Innehållsförteckning för December 2022 från Mini Magazine

Every now and then a car comes along that shakes up the scene to such an extent that things can never be the same again. Cars that are so beautifully executed, so intelligent in their forward-thinking construct, that the very parameters of perception have to be reframed. Now, we’re kinda spoiled in the Mini scene in that eyeopening builds like this aren’t all that uncommon – it’s a natural product of so many talented people all carving out their own niche. But even within this exalted company, Jayme Hill’s Mini stands out as something really special – turn to p.36 to find out why. Elsewhere in the mag we’ve got so many treats for you; a hot little Zeemax with a Mini Speed motor, a Mk1 over from New Zealand,…

The Southside Hustle is an event that’s been growing in subculture notoriety through 2022. Founded by the dearly departed Charles Evans (aka @douzecoupes), who tragically took his own life earlier in the year, this is a meet fully aligned with his ethos: that cars are there to be used, and they’re for all of us to enjoy. As such, there’s no snobbery or pretension about the Southside Hustle; yes, there’s a broad spread of vehicles that turn up and some of them happen to be rare supercars or high-value classics, but everyone’s there for the same reason – to casually chat and hang out with likeminded individuals for an hour or two. It’s such a friendly atmosphere, you can’t help but come away from it with your cockles warmed. The…

Racing Lines is really finding out how many racing drivers have had a spell in a Mini, which is a renowned and well-loved racing marque in motorsport – to date we’ve caught up with ten exceptional racers and there are so many more to interview. This month I had a chat with with Nick Padmore – one of the UK’s leading historic race drivers who’s equally happy at the wheel of a historic Formula 1 car or a classic Mini. You’ll usually see Nick jostling at the front in the FIA classic Mini races or pedalling hard in the Mini Miglia series… What was the first Mini you raced, and what was its specification and standout features? The first Mini I raced was my dad’s original FIA Historic Mini Cooper…

Send ‘Your Minis’ pictures to minimag.ed@kelsey.co.uk PERFETTI BOLOGNESE Name: Stefano Possati Car: 1967 Cooper S Location: Bologna, Italy ■ Stefano’s Austin Mini Cooper S has an interesting story behind it. It was originally sold as a left-hand-drive model to the United States, where it was raced through the 1960s and ’70s. The car has recently been beautifully restored, in a manner which preserves its competition history; it still has the race fuel tank, and the 1293 engine sports its period 1969 8-port Special Tuning works alloy head, along with the twin Dell’Ortos and 5-speed ’box. With 4-pot KAD brakes and a Radiomobile 900 it’s suited to both road and track, and the finish throughout is sublime. We love this. TINY TERROR Name: Jenny Etherington Car: Kamtec racer Location: UK ■…

The story of the Mini in New Zealand stretches back almost to the birth of model itself, with production of complete-knockdown (CKD) Morris Mini-Minors starting up at Panmure, Auckland in 1960. It can be entertaining (and complex) to pick over the history of these Dominion Motorsbuilt cars, not least because the factory wasn’t all that bothered about keeping records; thankfully British Motor Heritage can come to the rescue with their own bookkeeping, and with the car you see here we know that it was shipped to New Zealand as a CKD in 1965, specified with a cloth interior and no heater – as items such as heaters and upholstery were often sourced locally. The most recent chapter of its history dates back to 2013, and thankfully that’s something we’re able…

Sometimes all is not as it seems. At first glance, this ’91 saloon would appear to be just another typical rat-look Mini, and in many ways it is. The brakes, suspension and even the wheels may all be familiar to seasoned Mini fans – but beyond all that, some radical changes have taken place. Perhaps the biggest clue to the wildly different powerplant that lurks under the skin is the lack of an exhaust or, once on the move, any familiar soundtrack associated with a typical Mini. If you hadn’t already guessed, this is an electric-powered classic Mini. Built by EV specialists Opto Innovation, we couldn’t resist taking a closer look… Electric vehicles, or EVs as they’re more commonly known, certainly split opinion, and a decade or so ago the…

Cars are machines, built to be used. That may seem like a truism, and we mean no disrespect to the moneyed collectors who keep their automobiles pristine with delivery mileage in air-conditioned vaults, but the fundamental purpose of a car is to transport its occupants from point A to point B. Naturally, for folk like us, this journey invariably involves a pointless and very rapid detour down the twisty route to point C and back, and it’s for this manner of frivolity that cars like the Mini Cooper came to exist. Ostensibly designed to be a surprisingly spacious and economical city car with a tiny footprint, it was one of the all-time good decisions to chuck a bit of extra power into the Mini and reframe it as something more visceral.…

MODERN MINI • MODERN MINI • MODERN MINI • MODERN MINI • MODERN MINI how do you replace a car that’s been on sale for four decades? That was the headache facing Rover, especially when BMW took the helm in 1994. Concepts debuting in 1997 kept Classic Mini fans guessing, but as it turns out, these were all designs rejected before the final Frank Stephenson styled model. That model, or the R50 MINI as we now know it, finally made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September of that same year. However, with Rover’s sale to the Phoenix consortium, BMW keeping the MINI brand and production moving from Longbridge in Birmingham to Cowley in Oxford, it took a further four years for the New MINI to be revealed…

The trouble with living in times of constant connectivity, online backslapping and the immediate proliferation of fresh ideas into played-out old hat, is that it’s far too easy to overthink things. There’s a lot to be said for the timeworn, age-old behaviour of simply saying ‘sod it’. Just doing things for the sake of it. History is studded with discoveries, inventions and, yes, warnings from people whose you-only-live-once attitude has led them into action simply to see what would happen. Have you ever considered what possessed the first person ever to try and milk a cow? What the hell were they up to? And Benjamin Franklin flew a kite in a thunderstorm, Marie Curie messed about with radium… if you don’t try new things, how will you ever know what…

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. ■ 29th October Flame & Thunder Fun for all the family at Santa Pod – they’ve got jet cars, stunts, drag racing, and a huge fireworks display. www.santapod.co.uk ■ 3rd November Mod ‘n’ Mini Meet The first Thursday of the month sees a wide and varied array of metal convening at the legendary Ace Café on the North Circular. Be there or be square. london.acecafe.com ■ 3rd-6th November Rally of the Tests This year will see the 20th anniversary of this iconic rally, run from Blackpool to Torquay in often gruelling conditions. Remember your Thermos of Bovril. heroevents.eu/event-schedule/ ■ 6th…

We arrived at Cadwell Park on the Friday evening, and on Saturday morning awoke to a dry but overcast day. During the qualifying session the car wasn’t handling well and was clearly down on power; Mark pushed on and managed to qualify 5th. We came back in and made some adjustments to the rear tracking to improve the handling. The timing, fuel mixture and valve clearances were checked next, hoping to find something to explain the lack of power. With the adjustments done we headed out for race 1 – from the start it became apparent we were still lacking power, as the other cars pulled away from Mark leaving him in 6th place. Thankfully the adjustments to the tracking improved handling and Mark managed to pull a place back, seeing…

PROJECT PROFILE THE OWNER NAME: Kevin Dickson AGE: 42 OCCUPATION: Landscape gardener LOCATION: Teesside Northeast THE CAR: CAR: 1995 Rover Mini Cabriolet START CONDITION: Running with MOT, a usable car but needing some work in the future CONDITION NOW: Stripped bare shell TIME TAKEN SO FAR: 6 months ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: January 2023 Along with his dad, Kevin Dickson has become something of a serial Mini restorer – as this 1995 Rover Cabriolet is their sixth project to date. Kev first got into Minis when he was just 15 and became hooked from then on. Later in life, he decided to tackle a full restoration of a Mini 30 with his dad’s help and the projects have kept on coming. “We just seem to come across these cars without…

Everyone has their favourites in the Mini event calendar. Some prefer static shows, whereas some like Mini runs and others covet the get-on-aferry trips. But many of us like all three, and there’s one event that combines these elements with a relaxed atmosphere, an uncanny knack of attracting blue skies, and the f lexibility to make it whatever you want it to be. Step forward, the Isle of Wight Mini Adventure. The event’s roots extend back to 2017, when Red Funnel set up discounted ferry crossings to entice Mini owners across the Solent. Since 2018, West Country Minis has taken over the reins to great effect, with the event taking place for the sixth year running on September 17-18. Red Funnel have continuing to provide the discounts too; for 2022,…

BEFORE STARTING The first rule of working on cars and using tools of any kind is don’t be stupid. Make sure personal protective gear – goggles, gloves, ear defenders, masks and a set of overalls - are hanging on a hook in your garage and use them wisely. If you’re working with power tools, protective gear is essential. Never attempt to work under a car without supporting it securely using suitably strong axle stands. If you haven’t got a fire extinguisher, buy one and keep it near to hand. The bottom line? If you’re not completely confident of your own ability to complete any task safely, don’t even start it. Leave it to the experts. They might not sound exciting, but your rear brakes still serve an important role, even…

The Mini celebrated its 40th birthday in 1999, and John Cooper Garages marked the occasion with a trio of official special editions – the Cooper S Works, the Cooper S Sport 5 (showcased on this page in issue 332), and this one – the Cooper S Touring. These cars were built with official backing from Rover, but sold exclusively through John Cooper Garages, and the spec of the S Touring was attractive: starting with Cooper’s 86bhp engine upgrade, the team then added uprated suspension, 165-section tyres to fill out the optional Sportspack arches, and unique S Touring decals. The model came with an alloy filler cap and Cooper valve caps, etched stainless sill covers and, as an expensive option at £1,655, the possibility of a Jack Knight 5-speed ’box (which…

knowing nothing about MINIs, I started looking online for cool and quicker cars that were ‘cheap’. I didn’t have anything against French cars but that was just not it for me. Not Japanese cars either. And MINIs? Nah, too expensive, or so I thought. What I thought was so cool about the MINI was the stock features it had, like the bonnet scoop, the centre-exit exhaust, the supercharger, and many more things – but the price…? I found one offered for sale for €2,600 with 110k miles in the Netherlands, and it was this ‘cheap’ because it was a righthand-drive. How cool is it to have a right-hand-drive in the Netherlands?! I set my budget at €1,500 because I didn’t really need a car at all, and I was still a…

■ The idea of electrifying Minis is gaining increasing traction, and there are a lot of options being developed. We looked at Electrogenic’s conversion for smallcarBIGCITY back in issue 329, and there’s a more affordable alternative on p.70 of this issue. Falling into the more premium restomod space is Aznom Automotive’s new ‘Toys 4 Boys’ brand. It’s not obvious why they think this is specifically for boys (frankly, the idea that cars can be gendered is pretty ridiculous), but what is obvious is the quality. The Mk5 donor has been restored and reimagined in the style of a 1960s racer, and fitted with an electric drivetrain good for a 140km range. There are various driving modes along with such modern additions as digital dials and LED lights, so it sounds…

As series leader in the 1.3-litre Miglias going into the Welsh weekend at Anglesey, Rupert Deeth maintained his points advantage despite Andrew Jordan twice heading him past the chequered flag. Light rain beginning to fall towards the end of Saturday’s opener, making track conditions very tricky, while Sunday morning’s rerun played out under near-Mediterranean skies and the stunning backdrop of Irish Sea and Snowdonia mountains. Behind the leading pair, Kane Astin and Ben Colburn took a 3rd place apiece in the respective Saturday/Sunday encounters. It was ‘honours even’ in the 1.0-litre Mini Se7ens, Jordan’s father Mike sharing the spoils with title rival Connor O’Brien - the latter benefitting from leader Joe Thompson’s hairpin overshoot to inherit Saturday’s wet encounter, with Jordan in the final podium spot ahead of Lee ‘Rainmaster’…

The Goodwood Revival gathers together the kind of cars and bikes that would have competed at the iconic circuit in the period 1948-66, with all in attendance coming in splendid period dress. The theme illustrates the dates that the track opened after WW2, and the time it shut down when it was felt that ‘modern’ racers were getting too fast. No such worries about that today! As the 2022 race card proves, there’s no holding back when The Duke of Richmond is pulling the strings; the cars at the Revival may be eye-wateringly expensive, but they exist to race and that’s exactly what they do. If they get bent, so be it – they were built to compete, and the fact that they do so with such vigour makes for…

The old saying goes that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. (Frankly, even one way sounds like too many, but hey – idioms aren’t always coined by the good guys.) And this is a state of affairs that’s very much in evidence in the Mini scene. After all, this is an entity that’s been intricately interwoven into the fabric of culture and society for 63 years; it’s as old as Hugh Laurie and Suzanne Vega, as Ben-Hur and Living Doll. With all that’s passed between that point and this, it’s easy to become blasé and say yes, OK, we’ve probably seen all that we’re likely to see here. And then a fresh Mini comes along, something so inherently right and clever and attractive and intriguing that it…

If there’s one thing that most of us would like to do, it’s turn back the clock. Whether it be to right a wrong that was done to us, or correct a mistake we made ourselves, going back in time could solve a lot of our problems. Although there is the whole sticky concept of starting a paradox which could ultimately unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe… at least that’s what Doc Brown warned us about. But for the most of us, it still serves as a wonderful idea, even if not to divert the path of the future in any way and just to be able to relive some of our most treasured memories all over again. But you don’t need a…

We were just starting to get the hang of the new millennium by 2001 – ayear which we could comfortably call by its own name, rather than having to precede it with ‘the year…’ like we did in the year 2000. (See, still doing it today.) It was a beezer of a year for talent-spawning too, seeing the births of such luminaries as Billie Eilish, Bukayo Saka and Maisie Smith. And July was a proper boom time for culture – Sexy Beast and The Fast and the Furious were in the cinema, The White Stripes’ White Blood Cells and Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American were fresh out in HMV, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec came out on the PS2, and The Office debuted on BBC2. Here in the Mini Magazine office?…

MODERN MINI • MODERN MINI • MODERN MINI • MODERN MINI • MODERN MINI Series 3, Episode 4 of Top Gearairedon the BBC in November 2003, nigh-on exactly nineteen years before the papery thing you’re holding in your hands rolled off the printing press. In that episode, Richard Hammond assured us of a truth that we can all agree with: “Everyone knows that the MINI is cool… and more than that, the Cooper S – the hot version of it – is right up here [on the Cool Wall] in the clear air of sub-zero. It is a phenomenon. Everyone wants one.” What was particularly fun about this period in the R53 timeline was that it wasn’t just the mainstream Cooper S that was being showcased on Top Gear, but…