Mini Cooper D Clubman....

[rh100]

My first car was a second hand mini clubman estate, complete with sliding back windows with the plastic catches. I wish I had never got rid of it, I loved it, but did not realise how much until it was gone.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

The new Mini (and the new Beetle and Fiat 500) always makes me very happy that Citroen haven't yet brought out a new 2CV.

 

[rh100]

first car i drove (other than driving school car) was a mini. great fun, and i still love them, but too small for a family of 5

Rubbish, our family camping trips were in a mini, us 3 kids in back with all the camping gear on our laps

 

[yashicamat]

I've never had the pleasure of driving an original Mini, but I've taken a modern Cooper S but the scruff of the neck (the supercharged one, not the newer turbo ones) and it was a hoot. The new Mini is an excellent car, it really is, but it just shouldn't be called a Mini . . .

 

[Ivan Ardon]

I've always liked small cars, but the new Mini isn't one.

Taking off the rose tinteds for a while, I don't think I ever had a classic Mini (998, Countyman, Race prepped Clubman 1275, 850 and 998 Clubman) that wasn't a pile of junk in retrospect. They were fun though, especially the Countryman on crossplies, but in the end the amount of welding, subframes, brake work, waterpumps, balljoints and the difficulty involved in simple servicing took away the urge to ever get another. They were better than the Hillman Imps I had, but that doesn't say much.

I had an Italian built 126, that rusted badly but was extremely cheap to run. The new 500 is just a Panda in a different frock, that's even more of a fashion statement than the new Mini.

 

[Yellow Fang]

That's the impression I got, I'm afraid. I once heard a German have a hissy fit at the check-in desk at Gatwick. He was saying how British business was useless, just like Austin Rover, so I presume he worked there. I thought it again when I saw the smirk on the face of the BMW director as he handed over what was left of Austin Rover to the John Towers shower.

Having worked at Longbridge (IT support, not production) i can understand why it is now the country's biggest piece of flat brownfield development site.

Great for enthusiasts, terrible compared to almost every other manufacturer in the world.

Our current car is a BMW Mini, the one before that was a BMW 3 Series, before that a Rover 45. The Rover was like driving a collander.

 

[sheddy]

Can we just use the correct names please ?
Issigonis Mini (lower case)
BMW MINI (UPPER CASE)
Thankyou

 

[BrumJim]

The new Mini (and the new Beetle and Fiat 500) always makes me very happy that Citroen haven't yet brought out a new 2CV.

You spoke too soon....

 

[Rhythm Thief]

You spoke too soon....

Oh, knackers.

However, while the 2CV was designed to be cheap and cheerful, the newcomer will feature lots of hi-tech kit as standard, including sat-nav and connectivity for the latest handheld gadgets.

As with the MINI, personalisation will be a big part of the 2CV's appeal, with contrasting body panel colours, seat trims and the option of a full-length sunroof. It's possible the Citroen could feature panoramic glass, as well as a removable canvas top.

Under the skin, the 2CV is likely to use platform architecture from the C3 supermini and C4 hatch, featuring a front-wheel-drive layout and a comfortable driving experience.

The new model will be positioned above the C3 in Citroen's range, and will carry a premium price. Although the firm is tight-lipped about production, our sources indicate that a concept version could appear in 2009.

Talk about missing the point of the original!

 

[User482]

What was the old Mini estate called? Traveller?

BTW, my mum had an early 70s Mini Clubman, when I was a kid. You could put your arm through most of the bodywork, but it was great fun.

 

[Ivan Ardon]

The traveller was the boggo estate. Or you had the countryman with the decorative wood screwed to the sides.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Can we just use the correct names please ?
Issigonis Mini (lower case)
BMW MINI (UPPER CASE)
Thankyou

Isn't 'thank you' two words?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

My mum had a traveller - it was green with the wood detail, but mainly rust...

 

[Fnaar]

I'm not really good at cars, but I can appreciate elegance and beauty of styling... and guess what... I LOVE the modern mini, and the modern Beetle, and the modern Fiat 500 (to look at, all are lovely). But that 2CV looks like a pile of plop.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Mike Cooper (John's son) works with BMW on all the Cooper labelled models. The fees and royalty cheques obviously have helped him be less prissy about the use of the name than some of the people here.