Ever wonder what it’s like to drive an original Mini? Automobile Magazine’s Joe DeMatio went to the UK headquarters of The John Cooper Works to find out. Here’s a excerpt:
“In the tiny cabin, you and your passenger are on even more intimate terms than in the new Mini, and it’s easy to accidentally grab your passenger’s kneecap when you’re reaching for the gearshifter. You hunch over the fixed steering wheel, which, oddly, is canted up and back. Your shoulders are easily six inches above the glass line of the thin doors, which in this particular car are outfitted with smart, drilled-aluminum handles with “John Cooper” engraving.
There are clear sight lines, with only the thinnest of A-pillars to block vision, through the small but broad windshield. Peer out the side windows, and your head seemingly is closer to the ground than the running boards of many modern SUVs. Three round gauges-speedo, fuel & temperature, and tach-are set into a flat pod half hidden by the steering wheel, and a flat, upright, machined-aluminum dash spans the cockpit. Our car had a tuned 90-hp engine, up from the 63 horsepower that was stock in the last years of the original Mini, and a four-speed manual transmission.
Releasing the clutch, we’re off, and the tuned Mini feels anything but slow. The puny tires and the John Cooper Works sport suspension make for a pretty rough ride, but as soon as you turn a corner, you understand why this car’s handling was such a revolution in its day and why it has commanded such a loyal following for four decades. There’s a bit of body roll, but turn-in is still crisp, precise, and certainly flatter than anything that came out of Detroit in the Sixties or Seventies.
Our drive on the city streets surrounding John Cooper Works in West Sussex, England, was enough to confirm that the steering feel, chuckability, and overall demeanor of the old Mini clearly portend the new car’s: BMW did a great job of transferring the Mini DNA into a modern platform.”
[ Driving the Original MINI Cooper ] Autmobile Magazine
Does anyone have their own experiences to relate?
<p>My “first” experience with the Mini is in the Philippines (my homeland) where my late dad bought a 1963 Austin Mini .Everybody is asking why he bought since he is 5'11″ & he may not fit inside! One thing for sure he does fit & at one time it can hold 6 people inside!
Back then in the 70's the Mini is getting popular in winning the local autocross events . It grab the major headline when a Cooper S won the very first Philippine Auto Race.It grabs 1st,2nd & 4th places. It's main rivals are the Toyota Corollas,Ford Escorts & old Ford Cortinas. The following year it won again the same event . Sometimes they describe these tiny cars as “giant killer” since its main rivals have bigger engine capacity.
I hope the New MINI will have the samne success in racing in the near future.</p>
<p>My first car was a 997cc Austin Cooper, and I went on to a variety of other Minis over the years, rebuilt a bunch, – 998 Cooper, 850 Austin Countryman, 1275 Cooper S, and more – and all of them gave huge rewards on the road for minimal dollars. The handling was and is like no other, amazingly chuck-able, altho the new MINI has a VERY close feel, especially with the DSC off, altho I don't recommend this. 😉 I used to enter cloverleaf freeway entrances at amazing speeds, and nothing short of a full race car could keep up with the 1275 S. As tire technology got better, it only enabled more awe at the Mini's handling. And I wasn't even the fast guy around – a few of my buddies were frighteningly faster. Caveat, tho, was they were and are English cars, full of quirky electrics, ( 2 Fuses for the WHOLE car? Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, over! ), questionable assembly quality, and shims for everything! I still put up with it, 'cause it was worth it. If you get a chance, by all means drive a pre-'67 Mini Cooper S and see what everyone else wished they had.</p>
<pre><code> BCNU,
Rob in Dago
</code></pre>
<p>Ah yes, I have also driven a classic cooper. And my experience was a 1 day only experience, so I can still remember the feeling. On a mini Meet & Greet here in Mexico one of my great mini friends exchanged keys to his 2000 year model cooper to my 2002 cooper S. The first impression is getting inside the cabin. No it is not tiny, its small because you are sitting close to your companion, but believe it or not you feel you have more space on the classic then on the new mini. The steering wheel is sitting in a funky position, almost like those school buses we as kids always wanted to steer. The steering column comes straight up from the steering gear which sits just about 30mm in front of your feet, so you can imagine the angle. The gauges are mostly hidden because of this awkward angle, so there is no point in checking the speedo. You sit very low, almost feels like the seat is actually resting on the road. Visibility is great all around except for checking stop lights up above. Well, enough with setup. Now onto the drive…</p>
<p>Continued from the above post</p>
<p>….You turn on the engine and first thing you notice is the sound of it just across a thin metal wall that sits in front of your feet separating the engine. The mini I drove had K&N induction system with an improved exhaust, nology cables, and other upgrades to improve performance over the 65hp stock engine which made the sound beautiful. The sound of the engine is quickly replaced by the whining of the gearbox once you reach higher revs. Shifting is not sophisticated but easy because there are only 4 gears. The car is very bouncy considering I was riding on the 13 inch wheels(comparable to the 17 runflat on my cooper S, but imagine that with a car about 40% lighter) The steering is not as responsive as the new mini due to it not having any of the direct steering power assisted on the new one, but don't get me wrong, it reacts pretty fast considering the engineering of its time. Tossing the mini around doesn´t make you feel you are in a tiny car, thats because the wheelbase is comparable to a compact car of today. But its quite nimble nonetheless. Now the feeling through cornering is almost like driving a 2 by 4 with wheels atached to each corner, tire squishing, and tiny suspension travel makes up for the unoticeable body roll. You feel that the center of gravity on this car is sitting on the floor, and youre the only thing inside being tossed left and right. Go fast into a 90 degree corner, throw the steering wheel all the way, step on the gas, and you will turn. It oversteers, but step on the gas and you get whiplashed right back into track and oversteer almost desapears. But the mini was a much less serious, more rough down, a tiny less precise thing to drive than the new mini….</p>
<p>and last part from above post</p>
<p>…But its much more easy to have a blast on the classic because of its careless driving capabilities. The new one I would just say its the mature bigger brother, but not less fun to drive. Although I love my new cooper S, I will be buying myself a classic one to toss around and play with it on weekends.</p>
<p>hey! i'm from the philippines and i was hoping someone could help me where i could buy mini cooper parts here? tnx! <a href="mailto:claire_o8@yahoo.com">claire_o8@yahoo.com</a></p>
<p>I just want to know if there is anyone selling a mini cooper s, here in the Philippines.</p>
<p>to: <a href="mailto:claire_o8@yahoo.com">claire_o8@yahoo.com</a>
if you're looking for mini parts here in the phil. contact me at 0920 9607847</p>
<p>to: joseph
I'm selling used mini coopers here in the philippines. call/text: 09209607847</p>
<p>to wini: i already own a classic mini(’64 austin). do you have parts for it? I badly need an original Brake Master Cylinder. Help naman. 09178114873.</p>
<p>to claire: i’m from the Phils too. I usually get parts from Rover, its along Visayas avenue in QC. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>hey im from the phils too….how much are the going rates for the mini? im looking for one it would be better if its the older versions…..</p>
<p>im modding a original mini maxing it out hardcore</p>
<p>hello guys!!!!</p>
<p>can somebody tell me how much ang mga mini coops dito sa pinas???</p>
<p>either old or new models ok lang…..</p>
<p>and what model would you guys recommend…</p>
<p>tnx…..</p>
<p>email me at <a href="mailto:belzy_deagle@yahoo.com">belzy_deagle@yahoo.com</a>
tnx……</p>
<p>how much is the mini coop2? anyone please im inquiring for me to earn
tnx…..</p>
<p>anyone still interested on owning a classic mini… a friend of mine who also restored my mini will be having a big shipment of classic mini coopers here in the philippines, around 25 units(whole car) and some spare parts… i believe the shipment will arrive tentatively around sept or oct… these are good buys so if your interested email me at <a href="mailto:erwin_siochi@pldtdsl.net">erwin_siochi@pldtdsl.net</a></p>
<p>just want to know how much a mini cooper could cost? and also are u selling also second hand mini’s? tnx</p>