Mini Magazine June 2017

The global affection for the Mini is always a joy to witness. We’ve not strayed too far from home to bring you some incredible cars this month, but only one was rebuilt in England, and that’s already been air-frighted over to the USA for a glamorous new life! Talking of incredible, we have to start with Arny K’s amazing Juggernaut Mini from Belgium. It’s got six axles, 12 wheels, six-wheel steering, five gears and 16 valves! With the exception of last year’s IMM it’s rarely seen these days, so be sure to check it out from page 72. Staying in the region, we’ve got a superb Innocenti Cooper project, and we also hop over to Germany for a look at Thorsten Dost’s stunning Cooper Monza LE. Our cover star, meanwhile,…

As philosophical hit-man Vincent Vega famously explained from the passenger seat of a 1964 Chevy Nova in Pulp Fiction, the funniest thing about Europe is the little differences. Sure, he was talking about the USA, but his words could equally apply to subtle distinctions between the UK and the European mainland. A Royale with Cheese instead of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in France, mayonnaise on fries in Holland... decent trains that actually run on time (OK, we added that last one ourselves). But how about the iconic Mini? Surely that’s the same all over the world? Well, no actually. It’s fairly well-known that Minis were built in factories in a variety of different countries as far afield as New Zealand, South Africa and even Venezuela. Some were identical to…

BODY 1998 Rover Mini Cooper Monza LE, all original apart from front panel repairs, factory Sportpack arches, single silver coachlines with Monza crossed-flag decals, green winged badges, Union Jack A-panel badges, two fog lamps and two spot lamps, original numberplates. Paint: Tahiti Blue with colour-coded mirrors and arches. ENGINE MPi A-series bored to 1380cc, Omega D-dish pistons modified with extra oil return holes, rotating components individually balanced, Swiftune SW5 billet camshaft, MED Engineering cylinder head with 36/30 valves and bronze guides, MED 1.5-ratio roller-tip rockers, aluminium radiator, oil cooler, 52mm throttle body, K&N induction kit, port matched MPi inlet manifold, Maniflow Stage 2 LCB, stainless cat link pipe, New 100-cell sports catalyst, RC40 Millennium twin-box exhaust painted black, Cooper sump guard, re-mapped Rover MEMS ECU. SUSPENSION Dry set-up with Hi-Los,…

An updated version of the classic Mini has been announced by a small British coachbuilding firm. Called the Mini Remastered, it’s the latest model from David Brown Automotive, and was unveiled on April 6 in Shoreditch. In essence it’s a classic Mini retro-fitted with refurbished and improved mechanicals, a deseamed exterior and plenty of mod cons. It’s the second model to be launched by the firm (which has no connection to David Brown of Aston Martin fame) following its £600,000 Speedback GT in 2014, which combines DB5-inspired looks with a Jaguar platform. Designed to be the ultimate classic Mini, the cars will blend retro styling with the latest modern technology and an attractive, hand-crafted leather interior. The power unit will be a 1275cc A-series rebuilt to produce around 78bhp, but…

• The worldwide Mini and motorsport community has been hugely saddened by the news that Swiftune founder and Mini racer Glyn Swift passed away on April 2 after a short battle with cancer. The Mini had been in production for just six years when he started Swiftune 52 years ago. Born in Essex in 1943, Glyn’s passion for tuning and motorsport began with motorcycles. However, after a couple of accidents, he decided it would be safer to switch to four wheels and race a Mini in autograss. The wins soon started, leading to him building engines for others and the foundation of Swiftune in ‘65. At certain points he would build Mini motors on the quiet while working at the Ford plant on night shifts! The Minis would soon take…

ANGLIA CAR AUCTIONS CLASSIC AUCTION, APRIL 8 • A healthy selection of Minis were offered at the latest Anglia Car Auctions classic sale on April 8, held in Kings Lynn. MkIIs seemed to be the order of the day, with three examples going under the hammer. A ‘68 ‘Woody’ Austin Countryman rebuilt with some subtle concealed upgrades sold for £9870 including premium, almost halfway between its £9-11,000 estimate. A MkII Cooper S, unfinished but seemingly restored to a high standard, sold for £26,250 against a £25-28,000 estimate, while very original-looking Morris MkII 850, curiously late-registered on a J-suffix, more than doubled its £2-3000 prediction to reach £6300. Several Rover Minis were also offered, the oldest an ‘89 Thirty with only 1856 miles on the clock, which sold for £10,185, A…