Re: It's Only a Mini !
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 1:43 pm
I fear Cybermat is missing the point about a Mini when mentioning Corsa/Fiesta or whatever. It's not that they were a supercar; it's because they broke new ground and were something that almost gave birth to the flood of FWD cars that followed it. OK, Citroen had FWD many years earlier, but the Mini moved the concept "mainstream" and, perhaps more importantly, captured the spirit of the sixties.
When I bought my Hornet (in early '71), it wasn't just because I wanted a Mini: I'd have preferred a van of some sort - but was more or less pushed to a Mini by the local garage, who said that if it broke down, any garage would be able to sort it. The Transit has similar status - most van-owners have driven one and most country garages have repaired them - though my neighbour (who worked for the local Ford commercial dealer) came unstuck working on a Merc van that had come in to the garage in part-exchange for a new Transit!
I'm not starting a "what's a classic" argument, but there are some cars that broke new ground ( Morris Minor, Mini, Mk1 Golf GTI and - arguably - the Ford Sierra spring to mind). None are "supercars" and none would have been thought of as classics, but they had a major influence in the design of cars that followed.
The pictures of early Minis does bring back some childhood memories. One of my aunts had a run of new Minis from 1962 (WTY 53) until the "A" prefixed one she has when she died in 1985 (or so). As a young lad, the new cars impressed me (compared to our boring old Minor Travellers!). As an adult, travelling from Haydon Bridge to Newcastle (General Hospital) in the winter of 78/9 in my aunt's car was almost purgatory! My mother used to do the Penrith - Haydon Bridge leg of the trip in her Marina - it was a much nicer car (but not ground breaking like a Mini was!)
When I bought my Hornet (in early '71), it wasn't just because I wanted a Mini: I'd have preferred a van of some sort - but was more or less pushed to a Mini by the local garage, who said that if it broke down, any garage would be able to sort it. The Transit has similar status - most van-owners have driven one and most country garages have repaired them - though my neighbour (who worked for the local Ford commercial dealer) came unstuck working on a Merc van that had come in to the garage in part-exchange for a new Transit!
I'm not starting a "what's a classic" argument, but there are some cars that broke new ground ( Morris Minor, Mini, Mk1 Golf GTI and - arguably - the Ford Sierra spring to mind). None are "supercars" and none would have been thought of as classics, but they had a major influence in the design of cars that followed.
The pictures of early Minis does bring back some childhood memories. One of my aunts had a run of new Minis from 1962 (WTY 53) until the "A" prefixed one she has when she died in 1985 (or so). As a young lad, the new cars impressed me (compared to our boring old Minor Travellers!). As an adult, travelling from Haydon Bridge to Newcastle (General Hospital) in the winter of 78/9 in my aunt's car was almost purgatory! My mother used to do the Penrith - Haydon Bridge leg of the trip in her Marina - it was a much nicer car (but not ground breaking like a Mini was!)
. We could have cornered the market in virtually rot free minis.....
