Innehållsförteckning för Summer 24 från MiniWorld

This year the Mini celebrates its 65th anniversary, and what better way for us to mark the occasion than with a jumbo-sized issue? Within these pages you’ll find a plethora of feature cars representing the key areas of the Mini legend over the years. Illustrating the evolution of the model, we begin with a Mk1 848cc survivor, and move on to a subtly tweaked Mk2 Cooper S, a thoughtfully restored Clubman, and one of the very last off the line, a 51-reg Cooper Sport 500. We’re showcasing the myriad variants of the Mini with a restomod Van, a Moke, an Italian-market Innocenti 120L, and a coachbuilt Wood & Pickett Margrave. Tuner culture has always been a vital part of the story, and we celebrate this with a hugely powerful Honda…

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 metalflake? 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 Charlie…

The pursuit of ultimate pleasure can lead you down some pretty serpentine and opulently appointed pathways. Fans of Douglas Adams’ iconic Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy will be familiar with the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster: the so-called ‘best drink in existence’, this cocktail mixes the Ol’ Janx Spirit with the water of the seas from Santraginus V, along with three cubes of Arcturan mega-gin, a measure of Qualactin Hypermint extract, the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger, all bubbled through with Fallian marsh gas – the effect of drinking it is said to be like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick. Which, back in the early 1970s, was essentially the effect that could be achieved by driving a Wood & Pickett Margrave.…

WHERE: Surbiton WHEN: May 18th 65th anniversary celebrations around the old Cooper garage The Community Brain (www.thecommunitybrain.org) works with communities to develop their sense of identity, cohesion and strength through activity. Around two years ago Robin Hutchinson (Director) had the idea to bring the local and wider community together around the former Cooper garage in Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, to celebrate the success of the Mini Cooper S winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, and its creator, John Cooper. On arriving, 33 EJB was proudly on display on the forecourt of the garage alongside one of the Monte Carlo limited edition cars from the 1990s. There were lots of activities throughout the day, including a speech from Mike Cooper (son of John Cooper) covering the history of Surbiton from the…

1959 3rd April 1959 The first ‘true’ Austin Mini Se7ens, chassis no. 101 & 102, are hand-built at Longbridge 7th May 1959 Production begins at Cowley – the first Morris Mini-Minor registered is 621 AOK, which now lives at the British Motor Museum 18th August 1959 BMC’s official press launch of the new car at Chobham, Surrey 26th August 1959 Austin Se7en and Morris Mini-Minor launched January 1960 Austin Se7en Van and Morris Minivan announced September 1960 ‘Woody’ Austin Se7en Countryman and Morris Mini-Traveller launched January 1961 Mini Pick-up arrives on the market January 1964 Paddy Hopkirk wins the Monte Carlo Rally in a Mini Cooper S January 1964 998cc Mini Cooper launched March 1963 1071cc Austin and Morris Mini Cooper S launched January 1963 Mk2 Riley Elf and Wolseley…

2024 JULY 27 PUPfest 2024 British Motor Museum, Gaydon www.minipickup.club 28 Cotswold Classic Mini Tour Fairford to Lechlade gary.haynes0509@hotmail.co.uk AUGUST 1 Mod’n’ Mini Night Ace Café, London https://london.acecafe.com 3-4 Mini Festival Brands Hatch www.brandshatch.co.uk/2024 3-4 Fastest Mini in the World Brands Hatch www.fmitw.com 21-25 Mini Beer&Betzel Kembs, Alsace minibeerbretzel@gmail.com 23-25 The East Anglian Job Applewood Countryside Park, Norfolk http://www.nmoc.co.uk/east-anglian-job.html 23-25 Silverstone Festival Silverstone Motor Circuit www.silverstone.co.uk/events/silverstone-festival 31 - Sept 1 Fort Mahon Plage Mini Festival Côte d’Opale, France laurent.roussel62520@gmail.com SEPTEMBER 1 Minis by the Sea Steyne Gardens, Worthing www.facebook.com/wsmocmbts 1 Mini National Day Statfold Country Park, Tamworth mini. national.day.show@gmail.com www.facebook.com/EastMidsMinis 5 Mod’n’ Mini Night Ace Café, London https://london.acecafe.com 6-8 Goodwood Revival Goodwood Motor Circuit www.goodwood.com/motorsport/goodwood-revival 15 Mini Fest Stanford Hall, Leicestershire www.britishminiclub.co.uk OCTOBER 1-10 The Italian Job Rome-Turin www.italianjob.com/the-italian-job 3…

We’ve all done it, trawling through the classifieds and internet auction sites browsing old cars in a bid to track down that elusive bargain. Sometimes it works out very nicely, but often the reality can be quite the opposite. Once that potential project materialises on your driveway in the metal (or should we say rust?) it can prove to be a sobering moment. Richard Smith would find out the hard way that buying cars blind isn’t always a wise move, but despite the odds stacked against him he’s come out with a true stunner. It just took a little longer than expected… Richard’s passion for the classic Mini began back in the late ’80s when he was a nipper. “We had a few Minis in our family, including a Clubman…

Daniel D'Cruz looks like a normal guy. He’s a care home manager by day, so he’s clearly going to be a good person, and looking at his happy, smiling face there’s nothing to suggest that there’s anything out of the ordinary going on with him. And yet, there has to be something mildly unhinged about him because normal, sane people do not go around building Minis like this… "The first time I saw a Mini that piqued my interest in these cars was when I was about 14 or 15 years old," Daniel begins as we chat. "I was walking home from school one day, and this blue Mini with a dual centre-exit DTM-style exhaust flew by, went around a roundabout like it was on rails, and then shot off.…

The annual International Mini Meeting takes place in a different European country every year. In 2019 Mini IG Bamberg were awarded the opportunity to run the 2020 IMM, but the pandemic meant that they didn’t get their chance until 2024. Unfortunately, they were not blessed with good weather as rain, thunder and lightning ravaged the site in Geiselwind, Germany, during the whole time. Thankfully it didn’t affect the event, apart from the planned helicopter rides over the site. Most of the Minis travelling many miles arrived on the Thursday evening, when tents were erected over the large camping area before the first of four party nights. There was a packed schedule of events and attendees could even meet Monte Carlo Rally-winning legend Rauno Aaltonen. Other event highlights included a show-and-shine,…

Over 5,300,000 Minis were built between 1959 and 2000, and as the varied and diverse features throughout this special edition of MiniWorld have keenly demonstrated, the evolution of the model was rapid and relentless right to the end. And as we began with a genesis-spec Mk1 848, so we’re closing with one of the very last Minis to roll off the production line. The eagle-eyed will have already spotted that this Mini is wearing a 51-plate, which is highly unusual and acts as a regular conversation-starter in itself. In fact, this car – belonging to Carolyn and Richard Holmes – is one of the last 500 classic Minis ever made. Only 384 more Minis left the production line after this one was built in September 2000, and it is registered…

The afternoon of May 19th saw Minis from the Cornish Mini Club set off on an adventure from the Falmouth Pitch and Putt that was to follow a route along the narrow leafy lanes of the Lizard Peninsula – perfect Mini territory! To add to the challenge, the directions sheet also had a set of observational questions designed to be answerable from the car – there was no need to leave the vehicle even though the weather was perfect. The run was designed to take around two hours, ending up at The Fat Apples café near St. Keverne just in time for opening. The team who got the most questions right would win the coveted Cornish Mini Club ‘Grand Day Out 4: The Green Lanes Special’ mug. So, it was…

Scott Turner has owned this Mk2 Cooper S since around 2010, but only began to refurbish it in recent years. “I bought it from a man who had owned it for 28 years. The crank broke and he put it in his garden and wrapped it in a tarpaulin, so I bought it off him,” recalls Scott. “It was built on the 22nd May 1969 and despatched from Longbridge on 16th January 1970. It is very strange that it waited around so long at the Longbridge factory.” The Mini had been taken to Downton by its first owner when it was two years old. “They had a Downton Stage 3 conversion fitted to it. That included a ported and polished head, and a lightened flywheel and HS4 twin carbs.” Downton…

Classic Minis unite families-fact! Paul Gershon is proof, as he’s the first to admit he loves them and his son Troy also shares the passion. Paul’s had two, and he and Troy have been on the Italian Job charity run not once, but twice. “I’m a dealer,” he explains, “I’m very passionate about old cars and I’m very particular about what I do.” He still has his Cooper that featured on the cover of sister mag Mini Magazine a number of years ago. But how did Paul go from the sportiest Mini to the most rugged? Well, he admits he was a fan of the Moke, but it wasn’t until he came across this yellow one that he thought about owning one. “This Moke had been on sale for ages.…

When the sun goes down in Osaka, the Kanjozoku come out to play. Shadowy outlaws who hunt in packs in their race-inspired Honda Civics, these reprobates go out of their way to taunt the authorities, thrashing around urban loops at antisocial speeds, B- and D-Series motors howling, raucous exhausts rasping, faces obscured by window nets, living for the moment, living for the night. The Kanjo Loop is an elevated expressway around the centre of Osaka. You may have heard of the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway, commonly known as the Wangan? That’s a long, wide, straight road, favoured by high-power turbo street-racers. The Kanjo is sort of the opposite – a tight, narrow highway with lots of corners; Kanjo racers need agility as well as pep and get-up-and-go. The…