OG Twin-Cammers may remember this car, but as I was back with its owner, I felt it a good opportunity to revisit this 1960 Morris Mini-Minor. Apologies for the sheer amount of voiceover towards the end, but we got rained off during the day. Either way, I hope you enjoy the video!
Great video - just a pity you couldn't have found an all original-spec 1959/60 car sans the aftermarket headlight cowels and those wheels. However, I love the Cherry Red (unique to the Morris Mini-Minor version) body colour available at launch in '59.
These cars are very kindly offered to me by my ever-generous viewers and subscribers. I cannot work with something I don’t have or have not been offered.
Excellent video. This young man has talent. He was so poised that it was like just being there with him.... Very nice camera work, too. New subscriber.
I never owned a Mini myself, which is quite amazing as I have owned about 100 cars and in 1980 when I passed my driving test in the UK the Mini was a very cheap and popular as a used car. I did however use a 1976 Mini Van as business transport throughout much of 1981/1982, it sounded like a bag of nails but never needed anything other than regualr servicing as far as I remember. I remember topping up the dashpot on the SU carb every week and we used to put redex in there instead of oil. It was noisy and a firm ride, but it was comfortable. I will never forget going to a car show in Bangkok in about 2010 where there were a lot of very impressive cars including gull wing mercs etc, but the vehicle that got the most attention in the show was a early Mini Pickup. I learned later that it had a Daihatsu 660cc Turbo engine in it, this was also a very popular engine swap in Japan. It's hard to appreciate the love that is reserved for the Mini in Asia.
I should send you a story I wrote of the time a mate and I went up to his brother's farm to pull a beige 1964 Morris Mini Minor out from under the trees where it had sat for several years. His brother had given it to him if he could get it running and with a bit of Kiwi ingenuity, we did just that. For a start, the poor thing had sat there for so long that the pine needles were up to its sills and covered the front and rear bumper as well. The story has the highs and the lows, including the sheer joy of getting it to run and stop ad fixing things we knew little about, to then encountering a sudden downpour while the bonnet was off and the sudden lost of the entire exhaust system. In fact, many things fell off it as we drove it along the gravel roads of the little country town - including the sudden departure of the entire boot floor. The work we did on it after we got it road legal got the car a lot of attention and it ended up a beautiful copper bronze metallic colour instead of beige/pink with huge rust holes as we found it, although she still ran her 850cc donk (albeit with twin 1.75" Strombergs off a Singer Vogue - and yes, the 850 could not idle at anything less than 100rpm or it would flood and stall). I owned a 1954 A30 at the time and there was no way that I could keep up with the Mini if I tried. I recently bought a 1977 Mini and find it one of the most fun cars I have ever driven....in fact I would say it is the car with the most fun one could ever ask for and yet still be doing less than the speed limit! Putting new shocks and cones in certainly helps sort out most of the issues with ride comfort, but she is still a fairly stiff ride. It's like nothing else one could drive on the road. Melvin would be close, though.
Just an add on to your very good presentation on the Suez Crisis: Eisenhower who was US President in 1956 and made the call to undercut his former allies later admitted in his memoirs that his action over Suez was the single biggest regret of his Presidency and he should have supported the British and French intentions.
Great review. When I was a kid in Canada, these were all over the place. People either loved them or thought they were crazy. Other cars on the road on the time were either giant American models or tiny British imports- MGs and Triumphs were the sports cars of choice. There were no Japanese cars on the road in North America, so this was it. The quality of the photography in this video is eye-popping, and your enthusiasm and presentation are wonderful, as always.
My Dad owned 3 of the Mk 1 Mini's back in the 1960's his favourite was the Morris Mini Cooper in green with a white roof Reg No XDL 861 loved the iconic car since I was a kid and still do 👍👍👍
That has to be one of the best Mini documentaries I have seen, great editing too! Ive loved the Mini since I was about 4 but I'll always remember travelling in an early Mini, I couldn't get over the the amount of space! Easily one of the best cars ever made! 👍😎
Brilliant video on perhaps the finest small car of all time. Everyone should at some point in the lives have a drive in a Mini as no other car teaches you more about handling and getting out of trouble, skids and so on. I owned a 1978 Mini 1000 in white many years ago and spent a few weekends scouring breakers yards for chrome bits and pieces to replace all the matt black plastic it had. By the time I had finished my car looked like an earlier model. Chrome trims and hub caps, chrome grill, chrome wheel arch and sill trims and a pair of chrome Tex door mirrors. fond memories of a terrific little car that gave hardly any trouble during the years my wife and I owned it. Most servicing jobs I did myself as they were so easy, including the periodic adjustment of the front brakes using a torch and a flat bladed screwdriver! We used to regularly fit 8 bags of shopping in the Mini. 4 in the boot and 4 under the rear seat! Its was great to drive, zippy round town and despite the 6 gallon fuel tank, economical enough for long holiday drives on 1 tank full. Back then second hand Minis were cheap as chips, not so now days or I would dearly love to buy one as a classic!
Incredibly well researched video Ed, your a natural when it comes to an informed and interesting topic.I have just had the wonderful opportunity to discover a 1961 Austin Seven Mini , unused since 1974 in a remarkable state of preservation, including paintwork and with only 37,000 miles !.Recommisioning is well under way with the emphasis on keeping it as original as possible , cannot wait to get her back on the road in the Spring of next year !
ED, that's one of the best video's I've watched for ages, incredibly well documented, I've been into classic minis for over 30 years and currently own a road legal miglia replica with a 1380 engine/straight cut gearbox/weber carb etc.....your videos are all incredibly well researched, I can't wait for the follow up video, keep up the good work.....Paul.
My parents had a mini when me and my sister were kids, heavy snow one year meant that to get out of our cul-de-sac meant my sister and I sitting on the bonnet to aid traction XDR73 was it's number. In 1982 I learnt to drive in a mini but failed 1st test as the instructor was so big I'd have to ask him to move his leg to change gear and use the handbrake. Great vid as always. Steve
The sheer passion you have in every video you make shines through! The research you’ve done as well on the Mini speaks volumes about how much you love them and want to show them off to the world as the great cars they are! You also have a natural talent to keep your audience entertained, which when it’s just you and a camera, is a very difficult thing to do. Well done Ed, another fantastic video! Can’t wait to see the next instalment!
My dad's sky blue 1960s' Mini (721 LOB) was blown up in an explosion at Manchester's Gould St Gasworks. Great to reminisce watching this brilliant video (with the history of Britain in mid 20th Century thrown in for free!)
Another exceptional video both in its content and its delivery. The engine orientation was moved away from the carb at the front location due to carb icing in colder climes TC.
Another nice one Ed. Great automotive history lesson. You should be on the telly!! lol My old fella had a new mini every year as a company car from 1970 to mid 70's. Fond memories of Mum, Dad and us 3 kids scooting around in these fabulous little cars.
An excellent tribute to a much loved motoring icon produced by a young man who obviously adores his subject. I seem to remember that very early cars had under seat wicker baskets fitted - another example of how not a inch of space was allowed to be wasted.
Your memory serves you well Gary , an optional extra indeed but now very rare but now faithful copies are being reproduced by a specialist, for the underside of the rear seat , but not yet for the rear companion pockets.We have some on order !.
Just a problem with those spark plugs next to the grille in wet weather. However, a classic and a lot of fun to drive! Owners from royalty to pop stars to factory workers and 'mums' Great video yet again! 👍
I remember back in 1983, when me and my bro ( 18 and 17 ) were offered a 1964 ( I think ) Mini, with the rare hydrolastic suspension, for the sum of £60. It needed a new quarter panel and the oil light was on when running. We turned it down.
Young man your reviews are so professional and enjoyable , hell even educational and im 68 and grew up with this kind of motor, the format is visually pleasant but most of all no stupid bloody incessant music noises that pox.s youtube today , just great content 10/10 Well done. Merci from a Yorkshire man in France
Your finest video yet, i think you like the Mini even more than the exhaust you put on Melvin !!! I had an old white 850 in the early 1980's, exterior door hinges and sliding windows ect ect. it did a good job, ran it 3 years and sold if for what i paid for it !! so nice to see that old car designs are in such good hands for the future. 👍👍🙂😎
I enjoyed my Mini, when it wasn’t rusting away before my eyes (it’s not just Italian cars that rust)………..I’d urge everyone with an interest in cars though to sample an original Mini at least once - they offer a driving experience that is hard to beat, even in much more modern or powerful cars. Fabulous little things!
My first car was a 1959 Austin 7 Mini. I bought it in 1973 when I wad 18. As a 14 year old car it was so full of rust that the drivers door simply fell off due to the external hinges. It was unbelievably basic but I still loved it.
Fantastic review, Ed. I love hearing the back stories of the eras and people surrounding these cars. The direct quote from Leonard Lord made me chuckle. Always felt there was something special about Minis, even when I was very young.
Great video Ed , I'm just about to buy my 8th mini Austin mini parklane.... And can't wait. Over the years I have been lucky enough to had a 1963 mini seven. X 2 silver 1979 mini 1098 cc specials , Austin mini auto 1978 , 1983 austin mini in yellow and x2 rover mini coopers in red . All great cars as highlighted here, Small in the mini is beautiful, keep it simple was and still is the best way forwards. 👍🏾
Excellent video. This gives a different aspect to the Mini. It must be hard for the younger generation to really understand just how game changing this car was, and still is really. Brilliant in just about every respect.
Fantastic video as usual. With such a gorgeous subject and setting you’ve made every angle of this informative video an absolute feast for the eyes too! Loved watching every minute of this - thank you! 👍🏼
Have had an 850, 997 Cooper, two 1275/1293:Coper Ss , and a 1275GT❤️❤️❤️ Drove on holiday across most of Europe in them between 1965 and 1975. Absolutely loved them all.
I've only recently discovered your channel Ed and must say that your videos are very well researched and presented. I worked as a mechanic from 1973 and have fond memories of all these classics. Love 'em or hate 'em, they all have a place in history. Pssst! I owned a land crab .........
Once went on a camping holiday with my girlfriend, her best friend & her boyfriend in his mini. 4 of us, 2 two person tents, food, walking gear, sleeping bags & gas stoves. And still pretty comfortable on the trip from West Yorkshire to the Lake District. I was only 18 and not then arthritic, but hey, what a brilliant car. And born the same year as me!
Great video as always to be expected from Twin Cam. Mini is a fascinating car. Look forward to your next issigonis car. Remember watching your Maxi video several times, we had 4. Keep up the good work and say hello to Melvin.
Thank you! Good memories! We had a '67 Mk II Morris Mini 848 with hydrolastic suspension and the long "magic wand shifter". I loved it and my wife, well, let's just say, not so much. When chasing my friends on a cloverleaf turn (USA) sometimes I would pass them on the inside.
What a car. I’m 4 weeks older than the Mini. Just about the most fun car I’ve ever has the privilege of driving. Sadly it wasn’t mine, it was my daughters. A work of total genius, just like his last creation for BMC/BL ( had two and sorely missed)
Exactly. It’s proof that you don’t need eleventy-bajillion horsepower to have huge amounts of fun behind the wheel. As James May once said during his Fiat Panda review in Series 18 of Top Gear, “it’s not actually about how much power you have, it’s about how much power you can use.” …and cue all the young, immature Ferrari/Lamborghini fanboys - who likely aren’t even of legal driving age - who will probably disagree with that statement.
Brilliant video again, great detail. My first car was a 1968 mk2 mini. I got it in nov 1977 just after passing my test. Kept it till jan 1984 when it was scrapped due to rust. Wish I'd kept it! It was an 848 & in summer 1978 I got a 998 engine from the scrap yard. Then in 1981 I bought an Austin 1300 mot failure, took the engine out & put it in the mini. Great acceleration but terrible on the motorway. I learnt the full detail of final drive ratios after the engine was in. I was a student at Leeds polytechnic so drove it as it was as I did the work in a garage near where I lived in Ashby de la Zouch. It over revved & was crying out for a 5th gear or the final drive being lowered to lower the revs. Which is what Rover did in the last made minis after 1996. I felt the mk2 really was an improved original hence my favourite.
My first car in 1978 was a 1960 mini minor just like the one shown . I had it a year and was so happy when I sold it we had a party . The main thing I remember was that it broke down every time it rained and there was a small firework display when you opened the bonnet. The gearchange was really vague . it was incredibly noisy and the thing leaked like a sieve. I wish I still had it haha
I raced a MK1 in winter Rallycross. The wet ignition difficulties were solved by a rubber glove over the distributor with the HT leads coming out if each finger, sealed by tying with string. Plug caps were replaced by motorcycle items. All liberally sprayed with WD40 of course. Also an aluminium plate just big enough behind the grille to shield the distributor helped.
@@chucky2316 Yes the quality of BL (or whatever they were called then) cars was atrocious but now people love and revere them with nostalgia. Me included.
The first car I owned after I got my driving licence in Australia back in 1975 was a 1965 Morris Mini 850. It was blue with a white roof. It cost me $425 AUD. It was written off when someone rear-ended it so the third party insurance covered the same cost for a beige 1963 Mini 850 with the sliding windows. Both were great cars to drive but I can still remember my Mini dying in a thunderstorm and how I had to get very wet myself and spray WD-40 on the distribtor to get it going again! Altogether though they were great cars!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. As skilled as you have become in both the historical and mechanical dimensions of the cars you profile, you have outdone yourself. The context of the Suez crisis as well as the genius of Issigonis were very rich details that only enhanced the presentation. I look forward to catching up on your latest videos. Well done.
Ed, brilliant video and you summed up the Mini perfectly. The Mini was built in Australia by BMC at Zetland in Sydney and sold very well. We had some special models like the Mini K. Love it
As always, nice one TC. My parents had a Mini Traveller in grey with sky-blue roof (go figure} that was a C-reg, 1965 I think. We drove from Huyton in Liverpool to Newquay, Cornwall for a holiday in 1967/8 ish. Heavy canvas frame tent, two adults two smallish children (aged 4-5 ish) and our dog Bill, an Alsatian cross, associated camping gear and enough food to feed the Albanian Army. I think we had a roof rack too. Remember there were much fewer motorways back then, supermarkets as we know them now did not exist. people came out and filled your car up with petrol for you and if you broke down, you either fixed it yourself or walked miles to a public telephone box to call the AA. (not THAT AA of course.) Car travel in the 60's was never boring! We did have a radio fitted, it was hung underneath the shelf on the passenger side and they drilled a hole in the front wing to fit a telescopic aerial. Keep up the good work with these informative videos, love and peace.
What a great review and history lesson in one. I owned a GT for 10 years before I had to sell it last year. Wander what it would of ended up like if the British had updated it over the years.
As a seventeen year old I bought a ten year old Mini. It was an Island Blue, Austin 850. Of all the cars I have ever owned, it is the only one that I wish I still owned. The handling was excellent, it could accommodated four of us and our kit (quite a lot of it too) going to and from work, and it was cheap to run. Unfortunately rust did for it. A friend of mine had an original 59 version like the one in your video.
Excellent video, 100% correct. If you have ever driven an Alfa 156 or Volvo X70 with transverse engines and gearboxes next to the engine, you know how right Issigonis was in putting the gearbox below the engine. To me the man was a genius. There never will be a car as cute as the original Mini. I also find it charming that it reflects the believes of his (her?) designer so well. That will also never happen again!
A Great review again Edd, thanks for that, very informative and well researched. The Mini is by far my favourite and most desired to own cars ever, but sadly rocketing prices have prevented this. Boy did they love to rust and try and fall apart but because they were cheeky and fun people forgave them for this. Looking forwards to your next vid.
Really a joy to watch. Narrating, editing and the in-depth history telling is worth a HUGE audience. In denmark this early model was my very first drive in a friends 850, and already then it was a struggle to get in, and painfully more so, to get out of. I wouldn't want to drive one in public traffic today either - looking directly at other car's bodywork when trying to orientate and position it... But for the day brilliant, and a wonderful piece of history. Thanks, and continue producing excellent videos - this may go far 👍
Another great video. As always, very informative. But, for all your videos I admire the way you take each car on it's own merits, some good, some bad, but never biased against it. Keep up the good work.
Excellent video Ed, really enjoyed it. You’re so right about the whine of that gearbox and the rumble/buzz of the A series engine being the soundtrack of motoring in that era
Great video Ed. As a Brit of a certain age these cars are part of our being. As is their inception. The ‘immigrant’ talent of Issigonis should never be forgotten in the inward-looking Brexit era of now, especially. Thanks.
Brexit is anything but inward-looking. Open your eyes - perhaps your mind too - and look around. Have you heard of all the trade deals being entered into around the world? Or CANZUK? And, right now, AUKUS? It’s about escaping the sloth & inefficiency of the smothering, all-embracing EU and its bureaucracy. And, of course, the ongoing catastrophe that is the Euro currency itself
I've had and enjoyed a couple of Mini's but for me the best Issigonis car I ever owned was the Morris 1800 landcrab - that was like a cathedral inside and cornered like a go Kart
What a excellent video....so well done so informative and well researched....keep up the great work ....I'd wouldn't be shocked if on top gear in a few years........keep them coming so enjoyable
If BMC's management had been the equal of Issigonis' engineering, Americans would be driving a current generation of Minis and Marinas, and people would ask "What's a Hyundai."
Very interesting video, Ed. I've always loved the Mini. I remember going to the Toronto International Auto Show in the late 70s and early 80s, and being astounded at the space. I'm 6'3" and my best friend at the time was 6'5". We could fit one behind the other. Not many cats had that much spacem
An original mini is on my bucket list....I've never been in one and have seen very few around but, I've loved them since I was a kid ...thanks for a very informative video ( as usual)....cheers !
Good on you for mentioning the suspension by Moulton- a crucial factor often ignored - and the kerb weight 587kg! Wonder where that fits in comparison to the current ‘Mini’ brand…
Maybe someone else allready mentioned this, but the reason the carb is pointed to the rear of the car is because the carbs would ice-up during winter time when they where fed with really cold air and where also cooled by this cold air. So they had to point it towards the rear so it sat nice and warm.
As an American I'm envious of my friends across the pond. I love British cars. Especially the Mini. And those Cooper S wheels push it over the top of greatness
Very professional and well researched as always, that's a fine example and looks nice on it's Cooper S reverse rims. Sorry to diagree with you on the top speed of prototypes but the gearing would mean it was pulling around 6000 rpm in top and aerodynamics coupled with a low powered engine wouldn't have allowed for that.
The closest I got to the Mini for many years was on a 1962 school visit to the BMC Works around Oxford seeing the range of cars made in that area, The finale was to see the Mini assembly line, where a new one was made every couple of minutes. (It was enough to put me off working in a car factory ever!) For several years I drove Minis as works car, in that popular two tone Blue and White colouring. The only Mini I ever owned was in the early 1980's, a 20 year old , we repaired some holes with a bake bean can, swopped the standard head for a race tuned head in a couple of hours and drove it home. With no working fuel guage I had to keep careful mileage records, The MPG was around 55 miles per Gallon at normal road speeds. It was replaced with Ford Fiesta, their copy of a mini!
My mini used to smell of petrol when it was running low on petrol lol i traded it for a semi broken scramble bike with a dented leaky petrol tank and no front brake i think i got the better deal as the mini cost me £15 lol
I had a 1960 tartan red Austin seven my first car just loved it spent a bit of money like many over the years, 12 to be precise black roof Les leston wood rim, SPQR gear extension , fibre glass conversion dash with instruments oil ,water,,clock volts above the wheel , radio ,reclining imp seats, skimmed 85 tho of cylinder head, Benlite grill with spots, and three engines.”Halcyon days “ No go faster tape though! But hooked on cars ever since ! Even considered buying another Mini ,but I think there a bit pricey .I had a imported Honda beat for 14 years was nearest to that fun. Never say never!
OG Twin-Cammers may remember this car, but as I was back with its owner, I felt it a good opportunity to revisit this 1960 Morris Mini-Minor.
Apologies for the sheer amount of voiceover towards the end, but we got rained off during the day. Either way, I hope you enjoy the video!
Great video - just a pity you couldn't have found an all original-spec 1959/60 car sans the aftermarket headlight cowels and those wheels. However, I love the Cherry Red (unique to the Morris Mini-Minor version) body colour available at launch in '59.
These cars are very kindly offered to me by my ever-generous viewers and subscribers. I cannot work with something I don’t have or have not been offered.
Mr bean haves that car😊
Excellent video. This young man has talent. He was so poised that it was like just being there with him....
Very nice camera work, too.
New subscriber.
I never owned a Mini myself, which is quite amazing as I have owned about 100 cars and in 1980 when I passed my driving test in the UK the Mini was a very cheap and popular as a used car. I did however use a 1976 Mini Van as business transport throughout much of 1981/1982, it sounded like a bag of nails but never needed anything other than regualr servicing as far as I remember. I remember topping up the dashpot on the SU carb every week and we used to put redex in there instead of oil. It was noisy and a firm ride, but it was comfortable. I will never forget going to a car show in Bangkok in about 2010 where there were a lot of very impressive cars including gull wing mercs etc, but the vehicle that got the most attention in the show was a early Mini Pickup. I learned later that it had a Daihatsu 660cc Turbo engine in it, this was also a very popular engine swap in Japan. It's hard to appreciate the love that is reserved for the Mini in Asia.
I should send you a story I wrote of the time a mate and I went up to his brother's farm to pull a beige 1964 Morris Mini Minor out from under the trees where it had sat for several years. His brother had given it to him if he could get it running and with a bit of Kiwi ingenuity, we did just that. For a start, the poor thing had sat there for so long that the pine needles were up to its sills and covered the front and rear bumper as well. The story has the highs and the lows, including the sheer joy of getting it to run and stop ad fixing things we knew little about, to then encountering a sudden downpour while the bonnet was off and the sudden lost of the entire exhaust system. In fact, many things fell off it as we drove it along the gravel roads of the little country town - including the sudden departure of the entire boot floor. The work we did on it after we got it road legal got the car a lot of attention and it ended up a beautiful copper bronze metallic colour instead of beige/pink with huge rust holes as we found it, although she still ran her 850cc donk (albeit with twin 1.75" Strombergs off a Singer Vogue - and yes, the 850 could not idle at anything less than 100rpm or it would flood and stall). I owned a 1954 A30 at the time and there was no way that I could keep up with the Mini if I tried. I recently bought a 1977 Mini and find it one of the most fun cars I have ever driven....in fact I would say it is the car with the most fun one could ever ask for and yet still be doing less than the speed limit! Putting new shocks and cones in certainly helps sort out most of the issues with ride comfort, but she is still a fairly stiff ride. It's like nothing else one could drive on the road. Melvin would be close, though.
Very few cars can idle at less than 100 rpm!
@@ritchiesims1369 Yeah - ok, I missed my typo. I'm sure people could work out that I meant 1000rpm though.....
Just an add on to your very good presentation on the Suez Crisis: Eisenhower who was US President in 1956 and made the call to undercut his former allies later admitted in his memoirs that his action over Suez was the single biggest regret of his Presidency and he should have supported the British and French intentions.
This isn't a RUclips video, it's a documentary. Wonderful.
Thanks mate :)
Great review. When I was a kid in Canada, these were all over the place. People either loved them or thought they were crazy. Other cars on the road on the time were either giant American models or tiny British imports- MGs and Triumphs were the sports cars of choice. There were no Japanese cars on the road in North America, so this was it. The quality of the photography in this video is eye-popping, and your enthusiasm and presentation are wonderful, as always.
My Dad owned 3 of the Mk 1 Mini's back in the 1960's his favourite was the Morris Mini Cooper in green with a white roof Reg No XDL 861 loved the iconic car since I was a kid and still do 👍👍👍
That has to be one of the best Mini documentaries I have seen, great editing too! Ive loved the Mini since I was about 4 but I'll always remember travelling in an early Mini, I couldn't get over the the amount of space!
Easily one of the best cars ever made! 👍😎
Brilliant video on perhaps the finest small car of all time. Everyone should at some point in the lives have a drive in a Mini as no other car teaches you more about handling and getting out of trouble, skids and so on. I owned a 1978 Mini 1000 in white many years ago and spent a few weekends scouring breakers yards for chrome bits and pieces to replace all the matt black plastic it had. By the time I had finished my car looked like an earlier model. Chrome trims and hub caps, chrome grill, chrome wheel arch and sill trims and a pair of chrome Tex door mirrors. fond memories of a terrific little car that gave hardly any trouble during the years my wife and I owned it. Most servicing jobs I did myself as they were so easy, including the periodic adjustment of the front brakes using a torch and a flat bladed screwdriver! We used to regularly fit 8 bags of shopping in the Mini. 4 in the boot and 4 under the rear seat! Its was great to drive, zippy round town and despite the 6 gallon fuel tank, economical enough for long holiday drives on 1 tank full. Back then second hand Minis were cheap as chips, not so now days or I would dearly love to buy one as a classic!
Incredibly well researched video Ed, your a natural when it comes to an informed and interesting topic.I have just had the wonderful opportunity to discover a 1961 Austin Seven Mini , unused since 1974 in a remarkable state of preservation, including paintwork and with only 37,000 miles !.Recommisioning is well under way with the emphasis on keeping it as original as possible , cannot wait to get her back on the road in the Spring of next year !
ED, that's one of the best video's I've watched for ages, incredibly well documented, I've been into classic minis for over 30 years and currently own a road legal miglia replica with a 1380 engine/straight cut gearbox/weber carb etc.....your videos are all incredibly well researched, I can't wait for the follow up video, keep up the good work.....Paul.
Great video Ed, one of the most comprehensive ones I've seen on the original car 🚗
My parents had a mini when me and my sister were kids, heavy snow one year meant that to get out of our cul-de-sac meant my sister and I sitting on the bonnet to aid traction XDR73 was it's number. In 1982 I learnt to drive in a mini but failed 1st test as the instructor was so big I'd have to ask him to move his leg to change gear and use the handbrake. Great vid as always.
Steve
The sheer passion you have in every video you make shines through! The research you’ve done as well on the Mini speaks volumes about how much you love them and want to show them off to the world as the great cars they are!
You also have a natural talent to keep your audience entertained, which when it’s just you and a camera, is a very difficult thing to do.
Well done Ed, another fantastic video! Can’t wait to see the next instalment!
The Mini is my absolute favourite of all time too, learned to drive in one and passed my test first time in one.
My dad's sky blue 1960s' Mini (721 LOB) was blown up in an explosion at Manchester's Gould St Gasworks. Great to reminisce watching this brilliant video (with the history of Britain in mid 20th Century thrown in for free!)
Another exceptional video both in its content and its delivery.
The engine orientation was moved away from the carb at the front location due to carb icing in colder climes TC.
Great cars. I still have two. A 63 Mini Minor and 65 Cooper. Just wonderful.
I love the Mini so really appreciated this fascinating and absorbing tale. First rate!
A brilliant history lesson on the iconic Mini. Well done Ed :-)
Thank you for another fabulous video Ed, the amazing amount of research you put in to your productions is not unappreciated.
An excellent and informative piece on this fantastic little icon of motoring history.
Another nice one Ed. Great automotive history lesson. You should be on the telly!! lol
My old fella had a new mini every year as a company car from 1970 to mid 70's. Fond memories of Mum, Dad and us 3 kids scooting around in these fabulous little cars.
What an exceptional video Ed, a truly professional presentation. Thank you.
An excellent tribute to a much loved motoring icon produced by a young man who obviously adores his subject. I seem to remember that very early cars had under seat wicker baskets fitted - another example of how not a inch of space was allowed to be wasted.
Your memory serves you well Gary , an optional extra indeed but now very rare but now faithful copies are being reproduced by a specialist, for the underside of the rear seat , but not yet for the rear companion pockets.We have some on order !.
Just a problem with those spark plugs next to the grille in wet weather.
However, a classic and a lot of fun to drive!
Owners from royalty to pop stars
to factory workers and 'mums'
Great video yet again! 👍
It wasn't the spark plugs, but rather, it was the distributor being next to the grill that was the problem.
Brilliantly researched, brilliantly shot and brilliantly presented. Well done Ed!
I remember back in 1983, when me and my bro ( 18 and 17 ) were offered a 1964 ( I think ) Mini, with the rare hydrolastic suspension, for the sum of £60.
It needed a new quarter panel and the oil light was on when running.
We turned it down.
Young man your reviews are so professional and enjoyable , hell even educational and im 68 and grew up with this kind of motor, the format is visually pleasant but most of all no stupid bloody incessant music noises that pox.s youtube today , just great content 10/10 Well done. Merci from a Yorkshire man in France
Your finest video yet, i think you like the Mini even more than the exhaust you put on Melvin !!! I had an old white 850 in the early 1980's, exterior door hinges and sliding windows ect ect. it did a good job, ran it 3 years and sold if for what i paid for it !! so nice to see that old car designs are in such good hands for the future. 👍👍🙂😎
Well done Ed! Another fantastic review of the most iconic British car. Proud of you mate!
I enjoyed my Mini, when it wasn’t rusting away before my eyes (it’s not just Italian cars that rust)………..I’d urge everyone with an interest in cars though to sample an original Mini at least once - they offer a driving experience that is hard to beat, even in much more modern or powerful cars. Fabulous little things!
My first car was a 1959 Austin 7 Mini. I bought it in 1973 when I wad 18. As a 14 year old car it was so full of rust that the drivers door simply fell off due to the external hinges. It was unbelievably basic but I still loved it.
Great video, passed my driving test in 1986 in a Mini 1000 and i owned a Mini 850 in the late 80's.
Great, iconic Mini, thanks for Issigonis! Cheers, Fabrizio
Beautifully presented video Ed. SO professionally put together. 👍
Fantastic review, Ed. I love hearing the back stories of the eras and people surrounding these cars. The direct quote from Leonard Lord made me chuckle. Always felt there was something special about Minis, even when I was very young.
Great video Ed , I'm just about to buy my 8th mini
Austin mini parklane....
And can't wait.
Over the years I have been lucky enough to had a 1963 mini seven. X 2 silver 1979 mini 1098 cc specials , Austin mini auto 1978 , 1983 austin mini in yellow and x2 rover mini coopers in red .
All great cars as highlighted here,
Small in the mini is beautiful, keep it simple was and still is the best way forwards. 👍🏾
Thanks mate ☺️
@@TwinCam welcome ..keep up the great work ..respect to u n all ed 👊🏻👍🏾👌
This is a brilliantly informative and interesting vlog and very well presented
Excellent video. This gives a different aspect to the Mini. It must be hard for the younger generation to really understand just how game changing this car was, and still is really. Brilliant in just about every respect.
Fantastic video as usual. With such a gorgeous subject and setting you’ve made every angle of this informative video an absolute feast for the eyes too! Loved watching every minute of this - thank you! 👍🏼
Got to be your best video Ed. Well shot and thoughtfully narrated; a pleasure to watch!
Absolutely brilliant review well researched. You have brought back a lot of wonderful memories of motoring that was great fun.
Hi Ed
Increasingly comprehensive as your vlogs progress week-by-week. Nice touches of humour too.
Mike
Have had an 850, 997 Cooper, two 1275/1293:Coper Ss , and a 1275GT❤️❤️❤️ Drove on holiday across most of Europe in them between 1965 and 1975. Absolutely loved them all.
I've only recently discovered your channel Ed and must say that your videos are very well researched and presented. I worked as a mechanic from 1973 and have fond memories of all these classics. Love 'em or hate 'em, they all have a place in history. Pssst! I owned a land crab .........
Once went on a camping holiday with my girlfriend, her best friend & her boyfriend in his mini. 4 of us, 2 two person tents, food, walking gear, sleeping bags & gas stoves. And still pretty comfortable on the trip from West Yorkshire to the Lake District. I was only 18 and not then arthritic, but hey, what a brilliant car. And born the same year as me!
Great video as always to be expected from Twin Cam. Mini is a fascinating car. Look forward to your next issigonis car. Remember watching your Maxi video several times, we had 4. Keep up the good work and say hello to Melvin.
Thank you! Good memories! We had a '67 Mk II Morris Mini 848 with hydrolastic suspension and the long "magic wand shifter". I loved it and my wife, well, let's just say, not so much. When chasing my friends on a cloverleaf turn (USA) sometimes I would pass them on the inside.
Brilliant Video Ed, one of your best, really enjoyed the back story to the story of the Mini and the history of it.
Looking forward to the next video.
What a car. I’m 4 weeks older than the Mini.
Just about the most fun car I’ve ever has the privilege of driving. Sadly it wasn’t mine, it was my daughters.
A work of total genius, just like his last creation for BMC/BL ( had two and sorely missed)
Exactly. It’s proof that you don’t need eleventy-bajillion horsepower to have huge amounts of fun behind the wheel.
As James May once said during his Fiat Panda review in Series 18 of Top Gear, “it’s not actually about how much power you have, it’s about how much power you can use.”
…and cue all the young, immature Ferrari/Lamborghini fanboys - who likely aren’t even of legal driving age - who will probably disagree with that statement.
Brilliant video again, great detail. My first car was a 1968 mk2 mini. I got it in nov 1977 just after passing my test. Kept it till jan 1984 when it was scrapped due to rust. Wish I'd kept it! It was an 848 & in summer 1978 I got a 998 engine from the scrap yard. Then in 1981 I bought an Austin 1300 mot failure, took the engine out & put it in the mini. Great acceleration but terrible on the motorway. I learnt the full detail of final drive ratios after the engine was in. I was a student at Leeds polytechnic so drove it as it was as I did the work in a garage near where I lived in Ashby de la Zouch. It over revved & was crying out for a 5th gear or the final drive being lowered to lower the revs. Which is what Rover did in the last made minis after 1996. I felt the mk2 really was an improved original hence my favourite.
Thank you learned a great deal from this video 👍👍👍👍
Great video. Your best yet. I like the format and you do it very well.
My first car in 1978 was a 1960 mini minor just like the one shown . I had it a year and was so happy when I sold it we had a party . The main thing I remember was that it broke down every time it rained and there was a small firework display when you opened the bonnet. The gearchange was really vague . it was incredibly noisy and the thing leaked like a sieve. I wish I still had it haha
I raced a MK1 in winter Rallycross. The wet ignition difficulties were solved by a rubber glove over the distributor with the HT leads coming out if each finger, sealed by tying with string. Plug caps were replaced by motorcycle items. All liberally sprayed with WD40 of course. Also an aluminium plate just big enough behind the grille to shield the distributor helped.
@@chucky2316 Yes the quality of BL (or whatever they were called then) cars was atrocious but now people love and revere them with nostalgia. Me included.
The first car I owned after I got my driving licence in Australia back in 1975 was a 1965 Morris Mini 850. It was blue with a white roof. It cost me $425 AUD. It was written off when someone rear-ended it so the third party insurance covered the same cost for a beige 1963 Mini 850 with the sliding windows. Both were great cars to drive but I can still remember my Mini dying in a thunderstorm and how I had to get very wet myself and spray WD-40 on the distribtor to get it going again! Altogether though they were great cars!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. As skilled as you have become in both the historical and mechanical dimensions of the cars you profile, you have outdone yourself. The context of the Suez crisis as well as the genius of Issigonis were very rich details that only enhanced the presentation. I look forward to catching up on your latest videos. Well done.
Thanks mate, that’s very kind of you to say ☺️
Ed, brilliant video and you summed up the Mini perfectly. The Mini was built in Australia by BMC at Zetland in Sydney and sold very well. We had some special models like the Mini K. Love it
Yeah agreed Paul. 👍
What a great video. Small cars are generally not to my taste, but the importance and influence of the mini is undeniable. A revolutionary car, indeed.
Fantastic history on of the most iconic cars. Thank you very much for the great video
Very, very interesting. The production values on this video are exceptionally high. Well done.
What a brilliant piece! Thanks Ed.
As always, nice one TC. My parents had a Mini Traveller in grey with sky-blue roof (go figure} that was a C-reg, 1965 I think. We drove from Huyton in Liverpool to Newquay, Cornwall for a holiday in 1967/8 ish. Heavy canvas frame tent, two adults two smallish children (aged 4-5 ish) and our dog Bill, an Alsatian cross, associated camping gear and enough food to feed the Albanian Army. I think we had a roof rack too. Remember there were much fewer motorways back then, supermarkets as we know them now did not exist. people came out and filled your car up with petrol for you and if you broke down, you either fixed it yourself or walked miles to a public telephone box to call the AA. (not THAT AA of course.) Car travel in the 60's was never boring! We did have a radio fitted, it was hung underneath the shelf on the passenger side and they drilled a hole in the front wing to fit a telescopic aerial.
Keep up the good work with these informative videos, love and peace.
Thanks Peter :)
What a great review and history lesson in one. I owned a GT for 10 years before I had to sell it last year. Wander what it would of ended up like if the British had updated it over the years.
As a seventeen year old I bought a ten year old Mini. It was an Island Blue, Austin 850. Of all the cars I have ever owned, it is the only one that I wish I still owned. The handling was excellent, it could accommodated four of us and our kit (quite a lot of it too) going to and from work, and it was cheap to run. Unfortunately rust did for it. A friend of mine had an original 59 version like the one in your video.
Excellent video, 100% correct. If you have ever driven an Alfa 156 or Volvo X70 with transverse engines and gearboxes next to the engine, you know how right Issigonis was in putting the gearbox below the engine. To me the man was a genius. There never will be a car as cute as the original Mini. I also find it charming that it reflects the believes of his (her?) designer so well. That will also never happen again!
A Great review again Edd, thanks for that, very informative and well researched.
The Mini is by far my favourite and most desired to own cars ever, but sadly rocketing prices have prevented this.
Boy did they love to rust and try and fall apart but because they were cheeky and fun people forgave them for this.
Looking forwards to your next vid.
Yet another masterpiece Ed. Great presentation and content (even braving the rain)! I could listen to you all day. Well done mate 👍
Thanks mate, that's very kind of you :)
Cracking review sir, well done again..
Yet another informative and pleasing video.
Really a joy to watch. Narrating, editing and the in-depth history telling is worth a HUGE audience. In denmark this early model was my very first drive in a friends 850, and already then it was a struggle to get in, and painfully more so, to get out of. I wouldn't want to drive one in public traffic today either - looking directly at other car's bodywork when trying to orientate and position it... But for the day brilliant, and a wonderful piece of history. Thanks, and continue producing excellent videos - this may go far 👍
Thanks mate, that's very kind of you to say :)
Fantastic video and a little history lesson,.good job
Another great video. As always, very informative. But, for all your videos I admire the way you take each car on it's own merits, some good, some bad, but never biased against it. Keep up the good work.
Love it! Great channel. Well presented video.
Brilliant video! Really great information and presentation.
Excellent video Ed, really enjoyed it. You’re so right about the whine of that gearbox and the rumble/buzz of the A series engine being the soundtrack of motoring in that era
Thanks Andrew 🙂
Love the review. Nice example. You teased us with its rally gear.
ANY OF THE YOUNGER FOLKS WHO NEVER ENJOYED THE MINI DON'T KNOW THE FUN YOU MISSED.
Sorry?
Great video Ed. As a Brit of a certain age these cars are part of our being. As is their inception. The ‘immigrant’ talent of Issigonis should never be forgotten in the inward-looking Brexit era of now, especially. Thanks.
Brexit is anything but inward-looking.
Open your eyes - perhaps your mind too - and look around.
Have you heard of all the trade deals being entered into around the world?
Or CANZUK?
And, right now, AUKUS?
It’s about escaping the sloth & inefficiency of the smothering, all-embracing EU and its bureaucracy.
And, of course, the ongoing catastrophe that is the Euro currency itself
Great review. The most comprehensive ones I've seen on the original car
Absolutely brilliant potted social, political and technical history Ed. Thanks so much.
A great history for a great car, thanks Twin-Cam!!!
Extremely informative professional video, thank you!
I have said it before, you do such a good job of these.
I've had and enjoyed a couple of Mini's but for me the best Issigonis car I ever owned was the Morris 1800 landcrab - that was like a cathedral inside and cornered like a go Kart
What a excellent video....so well done so informative and well researched....keep up the great work ....I'd wouldn't be shocked if on top gear in a few years........keep them coming so enjoyable
If BMC's management had been the equal of Issigonis' engineering, Americans would be driving a current generation of Minis and Marinas, and people would ask "What's a Hyundai."
Very interesting video, Ed. I've always loved the Mini. I remember going to the Toronto International Auto Show in the late 70s and early 80s, and being astounded at the space. I'm 6'3" and my best friend at the time was 6'5". We could fit one behind the other. Not many cats had that much spacem
An original mini is on my bucket list....I've never been in one and have seen very few around but, I've loved them since I was a kid ...thanks for a very informative video ( as usual)....cheers !
Good on you for mentioning the suspension by Moulton- a crucial factor often ignored - and the kerb weight 587kg! Wonder where that fits in comparison to the current ‘Mini’ brand…
Maybe someone else allready mentioned this, but the reason the carb is pointed to the rear of the car is because the carbs would ice-up during winter time when they where fed with really cold air and where also cooled by this cold air. So they had to point it towards the rear so it sat nice and warm.
As ever...Brilliantly told and very informative..
As an American I'm envious of my friends across the pond. I love British cars. Especially the Mini. And those Cooper S wheels push it over the top of greatness
Another informative video, as are all your videos, always a pleasure to watch.
Minimalism - the way to go!
I’d love to have a Mini.
Great video, by the way…
Very well researched, making for a very interesting video to watch.
Well Done.
Great piece 👍
Very professional and well researched as always, that's a fine example and looks nice on it's Cooper S reverse rims. Sorry to diagree with you on the top speed of prototypes but the gearing would mean it was pulling around 6000 rpm in top and aerodynamics coupled with a low powered engine wouldn't have allowed for that.
The closest I got to the Mini for many years was on a 1962 school visit to the BMC Works around Oxford seeing the range of cars made in that area, The finale was to see the Mini assembly line, where a new one was made every couple of minutes. (It was enough to put me off working in a car factory ever!)
For several years I drove Minis as works car, in that popular two tone Blue and White colouring.
The only Mini I ever owned was in the early 1980's, a 20 year old , we repaired some holes with a bake bean can, swopped the standard head for a race tuned head in a couple of hours and drove it home.
With no working fuel guage I had to keep careful mileage records, The MPG was around 55 miles per Gallon at normal road speeds.
It was replaced with Ford Fiesta, their copy of a mini!
My mini used to smell of petrol when it was running low on petrol lol i traded it for a semi broken scramble bike with a dented leaky petrol tank and no front brake i think i got the better deal as the mini cost me £15 lol
I had a 1960 tartan red Austin seven my first car just loved it spent a bit of money like many over the years, 12 to be precise black roof Les leston wood rim, SPQR gear extension , fibre glass conversion dash with instruments oil ,water,,clock volts above the wheel , radio ,reclining imp seats, skimmed 85 tho of cylinder head, Benlite grill with spots, and three engines.”Halcyon days “ No go faster tape though! But hooked on cars ever since !
Even considered buying another Mini ,but I think there a bit pricey .I had a imported Honda beat for 14 years was nearest to that fun.
Never say never!