Classic Mini Cars
What is your favourite Mini car?
Morris Mini Minor
This is one of many illustrated classic car guides I've created for the eBay community. I hope you enjoy it and if you would like to find out more about the classic Mini car art featured in this guide please click here.
The new Morris Mini Minor was almost exactly the same car as the Austin Seven ( or Austin Mini ), the only differences being the radiator grille, the colour schemes and the fact that it was built at Cowley rather than Longbridge, Super saloons available from 1961, key starts and Hydrolastic suspension from 1964.
Austin Seven
Launched to a dumb-founded motoring press in 1959, the Alec Issigonis designed Austin 7 and Morris Mini Minor introduced a whole new concept in car design. The new cars were more or less instantly referred to as the Mini and seemed to capture the mood of the swinging-sixties, they seemed also to break the class barriers that surrounded British cars in general, everybody wanted to drive a Mini.
Mini Cooper
As the first sporting Mini, the Cooper was recognisable by its grille of 11 horizontal bars, Super-type body trim, remote control gearshift and front disc brakes. Twin carburettor engine gives 55bhp, and with the original 997cc unit (up to 1964) a top speed of 85mph, with acceleration to match. Total production, to 1967 - 44,859.
Austin Seven Countryman
During the first eight years of production, the trim and badging of BMC's Mini was reshuffled from time to time. One interesting new variant, announced in late 1962, was the plain metal-bodied Countryman estate, offered as an option to the "country cottage" wood battened variety.
Wolseley Hornet
Introduced in 1961, the Hornet was basically a BMC Mini fitted with a lengthened box-shaped tail, a distinctive nose, and a more comprehensive trimmed interior. Except for its nose and badging, the Riley Elf was the same as this car. Both Wolseley and Riley versions were given a 998cc engine in 1963.
Austin Mini Saloon
From late-1964, the Hydrolastic suspension system, interconnected front to rear, took over from the rubber cone systems, but only on the saloons, while from late 1965 the new four-speed AP automatic transmission was offered as an option on saloons only. The Austin Super Mini had slightly better trim and a different grille from the ordinary deluxe models.
Austin Countryman
From 1960 the Mini range included an estate car version built on a longer chassis, which it shared with the mini van and mini pick-up. The model was badged as either the Austin Seven Countryman or the Morris Mini Traveller.
Mini Cooper S
The First of the Mini Cooper S types appeared in April, this being one step up from the Mini Cooper., with a special and more robust over-square version of the A-series engine, of 70bhp/1,077cc, and with larger disc brakes. This car was built with motor-sport in mind. Later in 1964 there would be other, even more specialized Cooper S models.
Mini-Moke
Following several years of previews, the Mini-Moke finally went on sale, badged as an Austin or a Morris and fitted with the standard Mini 850 engine, transmission and suspension units. Though based on the Mini's layout, the open-top structure was unique, with four-seats, very low sides and no doors. A rudimentary hood was provided but there were no side curtains.
Mini Cooper S Mk2
The Mini Cooper caught the motoring world's imagination during the Sixties, notching up many Rally victories at the highest levels. Many consider the Cooper S to be the ultimate Mini variant, it originally appeared in 1963 powered by the 1,071cc A-series engine, with the 1,275cc engined S arriving in 1964. 1967 saw the introduction of the Mk II Cooper and Cooper S models, which received the Mk 2 Mini improvements in line with the rest of the Mini range.
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