Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i MiniWorld

For regular readers of MiniWorld, seeing this page without a warm welcome from Karen Drury will be something of a disappointment, let alone the shock of seeing my photograph here instead of hers. (How do you think I feel? I have to look in the mirror every day.) But as Karen explained last month, she feels the time is right to step down after what must be one of the longest reigns of any single-marque magazine editor. With Karen having edited MiniWorld for almost 13 of the 22 years she’s worked on it, this is obviously big news – and I’m fully aware that I have big boots to fill. The emails that have arrived over the last four weeks, with readers wishing Karen well and thanking her for all…

British electric vehicle (EV) technology specialist, Electrogenic, has launched a ‘plug and play’ kit for electrifying the Mini. Claimed to be simple to install, the kit converts any classic Mini to full electric power from £15,000 plus VAT. The Mini kit expands Oxford-based Electrogenic’s range of drop-in packages, which already includes the classic Land Rover Defender, Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911. The Mini EV kit comes completely pre-assembled and pre-tested on a replacement Heritage front subframe that simply replaces the old subframe. The conversion uses a 60bhp, 135Nm water-cooled motor, delivering instant electric torque through a fixed-ratio drivetrain. Powered by 20kWh of OEM-grade batteries, also pre-mounted on the subframe and all wired in, the electrified Mini offers a claimed 80 miles of in-town range. The Euro Type 2 charge port…

Paul Smith sale The second 2023 auction by Newcastle-based WB & Sons (wbandsons.com) brought plenty of positive results. Late-model Minis often feature in the company’s sales, but this Paul Smith limited edition was particularly notable, being a Japanese-market car in Old English White with the bonus of air conditioning. Complete with a custom ‘Paul Smith’ striped roof and presented in superb condition throughout, having arrived from Japan as recently as 2019, this impressive survivor carried a pre-sale estimate of £10,000-£14,000. In the end it just beat its top-end guide, selling for £14,175 including fees. 1275GT project This year’s first classic sale by Charterhouse Auctioneers (charterhouse-cars.com) took place at the Haynes Motor Museum back in March, when a wide array of classics went under the hammer – including this fascinating 1275GT,…

I don’t think I have ever billed anything as a ‘must have’ before, so this is a first. This product is not just about restoration, it is relevant to all of us who do not use our Minis all year round on a regular basis. I have now been caught out three times by an engine that simply will not start despite having a strong spark and fuel coming through as it should. The problem in all three cases was stale petrol, and stale petrol simply will not burn. At best the engine will fire at a ‘slow tickover’ and will stall as soon as any attempt is made to increase the revs. A lot of the time the engine will not fire at all, and it can happen quite…

“I had a Mini when I was about 20 years old, as my first car. I loved that Mini and always thought I’d get another one at some point,” explains Steve Clarke. A few decades later, in 2017, with encouragement from his wife, Lisa, he decided to buy a Mini that was ripe for renovation. The 1992 Mini City was largely in standard specification when Steve bought it, apart from a 1275cc engine replacing the original 998. Perhaps not surprisingly, there was more rust than he had first thought: “To be honest I didn’t check it all that well. I bought it and took it to my mechanic friend, Vince Severn, and he looked it over. Every time he lifted bits of carpet he found holes in the floor. It was…

The British Motor Museum has announced that this year’s National Metro & Mini Show, set to take place at Gaydon on Sunday, June 4, will mark the return of the previously popular concours competition, giving visitors an opportunity to see the judges assessing those cars taking part. This well-established event, which each year celebrates the UK’s two most successful small cars, will see hundreds of Minis and Metros on display in the museum grounds. Anyone wishing to enter their car into the concours can do so free of charge, with entry forms now available from the British Motor Museum website. Concours classes include 1959-1979 and 1980-2000 Minis, plus Custom Minis and a single Show & Shine class that anyone can sign up for on the day. Tickets for the show…

2023 May 25-29 International Mini Meeting Every year the IMM is hosted in a different country. In 2023 it will be organised and hosted by Mini Owners' Club Italy and will be based at Norcenni Girasole Village, which is a campsite near Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Expect Mini runs and visits to local attractions. imm2021.it June 1 Mod 'n' Mini Meet At London’s Ace Café on the first Thursday of every month. Good food and a great atmosphere. london.acecafe.com 4 National Metro & Mini Show At the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. Club stands, displays and trade stands. This year marks the return of the event’s concours competition, with entry forms now available. Entry to the museum is included in the event ticket price of £14.50. Camping is available the night…

I have an electrical problem with my Mini. When I operate the indicators, they illuminate but no longer flash. I have fitted a new indicator flasher unit, but the problem has not gone away. The hazard warning lights work normally and all the wiring to the indicators is present and correct. George Jeffries Before you do anything else, it is worth trying a different flasher unit as I have known them to be faulty from new. If this does not cure the problem, the most likely cause is a poor earth connection. Remove the radiator grille and pull down all of the wiring that runs through the bonnet landing panel. This is often where the problem lies. You may have to bend down a couple of tabs to allow the…

At some point, virtually all Minis engines will need a rebuild including many that have previously been rebuilt. A lot of Minis receive a full engine overhaul when they are restored, others because a lot of time has passed since they last had a rebuild; and of course, a large proportion of engines receive a rebuild and upgrade at the same time. As a general rule, a like-for-like standard rebuild will be fairly straightforward. The wearing surfaces are checked and refaced/reground/replaced where necessary and everything can then be reassembled. It is when components such as the head or block are replaced with used items, as well as when performance-improving modifications are being carried out, that more checks, adjustments and additional replacements will be needed. Consequently, the engineering workload increases. Of…

My father, Emmanuel, loved all Minis. Saloons, vans, the Clubman… you name them, he adored them all equally. And it really was a case of love at first sight, having fallen for the Mini from day one. He saw how popular it became around the world, and was in awe of its motorsport successes. He knew what he had to do: simply work hard and save up, so he could buy a brand new Mini of his own. This is the story of that car, a one-owner 1976 example that was restored back in 1995 and remains in the same modified spec that my father always yearned for. This Mini has been in Malta from new, being one of the examples assembled here as a CKD (Complete Knock Down) kit…

Finding a Mini to restore, especially one that’s highly desirable and collectable, isn’t an easy task these days. Vans, in particular, don’t appear for sale too often; and when they do, there’s rarely little change from £5000 for a ‘barn find’ in poor condition. So, when Ray Holmes heard about a very early example for sale in the USA, he felt it was well worth pursuing. The Austin Seven ¼-ton Van, as it was initially known, commenced production in early 1960. This example, finished in its original hue of Marigold (YL7), was built in June of that year – the very same month that deliveries of BMC’s latest diminutive commercial began reaching dealerships. According to Ray, this particular van is a UK-spec example that made its way when new to…

Their names may be a sure-fire way of scoring points at any concours d’elegance of today, but Italian coachbuilders were held in even higher esteem in the mid-1960s, with the likes of Bertone being greatly revered. And of course, in addition to its sharp Fiats, Alfa-Romeos and Lancias, the Turin-based design house led by Giuseppe ‘Nuccio’ Bertone had a particularly strong connection with the British motoring industry. There had been the pretty Bertone-built MG TD special, the Gordon-Keeble, the racy Arnolt-Bristol and several expensive Aston Martins with special coachwork, as well as a sporty one-off Jaguar XK150 Special, all of them given a dose of Italian style by Bertone. These exclusive cars made headlines at international motor shows, with Bertone also establishing a name as a bespoke manufacturer in its…

Minis of all types headed to Pentewan Sands Holiday Park over the bank holiday weekend of Friday, April 28 to Monday, May 1 for their annual pilgrimage to Cornwall. The Riviera Run is brilliantly organised by the Cornish Mini Club, who work tirelessly to ensure that Mini owners have a great weekend and raise money for their chosen charities of the RNLI and Children’s Hospice South West. Whether attendees are staying in the top-notch static caravans on site or camping, the event has something for everyone, partly thanks to the fab facilities and the seaside location with sandy beach. The fun began on Friday with the run to Cornwall, which started at Gloucester Services and finished at Pentewan, with an impressive 65 Minis taking part. Participants stopped at various points…

A Good Friday was guaranteed during the Easter weekend with a trip to Rushmoor Arena in Aldershot, Hampshire, where we were wowed by the huge variety of vehicles on display. Surrey Street Rodders organises this excellent annual event at which pre-selected display vehicles line up in rows, surrounded by an array of traders selling tools, car spares, autojumble, lifestyle products and food. The warm weather at this year’s event felt lovely on our backs as hundreds of shiny vehicles basked in the sunshine. Classic tunes playing across the showground added to the laid-back feel. Every row was filled with wild and wonderful vehicles ranging from custom creations and VW camper vans to British classics, American muscle cars and hot rods. Of course, there were plenty of Minis too, with some…