, was smitten by Minis from an early age and has been nuts about them ever since. But of course as a kid he couldn’t own a real one, so his family would often buy him Mini models until eventually, he could start buying them for himself.

Josh knew from a very young age that his first car would be a Mini, even though his father wasn’t so keen on the idea. This wasn’t enough to deter Josh’s obsession to own one. That obsession finally became reality in 2009, when he purchased his first Mini after a couple of months seriously looking around to see what was available.

It was a dream come true for Josh as he had loved Minis all his life, and finally at 17 years of age, he had his first one. Until then, all his Minis had been small toys!

This Mini was the third one he’d looked at in the space of three weeks, the first being a 1976 Mini 1000, then a 1980 Mini 1275GT (NZ version). However, the asking prices were beyond his budget.

Then Josh went to look at the car featured here. The previous owner, a local police officer, knew his parents and told his mother that he was contemplating selling one of his Minis. Naturally, Josh wasted no time and jumped at the chance. Within 15 minutes of test-driving the Mini, Josh was parting with $4000. An absolute bargain, Josh reckoned, as it had been valued at $5000 for insurance purposes. He has since been offered $10,000 for this little gem.

Trusty Runabout

After serving as a trusty, reliable runabout for most of its life and for a number of owners, the Mini was starting to show its age, so the previous owner — Mal Parker — decided to do a complete rebuild in 2002/’03. Apparently Mal just needed something to occupy his time on cold wet nights. That sounds familiar! The restoration took three years, with the emphasis on keeping the car as original as possible; there were no modifications whatsoever.

The car was totally stripped down, with every single nut and bolt coming off. The complete body was bead-blasted, and, as luck would have it, the only rust located was where an aerial had been mounted on the right front guard.

The sub-frames were stripped, sand-blasted and marine undercoated. All wheel brake cylinders were replaced, as were the shoes. The only panels to be replaced were the door skins and the driver’s side A-panel.

The 998cc four-cylinder engine was also completely dismantled, which really confirms the ‘every nut and bolt off’ teardown. The motor was rebuilt with brand new pistons, timing chain, and many other parts. The valve seats were also hardened so the car can run on unleaded fuel without the use of an additive. A new clutch was fitted, whilst the gearbox remained standard.

Originally, Mal had taken the motor out and replaced the engine seals. Once it was reassembled, he tried to start it and there was an almighty clatter deep within the motor. Mal took it out again, removed the head and discovered a couple of pieces of a piston skirt in the top. The bore was also badly scored, along with three burned valves. As Mal did not have the equipment to do the job himself, he had a professional engine reconditioner complete the task of installing new pistons, rings and hardened valve seats, as well as refurbishing the oil pump. Once reassembled and nestled back in its right place, the engine fired up perfectly and it hasn’t missed a beat since.

The radiator was also re-cored, and the starter motor and alternator were completely overhauled. A recent addition to the motor, which Josh fitted himself, is a conversion to electronic ignition. This makes the Mini much more reliable as a daily driver. The exhaust system comprises the standard manifold (which will be changed to genuine Cooper extractors soon) and free-flow exhaust pipe, and it ends in a genuine RC40 muffler. This definitely gives it a nice sound.

Holden Racing Green

After the panel work was finished, the Mini was painted in Holden HSV Racing Green. It is very similar to British Racing Green, a colour Mal liked, except on the Holden it is metallic. On the Mini it is a solid colour, which suits it perfectly. Bonnet stripes, roof and rims have all been painted in Glacier White, so it resembles the Cooper racers of the ’60s. Mal just couldn’t bring himself to paint a Union Jack on the roof.

The complete underside, including sub-frames and the inside of the boot, has been under-sealed throughout for total protection against the elements.

The interior is still factory Mini, bar the replacement of the old bus-style steering wheel for a sportier Wildcat-racing version. All the door cards, parcel tray, and seats are original and have been re-sprayed in black vinyl paint. The chequered seat covers are a one-off, giving this Mini a very unique interior. Carpets were replaced, and a recent addition is the wood-grain gear knob, a nice touch to complete the interior. The boot interior has an owner-fabricated carpeted boot-board as well.

New bumpers, headlights and tyres put a finishing touch to the restoration.

Minor Improvements

Since owning the Mini, Josh has slowly continued to make minor improvements by adding his own touches to get it 100 per cent to his liking, such as the seat covers, electronic ignition, gear knob and steering as mentioned earlier. He has travelled over 8000 enjoyable kilometres in the nine months he has owned the car, which includes club runs with his local Mini club. Josh has also made a couple of road trips to Naseby and Roxburgh to attend classic car shows, and drove to a wedding in Invercargill where the Mini was used as a wedding car, and to Oamaru for the Best of British Day. Josh reckons that these days most teenagers around his age are into Japanese ‘pocket rockets’ but he prefers classic not plastic.

In Josh’s own words, his superb little Mini — “Has a habit of making people jealous of me for having such a nice car.”

The car is his daily driver, yet still has the ability to turn heads and fits in perfectly at car shows, where it is proving itself to be very popular — and as far as Josh is concerned, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

1973 Mini 1000 – Specifications

Engine Original 998, rebuilt with new pistons, timing chain, and hardened seat valves, electronic ignition conversion, standard manifold, free-flow exhaust pipe and RC40 muffler
Bore/stroke 65x76mm
Max power 29kW (approx) at 5250rpm
Max torque 72Nm at 2700rpm
Compression 8.3:1
Fuel system SU carburettor
Transmission Four-speed manual
Steering Rack and pinion
Brakes Drum/drum

Dimensions:
Overall length 3180mm
Width 1420mm
Height 1360mm
Wheelbase 2040mm
Kerb weight 680kg

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Josh Kelly

This article is from Classic Car issue 234. Click here to check it out.

During our trip to Taupo for a day of ¨Mini racing we met up with Tim and Lis’ restored Mini Jem

I have to admit I wasn’t too sure what to expect because, to be quite honest, I had never before seen a Mini Jem. However, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I spotted this superbly restored example sitting in the pits at Taupo Motorsport Park.

Before we got started talking about the Jem, I had a wonderful conversation with Tim and Lis about their other Minis, and it didn’t take too long before I realised that this couple is deadly passionate about all things related to the marque. Between them they own five Minis (down from seven), including a 1966 Austin Cooper 998 — nicknamed ‘Tacious’ — which Tim has owned since he was 15 years old, for about thirty-three years.

Lis owns DC6, the former British Embassy’s Mini, which she had stripped and rebuilt 10 years ago by Laurie and Tony Axcell. Lis’ Mini sports a 1275cc engine and brakes, plus an interior from an MG Metro. The car was originally black and was nicknamed ‘Darth’ but, during its eventual restoration and after she decided to repaint the car in Knightfire Red, her Mini was renamed ‘Anakin’ — yes, she’s a science fiction fan!

Also included in their collection is a 2000 Rover Cooper S Works Touring Mini (nicknamed ‘Maggie’), which Tim and Lis purchased new in the UK directly from Cooper. From there they were fortunate enough to participate in the Italian Job Rally that year before touring the UK, Ireland and parts of Europe, and shipping Maggie home to New Zealand in 2001. Then, of course, there’s the Jem and a low mileage 1966 Austin 850 called ‘Donna’ to round off the collection.

Motor Sport Enthusiasm

Tim and Lis moved to the Manawatu on their return from Europe to be closer to the things in life they value most — motor sport, and good friends Laurie and Tony Axcell (and their partners). Tim believes Laurie and Tony are the best Mini men in the country when it comes to restoration and race preparation. The Mini Racing Drivers’ trophy for most reliable car of the season is, appropriately enough, called the Axcell trophy.

As an indication of their enthusiasm for motor sport, Tim and Lis were volunteers at racing events for many years, including at the MG Whittaker’s race meeting for nearly 10 years with Lis as timekeeper and Tim as the pit guy, on hand to help sort things out for entrants.

Tim was also involved with the Wellington street race and was a leading voice behind the Save Our Street Race Campaign — an effort that worked for one year until sponsorship funds dried up.

Tim admits to having a bit of a laugh these days to see council members of that period who were once so against the street race, trying to get on the bandwagon as they attempted to promote Wellington as a venue for the Aussie V8 Supercar street race which, of course, ended up in Hamilton.

Now living in the best of both worlds, Tim and Lis reside, quite literally, right next door to Manfeild on a 15-hectare block of land, which they organically farm. Tim also runs a small catering business called the Potato Guy, and Lis crunches numbers for a local waste disposal company.

Little Jem

Tim and Lis discovered this little Jem — a Fellpoint MkII car — 15 years ago, behind a shed in Karori in Wellington with a tarp over it. At that time they couldn’t afford to do much more than buy the shell and some parts, and put it into storage. So for 10 years the most the car did was get trailered from lock-up to lock-up.

Alex McDonald of Almac Cars in the Hutt Valley carried out some remedial repair work to the car’s nose cone before the money ran out again, and a decision was made to return the Jem to long term storage.

The car remained undercover until around six years ago when Laurie Axcell took over the project, using his knowledge and skills to not only project manage the restoration, but to source trades people with the necessary skills to finish the car to the highest standard possible.

Work began by stripping the fibreglass shell, removing the floor and making a new one — the original being badly cracked. After that, the entire shell was blasted with baking soda so as to keep the original gel coat in good repair. This work was undertaken by Darryl at Supreme Sandblasters. It then went back to RMH Fibreglass to repair fine surface cracking and get a general tidy up.

The next task was to remove the inner sills and take out the 50mm by 25mm timber, which was originally used on these cars. Tim is amazed to think that the manufacturers believed wood wrapped in a sheet of glass-fibre would actually do the job.

Tim at Octane engineering fitted a full roll-cage — probably best described as a space-frame built inside the shell — before the bodywork was completed and painted by Roydon, formerly the owner of Advance Panelbeaters, a rare breed of man who actually enjoys breathing in fibreglass dust, according to Tim.

Still under the watchful eye of project manager Laurie Axcell, the next items on the agenda were the engine and gearbox.

All machining on the 1380cc powerplant was carried out by Lynn Rogers and Motor Machinists in Manawatu. The unit was fitted with Omega forged pistons, a Lynn R special crank, and a mild street cam for added performance.

What with the limited space, the interior proved to be a tricky exercise and specially made seats were made by Dave Black of Race Tech. Standard seats fitted, but the wings hung out of the back window — which wasn’t the look that anyone, particularly Tim, would have gone for.

Because the interior was so narrow, Dave Black started with a jet sprint seat base and grafted on FIA-specification backs with the head wings shortened to suit. Ross Pickworth from Auto Marine Interiors in Foxton carried out the dash and interior upholstering.

Writing the Cheques

Tim reckons he’d like to take credit for the finished car but knows that all the accolades must go to Laurie, as Tim basically just wrote the cheques. Often Laurie would say to Tim ‘would you like to do this or that thing?’ and Tim would just look back at him and say, “Pretend it’s your car and money didn’t matter to what would you do.” And that’s exactly how Laurie handled the restoration.

The detail he has achieved in simple things like the hand-made cowling around the front-mounted radiator is amazing — not to mention the hand-fabricated exhaust and manifolds.

In Tim’s mind, Laurie would have to be one of the finest restorers of anything Mini in the country, and he cannot express his appreciation enough for a fantastic job.

The goal was not to build a concours car, because Tim reckons a component car could never be that, but to try and build a ’60s-style classic British race car. Mission accomplished, I reckon.

Tim would also like to thank the following people for their part in this fine restoration — Laurie Axcell, project manager and spanner man; Roydon Crossland, body and paint; Supreme Blasting, which stripped the old paintwork by blasting with baking soda; Motormachinist, Palmerston North for prepping the block; Lynn Rogers for his skilled work on the crank and other engine components; Ross Pickworth of Auto Marine interiors in Foxton for the leather dash and hood linings; R&H Fibreglass in Palmerston North, which did a lot of structural repair work to the fibreglass; Tim at Octane Automotive for the roll cage; Ewan from Fielding for the cylinder head; Neil Allport, who sourced the Minilite-style alloy wheels; and last but not least, his partner Lis, who let him loose with the cheque book. Now that’s commitment!

Jem History

Due to close association, the Mini Jem is often confused with the Mini Marcos — no doubt due to the fact that both cars originated with the Dart, a car designed by then famous test-pilot, Dizzy Addicot. The name deriving from Dizzy Addicot Racing Team. Essentially, the Dart was a Morris Mini Van with the bodywork severely cut away and replaced with an unattractive, dumpy-looking aluminium body. The Dart made its first public appearance at the 1964 Racing Car Show in London. Jem Marsh or Marcos was involved in the later stages of the car’s development, and suggested that a fibreglass body would be more suitable. Falcon Shells Ltd of Essex was tasked with developing and producing a set of Dart moulds. However, Falcon Shells was rapidly slipping into liquidation and work was transferred to Marcos, at that time based in Bradford-on-Avon. It was at this point that the Dart split into two cars — Addicot, wanting a higher specification model, took over the moulds, leaving Jem Marsh to develop his own version of the Dart, the Marcos Mini.

However, Addicot soon lost interest in the Dart and Jeremy Delmar-Morgan took it over. He promptly renamed it the Mini Jem, after a shortened version of his own name.

Mechanically, the Jem was based on the Austin Mini and built around a fibreglass monocoque chassis with timber and steel reinforcing. Diminutive in size — measuring a mere 4.1 metres in length and just 1.11 metres high — the Jem was designed to accept all unmodified BMC components from the 850 Mini to the 1275 Cooper S. It could also accept a wide assortment of performance equipment including wider wheels, racing tyres and Weber side-draught carburettors. Dry or hydrolastic suspension could be chosen depending on budget and preference. The end result was a two seater, front-engined GT with front wheel drive and about half the frontal area of standard Mini, at roughly two-thirds the weight.

Further Development

Initially the Jem was a true special and was sold as a very basic body-chassis unit. Prospective builders faced a Herculean task in completing a car but, despite that, around 20 Jems were built at Delmar-Morgan’s London workshop during 1966 and 1967.

Under Delmar-Morgan’s stewardship, the Jem also made its first motor sport appearance — initially in club racing in 1967 and, more ambitiously, when a three-car team was fielded for the 500km race at Nuremburg. Delmar-Morgan finished a creditable second in class in his Mini Jem.

Meanwhile, in November 1967 Delmar-Morgan rented new premises near High Wycombe at Robin Statham’s Fellpoint Ltd in Penn. A further 12 Jems were built here before Delmar-Morgan pulled out, handing everything over to Statham.

Statham immediately began to work on a number of improvements to ensure easier construction by home builders. Another 42 body/chassis units were sold during 1968.

However, Statham wanted to further develop the car, which had quickly gained a reputation as being uncivilised and noisy. Accordingly, he began work on what would become the MkII version of the car.
For this, Statham, modified the Jem’s body shape, with the windscreen being set further back and inclined less steeply,  with corresponding changes to the door shape. The roof line was slightly raised to give more headroom.

One interesting feature of the MkII is its lack of external door handles — access to the cabin is gained by lowering the window, which is secured by a panel lock, and reaching for the inside handle. The option of opening rear quarter lights on the MkII was usually taken up by customers.

As well as these changes, Statham also ensured the MkII would be a much easier car to build — around 50 hours being the official build estimate — and a whole lot stiffer and tauter. The MkII Jem made its first public appearance at the 1969 Racing Car Show.

The MkII was available with all doors and windows fitted, fully painted and trimmed for £350 — all that was required to complete the car was to bolt on the appropriate Mini components.

With a 1275cc Cooper S engine fitted, the 533kg Mini Jem sped to 60mph in 10 seconds before topping out at 177kph (110mph). Statham, who had previous experience racing GSM Deltas, Mini Coopers and a Tornado Talisman, went one better than that by racing a lightweight version of the Jem, complete with a 1293cc full-race engine capable of pushing the car up to 209kph (130mph). In this car, Statham proved very competitive in club racing.

Last of the Jems

Despite what looked to be rosy future, the Jem was soon overshadowed by Statham’s new project, the futuristically designed Futura a VW-based sports car. Sadly, the Futura was a victim of spiralling development costs, and in July 1971 Statham’s business went into liquidation, and the Mini Jem went with it. At the time of its dissolution Statham had sold over 160 MkII Jems.

Production rights to the Jem were then purchased by High Performance Mouldings Ltd of Wiltshire, and it began to sell cars more akin to the car’s earlier form.

Further changes were made to the Jem — the wheel arches were extended leading down to points at either side of the nose, and an opening rear hatch became an optional extra. In this MkII form the Jem soldiered on until January 1973, when production was taken over by Malcolm Fell, who worked from premises in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire. Fell kept the Jem in production until sometime around 1976. The Jem moulds were abandoned to a Norfolk barn, and at one time were believed lost. Today, the Jem’s moulds are owned by the Mini Marcos Owners’ Club in the UK.

As an interesting, Antipodean side-note — until 1976 MkI Mini Jems were also made under license by John Taylor, in South Australia.

Words: Ashley Webb, Photos: Dan Wakelin

With the Mini celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year, we can expect a rash of new books marking the birth of this legendary car. However, as far as New Zealand Mini enthusiasts are concerned, I doubt whether anyone else will be able to top Minis Down Under. And who better to write about the Mini in New Zealand than Donn Anderson who, as a motoring journalist, has been involved with the Mini right from the time of its local launch in February 1960; since then he’s owned no less than nine Minis! As such, he is perfectly placed to conjure up a book covering the car’s Kiwi exploits — from early production and motor sport right up to the modern, BMW Mini. Along the way, Anderson looks at many Kiwi personalities behind the Mini — including Bruce McLaren and his McLaren Mini-Cooper — and even spends time examining Ferris de Joux’s handsome Mini GT.

Minis Down Under is not a full-house historical review of the Mini (you can get that in any number of other books). Instead, it offers a real treasure trove of Mini Kiwiana — an absolute must-have for all Mini enthusiasts.

Mini Down Under: ¨50 Years of the Mini ¨in New Zealand by Donn Anderson
Review copy supplied by the publisher
Review by James Black

Forget about The Italian Job for a moment, as Tim uncovers a new world of Mini collecting in Taranaki

Hot on the heels of the DVD release of the latest version of Mini action movie, The Italian Job, I fielded a phone call from a Waitara family which said it had an interesting collection of Minis if I wanted to take a look. Spokesperson Craig Williams was well into his story about a special 1980 Mini he had restored, with no expense spared, before he went on to say his brother owned a Mini and that his parents, John and Wendy Williams, owners of Waitara’s New World supermarket, were also Mini mad.

In fact, father John Williams started the whole Mini ball rolling in 1995, when he returned home from a trip to Auckland with a 1967 Austin Mini Countryman as someone else’s unfinished project.

John takes up the story: “I was away on business up north, and although I’ve always been interested in Minis, I was kind of supposed to return home with a new vacuum cleaner for my wife, but instead I brought back a ’67 Countryman, a Woody in about a thousand pieces! The whole thing was like some sort of jigsaw puzzle, or Austin Mini version of a Meccano set.” Some wives wouldn’t have been too happy to find a desired vacuum cleaner had turned out to be a huge box of Austin Countryman. Well, rather than be annoyed (and I have to say here that John’s wife Wendy Williams is a true car enthusiast), Wendy eventually got even, in 2005 taking delivery of the latest model (BMW-derived) Mini Cooper S. The story certainly doesn’t end there either, as John has since gone on to purchasing another rare Mini van, this time a low mileage clubman-shaped version dating from 1974. Four Minis, all with different characters, are now part of the Williams’ family lifestyle. A combined photo shoot on a warm Waitara evening and Mini tales over a good quality New World wine and meal set the scene for a rundown on the Williams’ unique collection.

1967 Austin Mini Countryman

The Austin Mini Countryman, often referred to as the Mini Woody, went into production in the UK back in 1961 along with its stable-mate the Morris Mini Traveller, a follow on from the well loved wood-embellished Morris Minor Traveller. Lasting until 1969, the Countryman version featured the crinkle-cut chrome grille similar to that of another small Austin, the short wheelbase A40 Farina MkI. A two door Mini wagon with barn door-style rear opening ability, the Countryman was powered by the BMC A-series east-west four-cylinder engine of 848cc.

The story of Alec Issigonis and his adventurous world-changing Mini car design has been retold many a time, but here we get a glimpse at the now not often seen van versions.

Differences from the standard small 850 include the fold-down rear seats which help give the Mini a spacious carrying area in an unfussy and practical cubed dimension, despite having a monocoque body only 256mm longer than the car version. Like the Mini car, the Countryman van pumps out around 25kW (34bhp) at 5500rpm, adequate for carting the golf trundler, whitebait net or New World groceries in the wee wooden-edged beauty.

John’s 1967 Countryman was in some way rescued, as when he got it in its unfinished state it was part of a brace of Minis eventually bound for sale in Japan. Despite the Countryman being in what John earlier described as 1000 pieces, he set to work feverishly and completed it in less than a year, utilising a few able trades-people along the way. Fellow Waitarian, Ross Calgher, who years earlier used to build Cosworth DFV engines for the McLaren Formula One team, rebuilt the trusty little BMC A-series engine as John set to work on the body and beautiful American Ash outer woodwork. The Mini’s new subframe was  acquired from the UK by the late Emily Calgher, Ross’ wife, who sourced it through her well-known parts business. Afterwards the Countryman’s upholstery and green paintwork was completed in Auckland.

John was understandably proud of the final outcome which, when I first viewed it, I thought could have come straight off a Dominion Motors or BMC showroom floor in the ’60s. That leads us to his next Mini purchase¦

1974 Leyland Mini Clubman Estate

As a child I always preferred the look of the original Mini, and didn’t really take much notice of the Clubman version until Andrew Cowan won our international rally in a 1275 GT version in 1972. I still think the original Minis are good-looking, but I have had to come to respect the finish and ‘matching set’ appeal of John Williams second purchase, an orange 1974 Leyland Clubman Estate, which required less work than the ’67 Countryman.

A fitting stable-mate to the Williams’ green countryman, the Leyland Mini was purchased late in 1995 from Whakatane, where it had lived with ‘one lady owner’. She had dotingly brought it out from England with her in the early ’90s after the little estate had given faithful service in the mother country of Minidom. Nicknamed ‘Granny beast’ by the Williams family, the little orange Clubby is a 998cc BMC A-series vehicle which has in automatic gearbox format and is in great condition. John found out from the original owner that the back seat had never even been sat in!

All that was required to bring the ’74 Clubman Estate up to the standard of the Countryman was to fit new carpets, and have the ‘fake wood’ body panelling refurbished. The wood-grained panelling does not have the charm and craftsmanship of the earlier Countryman, and in orange it doesn’t really smoke your front tyres visually, but put ‘Granny beast’ next to the Countryman from the previous decade and it all makes great sense, a matching pair of wood themed Mini wagons that go together like salt and pepper.

Power wise, the Clubman gains over the 850 Countryman, putting out 28kw (38bhp) at 5200rpm, and like the Countryman it can seat a group of four people comfortably or have its rear seating folded down for carting sundries without qualm. Whether in 850 or 1000 specification guise, Mini vans and estates have been produced in varying styles — including the rare high-top version from Australia that I discovered in outer Sydney (see NZ Classic Car May 2005) — and I wouldn’t put it past John Williams to procure another example, but he is presently looking for an original, genuine factory-produced Mini ute, even if it is a worn-out project vehicle.

Utes and vans have, however, been far from the revved-up mind of John and Wendy’s son, Craig, ¨who also works at the family New World as store manager, and this now leads us to Craig’s Mini ¨passion¦

1980 Mini 1000 Special

Craig Williams couldn’t help but be gripped by his father John’s Mini madness. Some would say he ¨had no chance to avoid it, but Craig was no straight copycat. He went straight past the vans and opted ¨to create a sporty Mini special based on a 1980 1000 model.

This immaculate car that wouldn’t look out of place at any car show, on a revolving dais, started out as a New Plymouth car whose claim to fame was having once been used to set a record for the highest number of girls squeezed into a car, at New Plymouth Girl’s High School! I avoided asking Craig how many girls he has squeezed in the Mini since its makeover, and opted to find out more of what went into it mechanically and cosmetically.

Minimal panel-work was needed on this ‘straight 80’, but Craig totally stripped the Mini down to each last nut and bolt, sensibly cataloguing the parts as he went. A bright red paint job for the body, with white bonnet stripes, was ordered from Paintworks Ltd on New Plymouth’s Seaview Road, while Craig went about procuring flared arches, spotlights and mag wheels from various top name Mini shops in the UK. The ceiling lining and interior was replaced also by quality imported ware, and the seating was recovered by well-known Brixton upholsterer John Reumers. Meanwhile Craig was also working his way through a completely new wiring loom and rebuilding the brakes, and his Mini project was turning into a rebuild whereby the Mini would end up better than a brand new one! Things kept escalating, and pretty soon a new steering wheel was being fitted, along with twin SU carburettors supplied by stalwart Taranaki Mini wrecker and parts supplier, Iona Motors.

In August 2004 Craig Williams fired up his newer than new Mini and it hit the road for the first time, looking every bit the part of an The Italian Job on the Waitara Riviera! With such a special Mini completed, Craig added a final touch by importing a rare ‘Mini Special’ badge from the UK; it now adorns the car’s hot red rear.

As a viewer of this special Mini I can say that I feared getting finger marks on it, and that if Craig wasn’t looking I wouldn’t hesitate in eating New World’s finest bacon and eggs straight off the engine manifold, it was that clean and spotless. On my first visit to the Williams’ collection in late 2004, I enjoyed my first look at the three older Minis — seemingly a boys’ obsession. Mrs Wendy Williams was busying herself indoors, but what I didn’t realise was that she was harbouring majestic Mini thoughts of her own, which leads me to the current latest Mini in the Williams garage¦

2005 Mini Cooper S

Not to be outdone by the men-folk of the Williams clan, Wendy ordered up the latest 2005 model Mini from the BMW stable.

Many retro-styled cars simply get it wrong, but I’ve been an enthusiast of the new Minis ever since taking a new Cooper S version from Bib Stilwell Ltd for a quick drive in the winding hill roads behind Melbourne, Australia, back in 2002. The new Minis seem to reflect the character of the old Issigonis-penned original, yet it wasn’t until Wendy parked her beautiful new blue version next to Craig’s that I saw what others already have, that the new Minis seem huge next to the old type. When you lift the bonnet, the differences become even more obvious, noticeably first the complete raising of the whole frontal cowl on the new Mini.

From here on one could list every single difference and end up describing what is in essence a totally different car, albeit sharing clever stylistic traits.

Words & photos: Tim Chadwick

Tim Chadwick meets a smart Mini beside a fishing club, and is lured in for a few photographs

Often the bridesmaid in the wanted list for most Mini collectors, the flat-fronted Mini Clubman models seemed destined to remain in the shadow of the classic and original Mini shape, as epitomised by the early Coopers. Reactions to the New Mini Clubman shape when it arrived on the scene in 1970 were mixed, but most erred on the negative side, not for the little car’s famous mechanicals but for its blunt, slab-like nose. One motoring commentator even went as far as calling the newly revised model the ‘clubfoot.’ However, over time the initially unloved Mini Clubman went on to earn a valued place among the pantheon of Mini variants.

In New Zealand this point was marked by the all-conquering victory of the 1275GT Clubman-shaped Mini in the 1972 Heatway International Motor rally, driven by Scotsman Andrew Cowan and guided by our legendary navigator, Jim Scott. Cowan had become a household name after victory in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon rally in a Hillman Hunter, and headed down under with a reputation as a tough competitor.

Initially earmarked to drive on that Heatway Rally for the New Zealand Motor Corporation (NZMC) in a Morris Marina 1800 GT coupe, Cowan would head a four-car assault on the internationally growing local event, leading a team of two Marinas and two 1275GTs, all prepared at British Leyland’s Abingdon competition workshop. Although contracted to drive a Marina, once here Cowan felt that the Mini was the best bet for victory and swapped his way into the 1275GT, leaving Jim Richards to pilot one of the Marinas home way back in 61st place, with Jim Carney in the navigator’s seat.

Dauntsey Teagle, with navigator Peter Harris, brought their Marina in at 52nd position, while the dextrous all-rounder Angus Hyslop drove the back-up Mini 1275GT into a creditable fifth placing, navigated by Mike Langley.

Suddenly, at least here in ‘Godzone’, the nimble Clubman Mini was a tin-top hero, heading home a factory-backed Toyota team and a group of potent BMW, Ford Escort and Holden Torana ¨XU1 competitors. Roaring along in General Finance livery, the Cowan/Scott Mini helped make the Mini popular and hip again for the ’70s.

Special K

Our Australian neighbours created the Mini ‘K’ utilising the BMC 1100 motor in the Clubman shape, but it was never as popular or perhaps as special as the 1275GT. In its native England, the well-known Mini tuner Richard Longman put the Clubman 1275GT back on the map by winning the Group 1 RAC British Touring Car championship in his Patrick Motor Sport Clubman in 1978. The Mini was by then an old design, but was still going strong.

In 1978, British Leyland marketed the Clubman 1275GT as “the world’s first car to be fitted with Dunlop Denovo safety run-flat tyres at no extra cost!”— and buyers were still enamoured with the Mini.

Our featured car harks back to those mighty Mini Clubman days of the ’70s. It is a restored 1977 GT example owned by Averil Osborne, who can often be seen navigated by a Border Collie named Meg, herself a keen Mini fanatic. Averil has had her 1275GT for almost two years and became very enthusiastic about the car, planning to fit alloy wheels and flared mudguards. She also had a personalised plate on standby, but once she saw the new paint job on her Mini she decided she wanted to keep the car as an original classic and stuck to the original JB5104 registration plates.

Averil’s Mini Clubman is of the Leyland-badged variety from the period when British Leyland took over BMC (British Motor Corporation) of England. Although Minis were assembled in New Zealand, this car looks to be a British-built 1275GT judging by its manufacturer’s plate (production number XO2S2-4602564).

Something unusual that a reader may be able to help us with is the red plate riveted next to the manufacturer’s plate that boldly reads ‘COMMISSION No. S20S-169215A’. In over a decade of writing for NZ Classic Car, I have never seen an official-looking tag such as this under a car’s bonnet before.

Averil had her Mini Clubman’s motor and gearbox completely rebuilt by the city’s well known Iona Motors — a BMC specialist. The stunning green paintwork is the handiwork of painter Pat Fake.

Canine Clubby Fan

Once this green gem hit the road, it was hard to keep Averil out of the Mini, let alone Meg, her canine ‘Clubby’ fan. “I think its actually Meg’s car really,” Averil says, ” She only has to hear the Mini keys rattle on the key ring and she thinks she is going off for a drive. She sits up in it like a person, and even wears the
seatbelt like a human does!”

I’ve known Averil’s partner, Roy Barber, for a few years. He’s a true Italiano — in a Penn McKay fashion — when it comes to motoring, owning mainly Alfas and Lancias. Roy and Averil have five cars between them, and Roy quietly says the Mini is the ‘bread and butter’ car of the partnership but, woofingly, Meg doesn’t quite see it that way.

An animal lover, when Averil isn’t away at Mt Kilimanjaro photographing gorillas or snapping top shots of grazing wild animals, she can usually be seen chauffeuring the charming Collie to and fro within Taranaki or carting Roy home to his cosseted Roman relics. The team also competes in Egmont Classic Car Register events such as trials and club runs.

Averil is used to being behind her Nikon photographing the wildlife, and not on the other side of a camera, but for this story we found a suitable sunny spot, fittingly for a Clubman, near a club — one for anglers and deep sea fishermen at one of New Plymouth’s breakwaters.

Without any prompting, Meg leapt into the driver’s seat and sat up for the de rigueur ‘pride of ownership’ shot. A Scottish rally driver may have made the Mini 1275GT famous but a Scottish Border Collie was taking over the photo shoot and charming passers-by.

Since rolling out of the paint shop, Averil’s ’77 Mini Clubman 1275GT has been attracting more than excited woofs of approval, and we wish her many happy Mini miles ahead.

1977 Mini 1275GT – Specifications

Engine Four-cylinder, transverse ohv
Capacity    1275cc
Max Power    ¨40kW (54bhp)
Carburettor    ¨Single SU
C/R    8.8:1
Brakes    Disc/drum
Suspension    Independent

Dimensions
Wheelbase    2051mm (6ft, 8.75 inches)
Front track    1238mm (4ft, 0.75 inches
Rear track    1204mm (3ft, 11.4 inches)
Length    3162mm (10ft, 4.5 inches)
Width    1410mm (4ft, 7.5 inches)
Height    1346mm (4ft, 5 inches)
Kerb weight    676kg (1490lb)

Performance
Max speed    145kph
Economy    9.4-10l/100km (28-30mpg)

Words and Photos: Tim Chadwick

Tim discovers the last surviving Mini High Top Prototype tucked away in the Tempe museum in Australia.

The original Mini is one of the greatest cars of all time, and NZ Classic Car magazine can’t let a year go by without Minis popping up. The Mini story has been told over and over in books and journals around the world, and the many variations of the little ‘Issigonis box’ in standard, racing and customised forms still fascinate. Having lived right through the era of the Mini I had begun to think I’d seen every permutation in the pages of books or in the metal.

Until I discovered a very rare Mini High Top van, which turned out to be the last surviving example of six prototypes that came off the Australian Zetland production line in 1964. In its English motherland, the little Mini was first produced in 1959 from Alec Issigonis’ inspired design, which had initially been roughed out on the back of an envelope. A year later, the little transverse-engined car gained extra length on a slightly longer wheelbase to form both the Mini Traveller (a name inherited from the ‘woody’ Morris Minor estate) and the more utilitarian van, devoid of wooden embellishment.

The low-slung Mini vans served many a plumber, sparky and delivery boy in their decades of service to the various tradesmen throughout the British Commonwealth. Florists, fishermen, tinkers and tailors¦ an endless list of happy clients found the Mini van ideal for many purposes. Although inclined to be a little ‘dinny’ when empty, like the Triumph Herald Estate and most other small wagons of the day, the character-filled and modern Mini van charmed its way into many a business situation and tight parking spot.

Commonwealth Minis

The Mini was officially launched in Australia on March 23, 1961. An advertising campaign kicked off with a large blank page in newspapers save for a tiny birth notice in the centre for readers to hone in on. It was treated as if it was the Commonwealth nation’s new baby. Assembly of the Minis soon became common in the outer satellite nations of the Commonwealth, and New Zealand and Australia were not exceptions. Minis rolled off the Kiwi assembly lines in Newmarket, Petone and Nelson, while across the Tasman, New South Wales’ Zetland factory was its assembly plant.

Out of Zetland came the classic Australianised British cars like the Austin Lancer and Morris Major (developed from the English Morris Minor), and later Austin Nomads, Tasmans and Kimberleys. An 1100cc Australian Mini appeared as a Mini K, complete with kangaroo decals, and for a while the BMC Australia boffins eyed up improving the already practical, but low-roofed, Mini van. During 1964, six prototype vans were built at Zetland with newly designed raised roof-lines due to the addition of reinforced fibreglass tops. The code name for this new Mini hybrid was simply ‘H’, referring to the proposed model name of High-Top.

Inside the Mini is upholstered in a standard red vinyl which is still in top order, and with the ordinary rudimentary Mini dash

Alec Issigonis’ dream, as an immigrant from a poor country area that had switched between Turkey and Greece depending on various conflicts over the centuries, was that the British working class person could afford a Mini. As for the Mini van, it was seen that small businesses could have a sprightly delivery vehicle at an affordable price. It seems the Australian BMC directors were thinking the same for their consumer base, but with the added height for perhaps more carriage space, or did they think the average Australian was taller? The reason for the construction of the prototypes seems lost.

Perhaps it was just a lateral thinking design exercise. Today, however, over 40 years later, we can view this last example in the factory standard neutral grey with an engine plate that categorises the small vehicle as an 848cc four-cylinder with the engine number 8y/u/H-22572. It’s listed on the manufacturer’s plate as being of type YJBAV1R. According to Roy Gould of the Tempe museum, the Mini’s paperwork denotes it as having rolled off the Zetland production line in October 1964. The under-bonnet plate confirms this.

Inside the survivor

Inside the Mini is upholstered in a standard red vinyl which is still in top order, and with the ordinary rudimentary Mini dash. The bright-work, original paint and mechanical devices such as the rear door handle and early Mini outwardly bulging door hinges are all in great condition. Today the Mini High Top sits on Espia E7A Zaramec 145/80 R10-680 tyres manufactured by Falken. Outwardly there is basically nothing unusual about this Morris Mini van except for the high roof-line, and its mono eyebrow of a screen visor.

Over the years, British Motor Corporation (and later British Leyland) Minis were subjected to all sorts of mutations from racers to customised hot rods and hill climb specials. They have been shortened, lowered and stretched. While my discovery of the High Top in Tempe simply adds yet another quirk to the Mini story, it is great to see a genuine ‘everyday’ prototype example in such good running order. If you’re in Sydney and you’re a Miniphile you may just need to take the short train ride out to Tempe and tick this one off your list!

Words & Photos | Tim Chadwick

1964 Morris Mini High Top Prototype

Engine: Four-cylinder transverse, 848cc
Bore/stroke: 62.9mm x 68.26mm
Valves: ohv
C/R: 8.3:1
Max power: 25kW (34bhp) at 5500rpm
Performance: 0-80kph    18.1 seconds
Max speed: 115kph
Economy: 6.9l/100km (41mpg)
Production: Numbers built: 6, Zetland, NSW, Australia (1964)