Mini Madness Modness
From Mod Mania
The Mini is not only one of the most recognisable cars of all time, but has also become an icon of both Britain and the 1960’s. It was designed by Sir Alec Issigonis under the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in response to the German ‘Bubble Cars’ that were booming at the time. The first Mini, although not appearing by the name ‘Mini’ yet, was released under the BMC’s brands Austin and Morris in 1959. The name ‘Mini’ was derived from the Latin word for smallest: minimus, and was first applied to the car on the 1961 Austin Mini. The Mini slowly made its way into popular culture, spurred along by numerous purchases by celebrities, and of course its key role in the 1969 movie The Italian Job.
In 1961, a friend of Issigonis’ John Cooper proposed a performance version of the Mini. The two of them worked on the car, and the Mini Cooper was born. With an increased engine size, front disc brakes and twin SU carburettors being the main changes, the Mini Cooper was designed to meet rules for Group 2 Rally Racing. From 1963 an even more powerful version of the car was released – the Mini Cooper S. The S did exceedingly well performance-wise, winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 65 and 67. In 1969, the Mini was given its first major stylistic change by designer Roy Haynes. The Mini Clubman, as it was named, was given a much squarer front, with its headlights set into the grille. The new look also came in a 1275cc engine option, named the Mini 1275GT. The design remained more or less the same from then on; in fact the original 1959 ‘round-nose’ model was still being produced by Rover up until 2000.
Because of the Mini’s low cost, simplicity and availability (in Europe at least), it was the ideal candidate as the base of a kit car (a kit car being a set of components that the buyer assembles themselves into a working car). There are over 120 kit cars designed specifically to fit onto the Mini chassis, from both companies and individual enthusiasts. One example is the Giant Orange body made by the Outspan company.
The Mini is also a favourite for novelty customisation. Such variations include a shortened wheel base Mini, a Mini limo, a Mini monster truck, and of course, Mini convertible limo.
In 2001, the new updated version of the Mini was released by BMW under the brand MINI. The brand name is all-capitalised to distinguish itself from the old version. The new Mini was designed by Frank Stephenson, obviously drawing inspiration from the original 1959 Mini. Soon after it was first released in 2001, new and different Mini models were made available to suit a wider audience. The new models (other than the standard Mini hatchback known as the Mini One) included a diesel engine Mini One/D, a sportier version; the Mini Cooper, and a supercharged version; the Mini Cooper S, although only the Cooper and Cooper S are sold in Australia and the United States. Today there are still more versions of the Mini, such as the Mini Clubman, which is a wagon version, and the Mini E, an all electric powered version.
Both the new and the old Mini distinguish themself from other cars, as fun and chic. What’s so special about these cars is that they bring a ‘fun’ attitude to driving. This can be seen in the new Mini’s interior and exterior styling as it contains elements that are there purely for pleasure and looks. The new Mini attracts a younger, more sophisticated audience, and a lot of people choose to buy it based on its looks and reliable quality, as it is made from BMW parts. Also its resale value is very good, perhaps because it is still ‘in fashion’ or simply because these cars are well made. Either way, they are still in high demand from consumers. So why would someone choose to buy the Mini Cooper over its small car competitors (such as the Scion tC, Volkswagen’s Golf, GTi, R32 or TDI, or the Acura RSX)? Upon observing some online forums, it became apparent that the Mini Cooper S is very well equipped performance wise as well as aesthetically and often wins people over because of this. A reoccurring problem found throughout the forums about Mini Coopers however, is that whilst they are so much fun to drive and to own, repairs can be very expensive because as said earlier, everything in them is made from BMW parts. However there were some people who didn’t have any troubles at all with their Mini and were very content with it, apart from the boot space, which is very limited. It is quite ironic that although the new Mini’s overall dimensions are significantly bigger than the old Mini, it doesn’t seem to have any more interior room.
Similar to the new Mini, the old Mini also had a fun element to it. Due to its tough suspension and low centre of gravity, it is said to handle similarly to a go-kart, which can make for a very enjoyable drive. At the time of production the old Mini was purchased mainly for its economy and partly due to its fashionable nature in later years. In the present day however, the old Mini is still extremely popular. The reasons now are also often due to its fashionable status, except more in a retro or classic sense. One of the main other reasons though is that the Mini is a favourite restoration project. Whilst the new Mini attracts the young, sophisticated crowd, the old Mini generally attracts the older generation that grew up with the car: the real enthusiasts that want to restore the car to its former glory. People will often purchase an old Mini, restore it, then sell it and repeat, however it is not uncommon for people to keep the one car as a project, pouring tens of thousands of dollars into it. There are also the ones that pour tens of thousands of dollars into their Mini project, but have no intention of keeping to how it was originally.
The new Mini is never as much a project car. As it has a wide range of different engines and visual styles (such as the convertible), most people in the Mini modding community choose to focus on the aesthetics of the car rather than modifying performance components. The most common modifications appear to be changes to the lights, and the decals such as stripes and chequered patterns onto the front and rear of the car, or the union jack or chequered pattern on the roof. These modifications are based on individual taste and it is evident on the roads of the different looks the Mini has due to minor changes in the makeup of the car. Another popular modification to the car is the use of an aero body kit, which is a replacement for the stock body kit, or an add-on to the existing kit. This helps make the car look sportier and is a process of changing the look and feel of your car to suit the appropriate wants and needs of the owner. Although performance modifications are not as popular, there is still a large group of people who modify their engines for greater performance through the use of turbos, larger intakes, bigger injectors and different types of fuel, including nitrous, and alcohol injection as well as upgrading the exhaust system.
While modification of the new Minis is generally pretty limited in what one does to their car, modification of the old Minis covers all aspects of the car, performance and aesthetics. Because of the age of the cars (generally only pre 1980 Minis are modded extensively), they often have rust in the body panels, or worn areas. Because of this, a very common modification undertaken while restoring a classic Mini is a re-spray. A lot of the time the classic white-roof coloured-body paint job is chosen, but sometimes a more modern look is preferred. As part of the exterior look and common to the new Mini is the use of speed stripes or other decals. Another common mod to the old Minis, however not specific to them, is a sound system. Obviously, they didn’t come with a CD player, so a new sound system will often be installed. Other interior mods include, custom gauges/instruments, new seats or seat covers, new steering wheel, recarpeting the floors and for those with a lot of time on their hands, a fully customised dash.
Unlike with the new Minis, engine modding is very common amongst the classic minis, as well as other areas of performance. Some common examples are, boring out the cylinders to increase engine size, upgrading the carburettor/s, upgrading the exhaust system, and upgrading the brakes from drums to discs. Some of the old Minis suffer from overheating problems in the hot weather, so a radiator upgrade is also a common mod, and sometimes repositioning the radiator from the side to the front of the engine bay to get better airflow.
There is an online presence for Mini enthusiasts at www.mini2.com for the new Mini, and www.theminiforum.co.uk for the classic Minis. Both of these websites provide plenty of information about mini modification. Because they are a forum layout, it provides any Mini owner to not only learn from other people’s experiences that have been posted, but also to ask questions about how to do a specific mod or repair. These sorts of communities become an invaluable source of information to all members of the community. There is an even more extreme type of modding for cars, not specific to the Mini. Auto Salon, is a car show for car modding enthusiasts. The show comprises of about a few hundred static car displays each year. Car modding aficionados from across Australia and the world visit the show to see the cars on display, usually to see what people have done to their cars, and to get inspiration and ideas for their own car modifications. This show takes car modifications to the extreme and nearly everything that can be upgraded or changed to suit their tastes does change. There isn’t much of a community amongst Auto Salon entrants, except that they all have car modding in common, and are willing to show what they’ve done to each other.
No matter what model it is, new or old, the Mini is an iconic design that’s instantly recognisable, and a symbol of fun and style. Both the classic Minis and the new models lend themselves wholeheartedly to modification; whether it’s adding some stylish speed stripes, or adding a turbo to the engine, the Mini can be customised to suit your own specific tastes. And if you are a little more adventurous, and willing to put in some extra time and money, the Mini can be transformed into just about anything you want it to be. Luckily, there are hundreds of thousands of people the world over who are also in love with the Mini, and are willing to share their wisdom, passion and creativity.
