Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2022 i Mini Magazine

When I first met Darren Shervell (pictured above) at last year’s Brooklands Mini Day, I knew instantly that we’d have to be giving his car a full feature. The attention to detail ensured that the Mini had a swarm of admirers buzzing around it all day, and the huge amount of time (not to mention cash) invested has led to something that’s both a hardcore road-racer and a trophyworthy show-stopper. Now, quite a lot’s happened between that point and this one, and Darren actually sold the car to a fella named Neil Waterman who, as a published supercar expert with a long history of working in Formula One, has given this outstanding build a fresh new perspective. Check out the full story - and Chuff’s stellar shoot - on p.36.…

The return to Castle Combe certainly lived up to the host club’s ‘Summer Spectacular’ billing, with four excellent Mini races and a Mini grid walk to further treat the ice cream-toting fans. The Miglia and Libre ‘big hitters’ were first up on a gloriously sunny and hot Saturday afternoon, with reigning champion Andrew Jordan straight on the title pace despite having missed the previous two meetings. However, a red flag interlude called for a reset, but just as Jordan may have thought he had the result in the bag ahead of a train of pursuers, a clash with Rupert Deeth allowed Endaf Owens and Jeff Smith to sneak through into the top placings, with the former BTCC titleist recovering to 3rd, and Deeth in 4th with a new lap record.…

The Players Classic is a show that seems to be strictly polarised in the consciousness of Mini owners: on the one hand, there are the old-school purists who aren’t really aware of it, or can’t make the connection between their own interests and those of a bunch of vaping youngsters in Mk4 Golfs on air-ride. But on the other is a growing group of Mini fans who recognise the Players phenomenon for what it is – awelcoming and allencompassing collective for car enthusiasts whose passions hit a little bit differently. And the number of Minis at this year’s show demonstrates just what a crucial part of our scene this is. Players frames itself as a lifestyle brand; a multi-marque modding umbrella beneath which ideas are exchanged and originality encouraged. And…

PROJECT PROFILE THE OWNER NAME: David Metcalfe AGE: 44 OCCUPATION: Car Restorer LOCATION: Yorkshire THE CAR: CAR: 1963 Austin Countryman 850cc START CONDITION: Previously restored bare rolling shell with most parts missing CONDITION NOW: Painted rolling shell, doors, bonnet, rear subframe, rear suspension and various trim fitted TIME TAKEN SO FAR: 18 months ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: Autumn 2022 With a wealth of restoration experience behind him, David Metcalfe now spends much of his time working on Rolls-Royces and Bentleys from the 1920s and ’30s, his current niche 32 speciality. Fortunately for us, he also happens to be a huge fan of the classic Mini, and the prospect of taking on a 1963 Austin Countryman as a side project must have seemed like a comparative walk in the park. For…

It’s not uncommon for owners to give their cars nicknames, particularly in the realm of classic motoring. A Beetle driver might go with Herbie, for obvious reasons. Fiat 500 fans often choose the name Fifi, which is kinda twee but each to their own. The most popular choice overall in Britain is, apparently, Betty. And the Mini estate you see here? Well, it’s known as Norman (and if you’re of a social media persuasion, #NormanTheMini is the tag), but this is no frivolous pet name. The significance of this goes a little deeper. Were you to flip open the glovebox lid, you’d find a tasteful wooden plaque inside, engraved with the legend: ‘In loving memory of Norman Newcome’. “Norman was my grandfather,” explains the car’s owner and creator, Joe Bird.…

Reality TV was in its infancy at the turn of the millennium, with Big Brother having launched in the UK in March 2000. Such was the unusual nature of the format that we found ourselves watching the live-stream of a bunch of strangers brushing their teeth or having a bit of a kip without really questioning why we were wasting our time. Strange days. Elsewhere in popular culture, we’d survived the Millennium Bug and were ready to smile again; Charlie’s Angels hit the cinema screens in November ’00, hot on the heels of Meet the Parents which had launched a few weeks previously. Fatboy Slim dropped his third studio album, the first resident crew entered the International Space Station and, bizarrely, the Russian state broadcaster RTR bought the rights to…

Castle Combe Circuit’s long-running Mini Action Day show is proudly dubbed the UK’s oldest and best track-based Mini event. And 2022’s instalment appeared to be the perfect illustration of why it still lives up to such a claim. Over 500 classic and modern Minis descended on the scenic Wiltshire venue at the end of June, with excitement on tap both on and off the legendary 1.85-mile race track throughout the day. Dedicated club stands filled up most of the static display areas, where you could also find the likes of a Top 20 competition and a vast trade/autojumble village, among many more spectacles. On track, Mini-only sessions and parade laps took place from start to finish, broken up by the iconic ‘Club Cruise’ at lunchtime, which saw no less than…

Name: Sjoerd Monsma Car: 1982 Van Location: Netherlands ■ Sjoerd is a part-time detailer, which helps to explain the supremely shiny condition of his eye-catching 1982 van. “It used to be an estate originally, but it was converted into a van by the previous owner,” he tells us. “Since I’ve owned it, I’ve swapped the engine, rebuilt the undercarriage and made a custom roll bar. I’ve also fitted Mazda MX-5 seats and lowered the crossmember to allow them to fit, fabricated a custom dash without the heater, and carried out a single wiper conversion. The engine is a 1330cc with roller rockers, and I’m running straight-cut gears and an LSD.” An entertainingly hardcore spec then, ensuring a keen fusion of show and go. And just how cool does that oldschool…

How do you distil the essence of the supercar? It’s an intangible thing, there’s no hard-and-fast set of rules; we know that it has to be something unusual and out-of-theordinary, a car with flair and panache. One that looks sensational, and has colossal horsepower from an engine with many cylinders. It should stop people in their tracks, cause grown-ups to mop their brows and kids to whip out their phones and snap it for the ’Gram. What we’re trying to pin down here is a formula which belligerently refuses to be defined: the wow factor. There have been countless interpretations of the supercar concept over the last five or six decades. Sylph-like Italian masterpieces, brutal American tyre-slayers, artisanal British craft creations… some manufacturers have even managed to sanitise the formula…

It says a lot about the passion of Italian flair that this Innocenti, which looks for all the world like a tastefully crafted custom show car, is actually wearing the shade of Cobalt Metallic Blue paint that it left the factory with back in 1979. Looks like a modern formulation, doesn’t it, or perhaps some manner of period aftermarket metalf lake? But this is precisely why the Innocenti 120L represents such a fascinating chapter of Mini history. The Italians did things a little bit differently. Of course, some of you will be looking at this folded-paper-styled hatchback and wondering what on Earth it’s doing in a magazine about Minis, in which case a brief history lesson is probably in order. You see, there’s more to the Italian Mini connection than…

We all dream of coming across a barnfind Mini that has the potential to become that perfect project, but the chances of discovering an undisturbed 1959 Austin Seven these days are realistically pretty slim. Incredibly, Tony Colley’s luck was in when a family member happened to mention they needed rid of an old Mini during a garage clearout, a car that hadn’t been touched for forty-seven years! Turning such a rare opportunity down was not an option. Like so many of us, Tony’s connection with Minis stems back to his days of learning to drive. “My first car aged 17 was a 1972 Mini Clubman estate,” he remembers. “I bought it from my workmate, Les Watson, to practice my driving skills.” Tony still holds fond memories of that first Mini…

w here should I start? Well, launched many people in the first-generation MINI community have probably already had direct or indirect contact with me: I am Dries, 26 years old, co-founder of the biggest European R53 owners club, CluB53. Sneakerhead. Social media guy and everything around it. But most of all a new MINI and classic Mini lover. At home, we always had a soft spot for BMW/MINI – Iremember having a miniature of a 2001 MINI Cooper when it first came out. In 2007, MINI the Sidewalk cabrio with the most beautiful seats I had ever seen in a car; the Malt Brown English leather interior with white edges immediately draws your attention, pumped up with chrome accents for luxury. It was a special edition, with 4,000 units produced,…

Hot Wheels is renewing its UK search for a car that could become a diecast model. The 2022 Hot Wheels Legends Tour invites enthusiasts to put forward their life-size vehicle for the chance to become immortalised. With a rich and diverse car community, the UK proved it is home to vehicles worthy of ‘Legend’ status after last year’s UK finalist beat global contenders to win; the brand is now eager to find another legend. The design team’s quest will be adjudicated by a new UK judging panel featuring presenters and avid car modifiers Helen Stanley (Goblin Works Garage, Motor Pickers) and Jonny Smith (The LateBrake Show). They will be joined by influential car designer Ian Callum CBE. The winner will be announced on Car Throttle’s YouTube Channel, with presenter Alex Kersten…

■ Midlands Mini enthusiasts headed to MED Engineering’s new shop in Lutterworth on 17th June for a social evening meet. With the offer of free freshly ground coffee for anyone arriving in a Mini, around thirty classics arrived, from daily drivers to pristine Mk1s and highly modified racing machines. It was a relaxed evening of Mini chat, a chance for MED to showcase its own project cars and catch up with friends from over forty years of modifying A-Series engines. The barista’s iced coffees went down particularly well, as did the stunning collection of local Minis gleaming in the sun. “It was the first time we’ve held an event like this,” said MED’s Lee Whitton, “but it was so well received we’ll definitely plan another.”…

Due to the uncertainty surrounding Covid, please be aware that events are subject to change. Keep an eye on the organisers’ websites to stay up to date with any developments. 6th-7th August Mini Festival – Brands Hatch Club displays, trade stands, track parades, and plenty of racing! Highlight is the Fastest Mini in the World race – this will be quite a spectacle. brandshatch.mini-festival.co.uk 18th-21st August British Motor Show This event has really found its feet after moving to the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre. All sorts of action including a Mini stunt show, plus a Mini display to enjoy. www.thebritishmotorshow.live 20th-21st August Mini in the Park This event has moved to Sywell Aerodrome in Northants for 2022. There’ll be lots of traders, displays, and live action. www.minishow.co.uk 26th-28th…

After a 7.5-hour journey we arrived at Pembrey about 9pm on Friday night. We had a walk around the track to check it out; in the evening you can still hear the tyres screeching and feel the excitement in the air. We woke to a very wet Saturday. Mark took the car to scrutineering, the first since Covid, and it passed without problem. We then prepared for qualifying. He went out in very wet conditions, which was cool to watch from the pit wall! The car looked fast, but Mark was having issues braking late and bumped into the back of Ian Slark, so had to retire from the session. Despite this he qualified a very respectable 4th place. With the car patched up he headed out for race 1;…

Name: Summer Heiford Car: 1965 South African Mini Location: UK ■ This Mini started life as a South African car in 1965, being imported to the UK in 2018 and bought by its current (and very proud) owner Summer in March 2021. “It was in great condition body-wise, but the electrics and mechanics needed a lot of attention,” she says. “I spent four weeks re-wiring and improving the electrical system, and fitted an all new braking system with Cooper S front discs and master cylinder, braided hoses and spaced rear drums. The engine was burning oil and was replaced with a later low-mileage 998 running a Maniflow LCB and exhaust system, and twin HS2 SUs. The interior has been replaced with period bucket seats, and lots of other mods are…

Having been to every Goodwood Festival of Speed since 2006, I pretty much know what to expect. A hugely diverse array of cars across every mainstream motorsport discipline you can think of, plus historic racers, freshly unveiled supercars, a concours lawn full of delectable treats, and a rally stage packed with iconic battlers. The latter is always sure to be richly studded with Minis, so I set aside a couple of mag pages for a report and queued up before 7am on the opening day, as per usual. I headed straight up to the rally stage, and guess how many Minis I found? One. Just one. Ah, come on… It was a good Mini though (see boxout), and there was plenty more to enjoy over the four days of the…

There are myriad reasons behind the decisions people make when putting together a project car. Some seek kudos on the showground, and go all-out to create something improbably clean with oodles of custom touches. Others chase performance, upgrading and augmenting to make the Mini as powerful as it can be, mated to a supremely agile chassis, to slay giants on track and on B-roads. There are enthusiasts whose driving motivation is to emulate the car that a beloved relative had when they were growing up, seeking out the right parts and the correct specs to relive those halcyon years. Purists will be laser-focused on recreating the specification exactly as it was when it left the factory. Of course, in amongst this colourful maelstrom of thoughts and ideas, it’s important to…

Fans of sporadic capitalisation will no doubt enjoy the EquinoX, a limited-run special of 750 cars launched in April 1996. There was a lot to enjoy with this astrally equipped curio, most notably its in-your-face seat fabric which would work pleasingly alongside a Kula Shaker album and some funny brownies. The purple and black sunsand-stars motif of the seats continued throughout the car, with mystical decals applied to the rear quarters. The baseline spec was relatively meagre, being based on the humble Sprite (meaning steel wheels and a two-dial binnacle), but EquinoX extras included opening rear windows, tinted glass, radio-cassette and alarm/immobiliser, along with chrome trim for the bumpers, grille and window surrounds. Externally you could choose from Amaranth Metallic, Platinum Silver or Charcoal Grey. With a smattering of leather…

ostentatiousness is all very well. We’ve got a lot of time for people who paint their project cars bright purple, or retrim their interiors in outrageous in-yourface styles, or fabricate one-off bodykits to morph the factory lines into something entirely new. Stepping away from the beaten track is something to be encouraged, we love the lunacy. But this sort of approach isn’t for everyone, and it takes all sorts to make a world. For some, particularly in recent years, the key has been to modify cars in such a considered and light-touch manner that the uninitiated would never even suspect that anything had happened; following the OEM+ route can refine and perfect the factory treatment while making everything a little bit better. This technique speaks softly (in conceptual terms, at…