Fifty Years ago Today

[DispatchDragon]

Lovely car --- wonderful memories of zipping around Beds and Bucks --- and foot prints on the headliner



Leif

[Nigel H-J]

Are you REALLY that old Nigel No.. it was a vintage car you learned to drive in

Cheeky git!!

Well, to be truthful Dave you are in a way correct....t'was a peddle car!!

and foot prints on the headliner

Tell us more Leif, dying to know!!



Nigel.

[cstorey]

Being a nit picker, I ask whether the posting is correct? The car was announced in August 1959 and had been shown to the press some months before, but the first car had been built some 18 months before and demonstrated to Leonard Lord who immediately ordered its production

[petermcleland]

This was my mini...It was called an "Austin 7" and it was about the first in Africa:-


Stop for a “brew up”…We are on our way from Nairobi, Kenya to Durban, Natal. We covered 3005 miles going and 3126 miles coming back. Each way took 7 days and we had 7 days in Durban. Liz and I shared the driving, 2 hours on and 2 hours off and Neil had the back seat to himself :flying:

[DelP]

Nice one Peter, it stands out like a sore thumb

Derek

[Garry Russell]

Funny........Only yesterday I saw something I have not seen for many years. :think:

A Mini truck :o

BTW what exactly was the difference between an Austin 7 and the Morris Mini Minor.....I had a Mini Minor in the mid seventies

Garry

[cstorey]

Garry - essentially there was no difference between the Austin 7 and the Mini-Minor. The Austins had a crinkly grille and the Morris was straightish bars with vertical slats . IIRC there may have been a difference in speedo colour, with one having white speedos and one silver, but in fact that may just have been an early change which was made to both models. Peter's car looks to be a Super or Super de Luxe model, with chrome rear window surrounds and what look to be full wheel trims . 6000 odd miles in 3 weeks is one hell of a trip!

[Garry Russell]

Cheers Chris

Just cosmetic....I wondered because there were no engine options then.

Garry

[Erick_Cantu]

I want a right hand drive mini cooper (that is to say, an original, not the thusly named machine made by BMW) with a manual so bad it's not funny. Someday...

[cstorey]

Erik - I have a 1965 1275 Cooper S - even though i've put some sound proofing in it is so noisy above about 65 mph that if I go anywhere on a motorway I wear ear defenders - an absolute blast to drive on a windy road though!