Innehållsförteckning för September 2019 från Mini Magazine

It just seemed perfect that the issue of Mini Magazine that hits the shelves in the middle of August, almost sixty years to the day that the Mini was revealed to the public, carries the full story of Lars Søe-Jensen's wonderful Morris 131. This Mini is recognised as being the oldest surviving Morris Mini after 621 AOK, and as such, is the oldest production line car. We were thrilled to get the chance to shoot the Morris on the Cowley factory site, where the car was built. Things may well have changed beyond all recognition at the Oxfordshire plant since the Mini was dispatched for Denmark in 1959, but the management and workers at the plant have been delighted to see the Mini back at the works, and are justifiably…

• This exciting, topical new exhibition exploring the future of the car is now open and will run until July 2020. The exhibition looks at the inventors of the first cars – some of which were powered by electricity – and their visions for the future. Visitors will be able to discover what designers in the 20th century thought cars would look like in the 21st century and whether their predictions have come true. The exhibition will explore the latest car technology. Visitors will also discover the world of autonomous vehicles and how much technology is in our cars today.…

• Image of You were shooting both the entry photos and static photos at the IMM. The good news for those who didn't manage to pick up their prints on site, the images are now available to purchase from www.imageofyou.co.uk/IMM2019. Prints cost just £20 each + P&P (mounted) with the option of a bundle deal, and there's a discounted digital download. If you are in a car club in the South East of England, they can arrange a bespoke shoot of members' cars with same day prints. Plus they're always on the lookout for photographers to join their team. Visit the website to find out more.…

This 2019 edition of the hugely popular blockbuster event attracted record grids, record car club attendees, record spectator numbers giving a total attendance of 109,000 over the weekend – which was a significant increase on previous years. A total of 21 spine-tingling retro races, countless off-track entertainments, packed car club displays and iconic anniversary parades elevated the world’s biggest classic car motor racing event to even greater heights. Following the opening 12 races on Super Saturday – as well as a second night of ‘rocking’ at the Classic’s renowned live music festival, which this year celebrated the 50th anniversary of Woodstock – there was yet another packed day of entertainment waiting on Sunday. The Mini Celebration Trophy Presented by Adrian Flux provided a fitting end to a weekend which had…

If you have a Clubman Estate then you’ll have heard of Liz White, founder of the Clubman Estate Register. When Liz met her husband Andy she had a ’79 Estate, George, and Andy had a 2002 Cooper. They quickly bonded over their mutual love of Minis. Sick of people running their Clubman Estates into the ground, Liz set up the Clubman Estate Register in 2012 in order to help preserve and protect these precious motors. The Register is still going strong (with an especially active facebook presence) and Liz and Andy are still friends with the people who first joined. She also continues to love and protect Clubman Estates as confirmed by her latest project. The Clubman is being restored by the team at Minimine where Nick and his wife…

As restoration projects go, taking on the mammoth task of building a Mini Sprint from the ground up certainly isn’t for the faint hearted. Luckily for 51-year-old Ross Ferguson, by the time he’d decided to take this demanding plunge, he’d already built up more than his fair share of experience restoring Minis! “It all began over thirty years ago, when my wife was looking for a car and fancied something a little bit different” Ross smiles, “after looking at various options like Beetles, she fell for an accident damaged beige Mini 1000 which stood out with its unusual NI number plate!” A full strip down and rebuild soon ensued, a process which taught Ross how to weld. “This car would become my wife’s daily driver, commuting between Glasgow and Stirling…

The Mini undoubtedly redefined motoring, establishing new standards of packaging, handling and performance. Yet, paradoxically, despite the superb dynamics and brilliant use of space, some individuals wanted to put their own ‘spin’ on Issigonis’ baby and tap into an entirely different market. As a result, there were a number of Mini-based specialist cars launched during the 1960s, including the Ogle SX1000, Broadspeed GT and Mini Marcos. These were good cars, with much to commend them. But to all intents and purposes, they were rebodied Minis. And they still relied on the donor car’s front-engined, front wheel-drive format. Others, such as the Deep Sanderson, Cox GTM and Unipower GT, also employed the Mini powertrain and a number of Mini-derived components. However, this trio were boundary-pushing, mid-engined designs. None more so than…

POWER UP Q I know you’re always being asked about getting more power from your Mini, but I don’t think there’s much point in trying to tune the 998cc engine I have in my car. It’s started to make some pretty odd noises, and using a fair bit of oil. My uncle has an old 1300 Metro engine tucked away in his garage and he says it was running really well when it was removed from the car, but that was quite a few years ago. My question is, would this engine fit into the Mini, would it give me any more power and are there any problems I might encounter when fitting it? Ben A The Metro unit can easily be fitted complete with gearbox straight into your Mini…

Got my racer ready for my first invite to the Chateau Impney Hillclimb; a revival of events that stopped in 1967 there, hence a cut-off of 1967. Posh do, so I was hoping to be impressed. As part of the 60th Anniversary, there was to be a twenty car class largely for Minis, so there was a right mixed bunch of hillclimbers, circuit racers and rally cars, five of which I had raced against at Goodwood. There were four non-Minis but they didn’t stand much chance on what is quite a twisty, narrow course. Two practice runs Saturday and two competitive ones on Sunday. Now you would think that this would feel a long, drawn out affair but none of it! There was everything you could imagine: Novelty and Supercars,…

When we stripped the Downton out I was surprised to learn that the headlining had been put in the proper way, with transversal hangers holding the fabric up, no mean feat in the cramped confines of its coupé roof. When we released the tension the whole thing collapsed like a house of cards, and I remember thinking that trying to refit it wasn’t going to be a lot of fun. I have an early XJ6 with what I thought was ‘West of England’ cloth roof lining, glued to a soft foam backing and the edges finished with the same cloth glued around flexible tubes, about half an inch in diameter. Neat and easy to work. That plan was favourite until I found out how much West of England cloth actually…

With show season solidly devoting itself to Mini 60, the oldest surviving Morris off the production line is part of the action and it all started with a trip back to Cowley. Five years ago, Lars Søe-Jensen made a promise to himself. He would take his Morris back to the Oxford Plant on the anniversary of its build date. On 15th May, Lars was filled with an immense sense of pride as he found himself and his flawlessly refurbished car outside the Cowley plant, exactly 60 years after it rolled off the production line. After this symbolic occasion, Lars returned home to Denmark, leaving the car at Cowley. The car has spent the summer at the Oxford Plant, where it has been celebrated as part of various internal events and…

• Love them or hate them, electric cars are becoming a part of every manufacturers' line up. With much fanfare, MINI has unveiled the much anticipated zero emission MINI Electric with a major European launch. “We chose Rotterdam to showcase the new MINI Electric because quite simply, this city embodies what MINI is all about: Urban, edgy and forward-looking. It’s also a place that embraces electro-mobility, having already implemented a comprehensive charging network." "In a nutshell, it’s a city that points to the future. This is also our approach at the BMW Group. The MINI Electric is another milestone in our BMW Group electrification strategy. Of course, it’s also a milestone for Plant Oxford, the Home of MINI.” Explained Bernd Koerber, Senior Vice President MINI. “Emission free mobility is crucial…

The Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club once again held their 45th Scottish Transport Extravaganza in the magnificent grounds of Glamis Castle over the weekend of 13th and 14th July. This event is regarded as the premier vintage motoring spectacular in Scotland and is one of the largest of its kind in Britain, bringing together over 1800 vehicles representing a wide array of transport comprising veteran, vintage and classic vehicles and machinery (cars, commercials, military, tractors, steam engines, motorcycles, static engines and exhibits). The show, often called the “Beaulieu of the North” given the amount of trade stands and Mini clubs that attend the event, is set on the grounds of Glamis Castle in Forfar, birthplace of the Queen Mother. Holding the Extravaganza in the grounds of Glamis Castle provides a magnificent…

New for our 2019 calendar is the JD Competition Tyres Bob Shaw Memorial Brawdy Stages Rally, covering eight miles of smooth yet erosive surfaces for each run, our crews had six stages to complete. The warm and dry weather caused brake overheating issues for many of our crews, but they powered on regardless. Roy Jarvis and Luke Greaves were the first crew forced to retire from the event in Stage 2, when absolutely flying at 100 mph, they braked – causing the front hub assembly to part company with the Mini! It was also a truly tragic end to the rally for Ken Pryce and Don James, who had been on to a winner, despite having a damper pin break – by chance, Clive had a spare, which got the…

18th August MITP With a new venue for 2019, this year’s Mini In The Park takes place in Mallory Park. Including Pride of Ownership, The Great Mini Bake Off, a display of 60 very special Minis, 55 years of the Mini Moke display, the retail village, club displays, drag demos, Run What Ya Brung and track time sessions for both classic and modern Minis on the new Mallory circuit – featuring the tightest hairpin in the UK. www.minishow.co.uk 25th August Shelsley Walsh Mini Day 2019 Celebrate the 60th anniversary of the launch of the classic Mini and join the Diamond Tour that will meander through Birmingham, past the Longbridge factory and into the historic Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb. The 70 mile run precedes a celebration at Shelsley Walsh with star…

To be honest, this is one of those cars that's very hard to categorise as it doesn't really fit into any particular grouping. It's been modified, customised and had an engine swap. The bodyshell is resplendent in a rather vibrant, stand-out shade of purple called Purple Rain. This isn't simply a Mini, it's more of a statement piece… a very potent statement piece as it happens. And it belongs to, and was built by, Rhys Williams who's something of a serial Mini restorer and modifier and has been for well over a decade. "I used to help my dad work on his cars," recalls Rhys smiling. "When I left home I missed doing this kind of thing, so I started looking for a project. As it happened, I saw a…

One of the great benefits of Mini ownership is the incredible parts supply. It’s a luxury that few classic marque owners can boast - being able to buy practically every component new, off the shelf. It’s a fantastic benefit when it comes to keeping your Mini running and road legal, but in the constant battle against rust, it’s the availability of panels where the Mini stands head and shoulders above any other marque. “When it comes to saloons, there’s nothing you can’t buy” There aren’t many panels that are not available - some parts for the commercials are no longer made - but when it comes to saloons, there’s nothing you can’t buy. M-Machine started making replacement panels for the early Minis way back in 1980, initially to cater of…

LASER TOOLS IMPACT DRIVER £88.39 The addition of a flexi-head handle on this tool lets you keep your hand out of harm’s way, while adding extra leverage to the action of the impact driver. The handle also gives you more control, letting you line up the tool precisely — a sharp, careful tap with the hammer and the screw is released. • 01926 818196 • www.lasertools.co.uk WEBCON REPLACEMENT STARTER VALVE KIT (FOR WEBER DCD CARBURETTOR) £31.50 The Weber DCD has been used on classic cars since the 1960s. However, if left in damp conditions for any length of time the starter valve has a tendency to seize. You can now service the entire Starter Valve assembly easily and cheaply with Webcon’s new DCD Starter Valve Kit. The kit contains a…

After a few months of living the retirement dream, Dad returned to the garage and got back to work on the Mini City project. Driving to the IMM in Bristol was always the longterm goal, except that lovely, relaxed deadline quickly turned into a pressing deadline of a couple of weeks, as it always seems to! We left off with refreshed panels and rear subframe, with the running gear all refurbished and ready to roll. To save costs and keep as much original Longbridge orange peel as possible, it was decided to only rub down and paint the parts necessary. So out came the wet and dry paper and masking tape, with a time slot booked in with local bodywork pro Sean Bedford. Sean resprayed my grey Mini years ago,…

• The Fuchs Lubricants Classic Mini Challenge moved over the Irish Sea to Lisburn County Down and got the Down Rally for 52 miles of closed road action over 11 stages. It was a credit to the event that in its 60th year, the Mini brand was the well supported with two John Cooper WRC Minis in the top 3 in the hands of Jon Armstrong and Daniel Harper. Plus all six classic Minis finishing the thoroughly enjoyable event. Congratulations to the winning teams 1st Jim Brindle / Martin Young 2nd Jeff Robinson / Ian Evans 3rd Louise Thomas / Heidi Woodcock.…

The M7RC’s first ever triple-header Challenge was scuppered as only two of the three scheduled races produced a result. Red flags were soon waved for stranded cars, plus a treacherous mixture of oil and rain which precluded any further racing on Saturday afternoon, with the Miglia of Rob Howard and the Se7en of Darren Thomas heavily damaged, the latter needing a hospital visit for a precautionary check over. Thankfully, he returned later for the Club’s evening BBQ ‘shindig’ held in Bernie’s Bar, atop the pitlane building, complete with views out over the circuit and sand dunes! An early Sunday start for the second attempt thankfully stayed dry, and the action was superb all the way. After a disastrous Thruxton weekend back in May, Rupert Deeth’s Miglia fortunes immediately improved, and…

Taking place for the second time since its 2017 debut, the biennial Hungaroring Classic further underlined its refreshingly eclectic nature as it attracted 60,000 people to Hungary’s Grand Prix venue on July 12-14. The event includes all the priceless sports cars and motorsport exotica you’d expect of a high end classic motorsport event in western Europe, but uniquely mixed with cars produced behind the Iron Curtain, and – thanks to Mini Club Hungary – a fantastic display of Minis. Hot on the heels of a busy meeting the previous weekend, the hosts of IMM 2012 joined forces with MINI to construct an incredible 60th anniversary display. Remarkably, this included a ten metre tall ‘Mini 60 Tower’ featuring three classic Minis suspended high above the ground in a rigid truss structure.…

MAYFAIR PLAY Name: Neil Baker Car: 1984 Mayfair 998 Auto Location: Eastbourne • Neil’s 1984 Mini is called Dorris. He found her on eBay back in November 2016 and she was in a sorry state with no windows, inner or outer sills or boot floor and a rusted out driver’s floor pan. She needed two new rear quarters and a driver’s corner scuttle. All the work didn’t put Neil off though. He has since converted it to a manual box. Being 6 foot 7, he’s had to source different seats (he went for BMW MINI seats) and has remounted them. Neil has had the head off the Mayfair, and ground and seated the valves too. He has sourced all of the missing pieces himself and did the full restoration and…

How do you feel about the rebuild? We’re just pleased that we can get it done on time. It’s been three years in the planning! What’s up next? The wiring looms are the next job. It had a really bad repair job at one point in it history – it had even been on fire at one point! But we’ve sourced a new wiring loom, so that goes in next. Any problems? We’ve had no problems at all with the build, it’s just been the paint. We had it sent away three times before we were completely happy with the finish. By the end of next year we will have our own paint shop, we’re getting a spray booth fitted. It will make everything so much easier, having that level…

You’ve never seen a man happier than me when I’m riding about in this. It’s just the most stunning thing to drive. It’s so quick and it just grips because it’s got such a wide stance.” Mike Brewer has only had his car for two weeks, and he can’t wait to take us out in it. He’s been out for a drive every day that he’s had it and his love for this intriguing little car is splashed all over his face. His enthusiasm is infectious, but it’s hard not to fall for this little Cooper. It starts on the button, pulls like you wouldn’t believe and emits that blissful telltale whine of a straight-cut box. “A little bit of air conditioning would help… but it’s just brilliant!” Mike laughs…

“The finish has to be flawless or it will show in the finished job” If you’ve spent a fortune restoring the bodywork on your Mini, the last thing you’ll want to do is re-fit pitted and tired looking chrome and brightwork. On many models, you can still buy bumpers and the majority of bright finished components brand new off the shelf. But for those working on early or rarer models, or where it’s vital to the car’s integrity that all original components are retained, the parts may need to be repaired and replated. Chrome plating is a very skilled operation. It requires industrial levels of equipment and an enormous volume of various chemicals, but the electro chemical process of plating the metal is the last in a long line of…

It’s starting to be a familiar pattern. I spend some time on the Elf, I’m happy with the progress that’s been made, I take it for a decent run, and then tuck it away in the unit in the belief that next time I want to go out in it, it will just be a case of jump in and drive off. The Elf always has other ideas... You may remember that in my haste to get the Riley back on the road in time for Himley Hall back in May, I decided that I’d attempt a repair on the rusted through hydrolastic pipes rather than replace them. It’s a quick, temporary fix but meant I wouldn’t have to drop both subframes down to get new pipes in place. No-one…