The Old Mini.

[tonyav]

Have you ever owned one ?, was it your first car. Or did you learn to drive in one. Some interesting pic's here from Italy !.


http://cars.uk.msn.com/features/international-mini-meeting-2013-we-sample-some-mini-mania#image=1

[missnemesis]

Morning Tony. Our first car was a Mini Clubman Estate. It was an awesome wee motor and much bigger on the inside than it looked.

Two kids and a dog later we had to give in and buy a bigger car but we did always intend to buy another mini to 'do up'. It hasn't happened yet but there's time yet =D

[tonyav]

Yes I remember the 'Clubmans ' squared of nose.

Expensive these day's, not many around now.

[jake-the-peg]

Oh gosh yes - it was the first car we got for my wife.

I think everyone had one at some point didn't they? it's the law!

[RATTER15]

I had a few but not my first car, I had a Mini Clubman, a Mini Pickup and a rally prepare cooper S, great little things, the cooper s was incredible, cornered like it was on rails! I would like one now, just not practical.

[tonyav]

Yes Jake or a variant of it, I owned a Riley Elf at one time.

[tonyav]

Those old Cooper S's very hard to find and very expensive to buy now RATTER.

[wendilla]

I can remember some good times in the back of one . Bit cramped lol lol

[FredPuli43]

Luxury!Ah, they don't build cars like that now You don't get cars with a piece of string to open the doors, nowadays. And as for the slider windows...

[Quoi]

Only recently swapped my clubman estate for a Merc - i liked it for what it was & still love that engine noise.

[tonyav]

Naughty gal, wendilla, Lol, amazing what you could do in the back of a Mini isn't it!.

[tonyav]

Ah yes, the tappety noise of the old A series engine.

[elgreco]

I was taught to drive at school. I was in the fifth form, 16 I think. The AA had donated two minis to the school and every Saturday morning, 6 of us would turn up and be instructed on how to drive by two Police traffic sergeants around the playgrounds. Then we had an hour lecture on mechanics, road safety and the highway code. Exam at the end. This was 1967. the minis had the old very floppy gear levers and a starter button on the floor. Both painted AA yellow with AA stikers on the doors.
Only just remembered about it. We were very lucky. Some advantages going to a technical school in innercity Birmingham

[wendilla]

never owned one but yes you are right there Tonyav. Those were the days.

[tonyav]

Yes Fred, sheer luxury indeed, well it was compared to a push bike anyway.

[tonyav]

Ah to be young and flexible, wendilla !.

[Hopkirk]

As a kid I remember being a passenger in early ones, with sliding windows in the doors..

The door had a didn't have an inner trim, just a large storage bin across the lower third.

There was a sort of wire handle strung across the width of the door - and you had to yank down on it to open the door.

[tonyav]

Horkirk, maybe for the benefit of this thread, put Paddy in front of your name ;-)

[Hopkirk]

http://kartoshka167.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/bmc9854.jpg

[tonyav]

Yep, great driver was Paddy.

[paddywak]

I never owned one but back in the '60's my best mate did, can't remember what model but I didn't like it much. I'm afraid I was a bit of a poser/boy racer in those days and an MGB roadster trumped the mini any day.