Mini Magazine January 2016

Season's greetings! Here at Mini Magazine we wish all of our readers a very merry Christmas and a Mini-centric New Year. The magazine celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016, and to get you in the mood this issue covers the entire Mini spectrum, from mild to wild! In fact, the diversity of the Mini scene is encapsulated by our cover feature alone. There may be about 30 years and more than 150bhp between Paul Marsh's 1964 MkI and his awesome Hayabusa hybrid, but both are equally as prized. To add to the mix we've also got a lovely modified MkI complete with 1071 Cooper S power, a trio of Mini estates and a saloon undergoing a Clubmanfronted makeover. But that's not all. We were lucky enough to catch up with…

We keep a watchful eye on the rising values of Minis, but ask Dean Williams about his beautiful MkI restoration and the level of inflation seems absurd. “When I originally found the car on eBay in late 2007 I won it for £360, but I’ve just been advised to insure it for £15,000!” he says. “It sounds mad but people have also told me the 1071 Cooper S engine under the bonnet could be worth up to £10,000 alone. I’m not sure how true that is – either way I’d never sell it now.” Obviously it’s easy to get carried away with such stories down the pub, but there’s clearly more to it than first meets the eye. Dean’s initial buy, although well priced, was a far cry from the…

BODY 1962 Morris Mini Minor, full bare-shell restoration including new sills, floor sections, front and rear wings, doorskins, second-hand roof skin, A-panels, boot floor, full-width front valance, rear valance and more. Chrome arch trim, overtaking mirror, DSN Classics front towing eyes, quick-release bonnet, bootlid and front grille. Paint: Fiesta Yellow. ENGINE 1071 Cooper S, re-bored +0.060-inch, SW5 cam, Brett Simms head, MED 1.5 roller-tip rockers, twin HS2 SU carburettors, Aldon Yellow distributor, ITG stub stack filter, MED breather system, Mini Spares uprated push rods, RC40 Millennium stainless steel exhaust, Cooper Freeflow exhaust manifold. TRANSMISSION Cooper S close-ratio gearset, 3.44:1 final drive ratio, Hardy Spicer shafts, lightweight flywheel and back plate. SUSPENSION All new rubber springs, Hi-Los, Mini Spares Spax dampers, KAD rear track/toe brackets, Mini Spares rear anti-roll bar, fully…

One of our favourite car museums has taken on a new identity as the Heritage Motor Centre becomes the British Motor Museum. The rebranding is the culmination of a period of big change at the Gaydon venue, as it undertakes a major refurbishment of its museum as well as unveiling a £4 million Collections Centre. An investment of £1.1 million by the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust will transform the museum, which closed to the public from November 30 to allow the work to take place. The changes will result in a much more visually exciting and interactive experience, with a new visitor entrance and distinctive new themed zones. For the real car geek, it’s the oddball prototypes and projects that are the real draw, and the new Collections Centre…

• After many rumours, official government blog Inside DVLA has confirmed that, since April 2015, vehicles manufactured before January 1 1975 have been legally able to display the older-style black and silver numberplates. Previously, the DVLA has always stated that yellow/white reflective plates must be fitted to cars registered after January 1 1973, but earlier this year the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBVHC) revealed that the DVLA had linked the end date for black plates to the historic vehicle tax class date. However, this wasn’t confirmed by the government until its blog update was released on November 17. To qualify, your pre-1975 vehicle must be registered within the ‘historic vehicles’ tax class. This isn’t done automatically though, so if your car is not already in the historic class…

• Lancaster Insurance, the headline sponsor of the recent Classic Motor Show, is to restore a classic MkII Morris Mini in a bid to generate funds for a major cancer charity. The one family-owned 1969 Super DeLuxe was sourced through the new Classic Mini Finder site (www.classicminifinder.co.uk), before being unveiled at the NEC. The car has covered a mere 33,000 miles from new, and remains completely original. It will undergo a bare-metal but sympathetic restoration, with the intention of retaining as many of the factory features as possible. All the work required to bring the car back to its former glory will be carried out by a team of technicians at the MG Owners’ Club, led by workshop manager Ian Wallman. Once completed, the Mini will be offered for sale…