MotoringFile Review – The Classic Mini
The classic Mini. What can you say that hasn’t already been said. I’ve had a few chances to drive them but to been years and never pristine examples. So when MINIUSA asked if I would be interested in spending some time in their impeccable model year 2000 example (one of the last ever made) I didn’t hesitate.
If you don’t see a classic Mini on a daily basis, seeing one is always a bit shocking in context to today’s cars. Mini had its classic hilariously parked next to the mammoth new Rolls Royce Cullinan for a full dose of modern size context. Walking up to the 10ft long classic you’re struck at the delicacy of the features compared to a modern car of any size.
As I slithered my legs in and under the steering wheel (6’2” makes ingress and egress a process) I settled in to the car that started it all. Rarely do you get a chance to drive a classic Mini and even more rare one of the last models ever made in 2000. With only a few thousand miles on the odometer this is a pristine example barely older than the R50.
Primed with anticipation I reached down for the key and found, a sliver of it still there. Apparently just before I arrived someone in MINI PR had gone to start the car and snapped off the end of the key. Quality issues aside I wanted to drive. So I grabbed my own MINI fob, took the hidden key out, placed it on the last 1/8” of the key still sticking out, twisted and it sprang to life. And we’re off.
The classic Mini is nothing short of joy on wheels.
For anyone who has never driven a classic Mini you’re probably assuming (like I did for years) that it’s a fun little car like today’s MINIs but smaller. That is wrong. The classic Mini is nothing short of joy on wheels and feels like a large go-kart in a way that no modern car ever will. The immediate smile and LOL I had as I turned out of the parking lot was involuntary and quickly followed by many more. And I hadn’t even made it to a proper road yet.
There’s a lovely bounce to the suspension that somehow makes it more compliant and comfortable than even reinvented R50 which came after it. Yet you only sense a hint of body roll when pushing into corners. And immediacy. Yeah that’s something that is completely redefined by driving a classic Mini. The turn-in and the car’s ability to react to the driver are unequalled in anything save for track cars I’ve driven.
Enjoy your classic Mini because there will never be another one.
It’s also terrible at being a modern car. Yes there’s room (a surprising amount of it) but it’s in exchange for modern safety devices and crumple zones. There’s a reason that MINI can’t design and build a car this small with the same interior volume in 2019. In our modern automotive world that space is now occupied by 100s of things relating to safety, technology and other regulatory items. So enjoy your classic Mini because there will never be another one.
Let’s Talk About Build Quality
I’m sure the fine folks who built this car were fine craftsmen and women. But a mass produced car shouldn’t feel homemade. Every classic Mini I’ve ever been in had a whiff of that. Even after 50 years of making it more or less unchanged this model year 2000 example felt like it was built in a barn. But that’s why it was so unique in its later years. It was a classic car that somehow had retained enough popularity to continue to be produced almost unchanged. It was crazy to consider these cars were still being made in 2000. 20 years later it’s absolutely insane to consider that. But thank God they were because the world needs as many of these cars as possible.
The Classic Mini vs the Modern MINI
Comparing or even judging it against a modern MINI is tough without a 1,000 caveats. But the one thing that you clearly see after spending some time with a classic is how it has continued to inspire MINI design and development. Don’t get me wrong, the current MINI isn’t a direct replacement for the classic. It will never be replaced. But going from the classic to a modern hatch you’re struck by a few of those key traits. I had the chance to step into a R53 JCW GP (the most raw modern MINI ever made) moments after my drive in the classic and even that car felt remote and isolated in comparison. But that sense of immediacy is here as is the excellent handling. You can feel the connection between these two cars despite the dramatic difference in performance and design.
But what is missing is a bit of joy and functionally drive design. Especially inside. After spending time in this car I came away firmly believing that MINI needs to reset their interior design ethos and focus on simplicity and functionally driven design rather than caricatures of British cars past.
Ok so the key broke. I could barely fit my legs under the wheel to get out. And a few interior components have such bad design and quality that you laugh out loud. But holy s*** I loved this car. The Classic Mini is as good, as hilarious and as addicting as you expect it to be. If you’ve ever wanted to most concentrated dose Mini you could get forget a GP. Just go find a classic. Every minute behind the wheel will be the equivalent to an automotive therapy session.
<p>There’s something endlessly charming about driving a classic Mini. I try to drive mine once a week if the weathers good. It draws SOOO many stares everywhere it goes.</p>
<p>Having owned a couple of classic Minis in period, I too can echo Gabe’s sentiments. In the first two years of production, however, sales staff had a pretty tough time selling the Mini, but with the advent of the Cooper version in 1961, and a Cooper S in 1963, the Mini’s image was transformed, and sales finally took off.</p>
<p>It was the success in the annual winter Monte Carlo Rally, with the Mini beating much larger and more powerful cars into first place, that earned it the title of “Giant Slayer”, and the world finally sat up and took notice. The world, that is, except for America where the Mini never sold well and by 1967, BMC finally pulled the Mini from sale. In the period 1960 to 1967, BMC sold approximately 10,000 Minis in the US.</p>
<p>In 1969, the Mini’s new owners, BL, decided to withdraw the Cooper versions from sale to save having to pay royalties to John Cooper. Despite that, Mini sales continued to rise and peaked in 1971 with 318,474 models sold worldwide. BMW’s all-new MINI was in production for thirteen years before it beat that record, with 338,466 models sold in 2014.</p>
<p>Although I’ve owned 4 MINIS since 2008…..’08 MCS hatch, ‘12 JCW Coupe, ‘15 MCS 4 door, & current ‘17 SAll4 CM, the only auto I ever owned that comes remotely close to the Classic Mini was a 1972 Honda Z600 sport coupe. It was about 10.5 ft long, weighed 1310 lbs, had 10” wheels, and had a 600cc air cooled 36 HP 2 cylinder motorcycle engine.</p>
<p>Like the Classic Mini, it was a 2 door hatch that also has a tiny back seat. Top speed was 75 mph & that was at the red line in the top 4th gear. It was a fun little car to drive, but my guess is it didn’t have the handling of the Classic Mini, nor the power of the Classic Cooper or S models. Think a 0-60 mph run took a leasurely 15-20 secs to get there.</p>
<p>Bob Lavoie
Grayghost</p>
<p>Hi Bob – the N600, launched in 1962, was Honda’s answer to the Mini, and was technically advanced but commercially disappointing. The Z600 Coupe used the same platform and drivetrain, but with less power. The 1972 Civic a decade later, effectively replaced the N600, and it set Honda on the road to success. It was so successful and profitable, Honda was able to regularly update the Civic, which is now in its tenth generation and a truly global success story. <a href="https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ad9987f052933439b58725a01a5b477dab8460bc4f154bec23d4000bd06b416f.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ad9987f052933439b58725a01a5b477dab8460bc4f154bec23d4000bd06b416f.jpg</a></p>
<p>This is a great Mini review!</p>
<p>Nick…..I recall the Honda 600 series tiny 2 door hatch for some years prior to the 1972 Z600 sport coupe that I bought at the end of that year as the all new 1st time Civic was being released. Think the Z600 was on the market for only a few years near the end of the 600 series. By that time, the classic Mini’s export to the US had been terminated per the stronger emissions requirements. I had that Z600 from 1972 to 1979 when I then purchased a new 1979 Civic CVCC for my work commute.</p>
<p>Other stuff….per my mention some time ago when I acquired my new 2017 CMS All4 8auto about 2 years ago, it now has over 32K miles with not a single problem issue. It’s use has ranged from MINI club activities/drives to hauling large items with the back seats folded down. Have briefly thought about the new 302 HP CM due out this summer as my next MINI, but it may be too soon to go that route combined with the much higher added cost compared to my current CM which had a bottom line of about 41K including lots of options. Expect the upcoming 2020 302 HP JCW would top out above 50K with a reasonable bunch of options.</p>
<p>Ahhh, I want one so bad. They are not cheap these days though. My R53 was about 1/5 the price of a classic.</p>