Classic Mini Cut-Away: the Essence of Simplicity
Sometimes it’s the simple things that make a Monday morning tolerable. Like a vintage cut-away drawing of a classic Mini. Enjoy.
Via Jon Sibal
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Sometimes it’s the simple things that make a Monday morning tolerable. Like a vintage cut-away drawing of a classic Mini. Enjoy.
Via Jon Sibal
<p>sweet. Chili red, white roof.</p>
<p>Actually Tartan Red, which was used on MK I Mini Coopers from1961-1967, and the MK II 1967-69. The car depicted is a MK II.</p>
<p>+1</p>
<p>+1</p>
<p>When will this magic formula get back ?</p>
<p>Despite almost 5.5 million Minis being sold, the Mini rarely, if ever, made a profit for its makers, and was described by one motoring historian as “The most successful failure in motoring history”, and ultimately led to the downfall of BMC. Which is why BMW is unlikely ever to make a MINI smaller than F56.</p>
<p>However, it’s thought that BMW would like to build a super-economy urban version of F56, featuring a stripped-out appearance, extensive weight-saving, significant aerodynamic features and a super-frugal version of the new three-pot engine. </p>
<p>nice … </p>
<p>When the BMW Board gave its approval to build a new Mini, it was effectively returning to its car making roots because the very first BMW automobile was a Mini, or rather an Austin Seven to be precise – see photo.</p>
<p>BMW originally manufactured aircraft engines, but after WW1 there was little demand so BMW needed to diversify and started to build motorcycles. BMW later decided that it would like to become a car maker, and in 1928 bought the German company Dixi, which had started to build the baby Austin Seven under licence from ‘Austin of England’.</p>
<p>The Austin Seven, the spiritual ancestor of the Mini, wasn’t the first small car in the World but it was the first ‘large car in miniature’, and had all the features found in large cars but in a very small package. BMW built 20,000 BMW Dixis between 1929 and 1931, after which time it started to build its own car and the rest as they say is history.</p>
<p>Nick I just wanted to state that I greatly appreciate your unique ‘insider’ perspective on BMW/MINI and the context you provide to this site and BF (along with Herr26).</p>
<p>When the BMW Board gave its approval to build a new Mini, it was effectively returning to its car making roots because the very first BMW automobile was a Mini, or rather an Austin Seven to be precise – see photo.</p>
<p>BMW originally manufactured aircraft engines, but after WW1 there was little demand so BMW needed to diversify and started to build motorcycles. BMW later decided that it would like to become a car maker, and in 1928 bought the German company Dixi, which had started to build the baby Austin Seven under licence from ‘Austin of England’.</p>
<p>The Austin Seven, the spiritual ancestor of the Mini, wasn’t the first small car in the World but it was the first ‘large car in miniature’, and had all the features found in large cars but in a very small package. BMW built 20,000 BMW Dixis between 1929 and 1931, after which time it started to build its own car and the rest as they say is history.</p>
<p>The fan was on the side? I guess that sorta makes sense for a transversely mounted engine, but where did it get air, from the wheel well?</p>
<p>P.S. Here is a side cutout picture from Wikipedia:
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Mini_cross_section.jpg/800px-Mini_cross_section.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Mini_cross_section.jpg/800px-Mini_cross_section.jpg</a></p>
<p>The fan was on the side? I guess that sorta makes sense for a transversely mounted engine, but where did it get air, from the wheel well?</p>
<p>P.S. Here is a side cutout picture from Wikipedia:
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Mini_cross_section.jpg/800px-Mini_cross_section.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Mini_cross_section.jpg/800px-Mini_cross_section.jpg</a></p>
<p>The fan on a classic Mini sucks air through the grill, pushes it through the radiator and out under the left front wheel well.</p>
<p>You mean it blows cooling air through the radiator instead of pulling air through it?</p>
<p>Yes, the last Minis also had electric fans under the wing & the very last, MPI, had to have a front radiator as the mechanical fan was too noisy for modern regulations. I’m also not so sure about the Mini not making money and bankrupting BL. There are more ways to make money than through the basic selling price and enough foreign companies saw enough profit potential to make them under licence: Innocenti, Authi…</p>