Mini Clubman and Mini 1275GT (1969–1980) Parts 3

MINI Cooper

Mini Clubman and Mini 1275GT (1969–1980) Parts 3

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Mini Clubman And Mini 1275GT

Classic MINI Cooper Cars

MINI Cooper Cars

The Mini Clubman and 1275GT were responsible for two motoring "firsts": they were the first vehicles to use a flexi printed-circuit board behind the dash instruments (universal nowadays, but technically advanced for 1969). Secondly, the 1275GT was the first vehicle to be offered with run-flat tyres; from 1974 this model could be ordered with optional Dunlop Denovo tyres on 12-inch (300 mm) diameter rims. In the event of a puncture, the Dunlop Denovo tyre would not burst and quickly deflate, but could continue to be used safely at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h). This was a useful safety feature, although the increased road noise and relatively poor grip of this tyre meant that many 1275GT buyers ignored this option.

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Mini Clubman And Mini 1275GT

Throughout the 1970s, British Leyland continued to produce the classic 1959 "round-front" design, alongside the newer Mini Clubman and Mini 1275GT models. The long-nose Clubman and 1275GT offered better crash safety, were better equipped, and had vastly better under-bonnet access, but they were more expensive and aerodynamically inferior to the original 1959 design. The Clubman and 1275GT were replaced in 1980 by the new hatchback Austin Metro, while production of the original "round-front" Mini design continued for another 20 years. At the end of Mini Clubman and Mini 1275GT production, 275,583 Clubman saloons, 197,606 Mini Clubman Estates and 110,673 Mini 1275GTs had been made.

related : Mini Mark II ~ Mini Classic Cars (1967–1973)
related : Mini Clubman And Mini 1275GT ~ MINI Cooper Parts 1 And Parts 2

MINI Cooper Cars Models Mini Clubman and 1275GT: 1969–1980 Parts 2

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MINI Cooper Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars

MINI Cooper Cars Parts 1

The 1275GT is often incorrectly described as the "Mini Clubman 1275GT". The official name was always just the "Mini 1275GT", and it was a separate, distinct model from the Mini Clubman (albeit, it shared the same frontal treatment as the Mini Clubman, and was launched at the same time).

In 1971, the 1275 cc Mini Cooper S was discontinued in the UK, leaving the Mini 1275GT as the only sporting Mini on sale for the rest of the decade. Innocenti in Italy, however, continued making their own version of the Mini Cooper for some time. While the UK built 1275GT was not nearly as quick as a 1275 Mini Cooper S, it was cheaper to buy, run, and insure. It was the first Mini to be equipped with a tachometer. It also featured a standard-fit close-ratio gearbox. Performance of the 1275GT was lively for the time, achieving 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 12.9 seconds, and the excellent midrange torque offered a 30–50 mph (48–80 km/h) time in top gear of only nine seconds. The bluff front, however, meant that the model struggled to reach 90 mph (140 km/h). The 1275 cc A-series engine could be cheaply and easily tuned, though the cheap purchase price and prominent "sidewinder" door stripes meant that this model developed a reputation as something of a "boy-racer special" during the 1970s and into the 1980s.

Mini Cooper Cars - Mini Mark II (1967–1973)
Morris Mini Cars K (March 1969 – August 1971)

Used Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models Mini Clubman and 1275GT: 1969–1980 Parts 1

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MINI Cooper Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars// MINI Clubman

MINI Cooper Cars And MINI Clubman Parts 1

In 1969, under the ownership of British Leyland, the Mini was given a facelift by stylist Roy Haynes, who had previously worked for Ford. The restyled version was called the Mini Clubman, and has a squarer frontal look, using the same indicator/sidelight assembly as the Austin Maxi. The Mini Clubman was intended to replace the upmarket Riley and Wolseley versions. A new model, dubbed the 1275GT, was slated as the replacement for the 998 cc Mini Cooper (the 1275 cc Mini Cooper S continued alongside the Mini Clubman 1275GT for two years until 1971). The Mini Clubman Estate took over where the Countryman and Traveller left off.

However, British Leyland continued to produce the classic 1959 "round-front" design, alongside the newer Mini Clubman and Mini Clubman 1275GT models (which were replaced in 1980 by the new hatchback Austin Metro, while production of the original "round-front" Mini design continued for another 20 years.)

Production of the Mini Clubman and Mini Clubman 1275GT got off to a slow start because the cars incorporated "lots of production changes" including the relocation of tooling from the manufacturer's Cowley plant to the Longbridge plant: very few cars were handed over to customers before the early months of 1970.

Early domestic market Mini Clubman were still delivered on cross-ply tyres despite the fact that by 1970 radials had become the norm for the car's mainstream competitors. By 1973 new Minis were, by default, being shipped with radial tyres, though cross-plies could be specified by special order, giving British buyers a price saving of $8. ~ MINI Cooper Cars Models Mini Clubman and 1275GT

Mini Cooper Cars - Mini Mark II (1967–1973)
Used Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models Mini Cooper and Cooper S (1961-2000) Parts 2

Mini Cooper Classic Cars - Morris Mini K

Morris Mini K (March 1969 – August 1971, Australia only)

The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (that allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers. The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary, the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T.

Built in the Australian British Motor Corporation factory at Zetland, NSW using 80% local content, the Morris Mini K was advertised as the "great leap forward". The Mini K ('K' standing for Kangaroo) had a 1098 cc engine and was the last round-nose model to be produced in Australia, originally priced at $1780 (AUD).

Mini Classic Cars - Mini Moke (1964–1989)
Mini Classic Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)

Mini Pick-up Platform Car (1961–1982)

Mini Pick-up (1961–1982)

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A pick-up truck, 11 ft (3.4 m) from nose to tail, built on the longer Mini Van platform, with an open-top rear cargo area and a tailgate. The factory specified the weight of the Pickup as less than 1,500 lb (680 kg) with a full 6 imperial gallons (27 L; 7 US gal) of fuel.

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As with the Van, the Pickup did not have a costly chrome grille. Instead, a simple set of stamped metal slots allowed airflow into the engine compartment. The Pickup was spartan in basic form, although the factory brochure informed prospective buyers that "[a] fully equipped Mini Pick-up is also available which includes a recirculatory heater." Passenger-side sun visor, seat belts, laminated windscreen, tilt tubes and cover were available at extra cost. Like the van, the Pickup was renamed as the Mini 95 in 1978.

A total of 58,179 Mini Pickups were built.

Mini Classic Cars - Mini Moke (1964–1989)

Mini Classic Cars - Mini Moke (1964–1989)

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A utility vehicle intended for the British Army, for whom a few twin-engined 4-wheel-drive versions were also built. Although the 4WD Moke could climb a 1:2 gradient, it lacked enough ground clearance for military use. The single-engined front-wheel-drive Moke enjoyed some popularity in civilian production. About 50,000 were made in total, from 1964 to 1968 in the UK, 1966 to 1982 in Australia and 1983 to 1989 in Portugal. The car featured in the cult 1967 TV series The Prisoner, and is popular in holiday locations such as Barbados and Macau, where Mokes were used as police cars. Mokes were also available to rent there as recently as March 2006. "Moke" is archaic British slang for a donkey.

Mini Classic Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)

Mini Classic Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)

A commercial panel van rated at ¼-ton load capacity. Built on the longer Traveller chassis but without side windows, it proved popular in 1960s Britain as a cheaper alternative to the car. it was classed as a commercial vehicle and as such carried no sales tax. A set of simple stamped steel slots served in place of a more costly chrome grille. The Mini Van was renamed as the Mini 95 in 1978, the number representing the gross vehicle weight of 0.95 tons. 521,494 were built. Despite this renaming, the motoring public continued to call it the Mini Van, as a result of which the class of vehicles known as minivans in other countries are referred to in Britain as MPVs.

Mini Classic Cars - Morris Mini Traveller and Austin Mini Countryman (1961–1969)

Mini Classic Cars - Morris Mini Traveller and Austin Mini Countryman (1961–1969)

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Two-door estate cars with double "barn"-style rear doors. Both were built on a slightly longer chassis of 84 inch (2.14 m) compared to 80.25 inch (2.04 m) for the saloon.

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The luxury models had decorative, non-structural wood inserts in the rear body which gave the car a similar appearance to the larger Morris Minor estate which had some of the look of an American-style 1950s Woodie. Approximately 108,000 Austin Mini Countrymen and 99,000 Morris Mini Travellers were built.

Mini Classic Cars - Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf (1961–1969)

Mini Classic Cars - Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf (1961–1969)

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Built as more luxurious versions of the Mini, both the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf had longer, slightly finned rear wings and larger boots that gave the cars a more traditional "three-box" look. Front-end treatment, which incorporated each marque's traditional upright grille design, also contributed to a less utilitarian appearance. The cars had larger-diameter chrome hubcaps than the Austin and Morris Minis, and additional chrome accents, bumper overriders and wood-veneer dashboards. The Riley was the more expensive of the two cars. The name "Wolseley Hornet" was first used on a 1930s sports car, while the name "Elf" recalled the Riley Sprite and Imp sports cars, also of the 1930s. The full-width dashboard was a differentiator between the Elf and Hornet. This better dashboard was the idea of Christopher Milner the Sales Manager for Riley.

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Both cars went through three versions. Initially, they used the 848 cc engine, changing to a single carburettor version of the Cooper's 998 cc power unit in the Mark II in 1963. The MKIII facelift of 1966 brought wind-up windows and fresh-air fascia vents; also concealed door hinges two years before these were seen on the mainstream Mini. 30,912 Riley Elfs and 28,455 Wolseley Hornets were built.

Mini Classic Cars - Mark II Mini (1967–1973)

Mini Classic Cars - Mark II Mini (1967–1973)

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The Mark II Mini Classic Cars featured a redesigned grille which remained with the car from that point on. Also, a larger rear window and numerous cosmetic changes were introduced. 429,000 Mark II Minis were made.

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A bewildering variety of Mini types were made in Pamplona, Spain, by the Authi company from 1968 onwards, mostly under the Morris name.

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The Mini was arguably the star of the 1969 film The Italian Job, which features a car chase in which a gang of thieves drive three Minis down staircases, through storm drains, over buildings and finally into the back of a moving bus. This film was remade in 2003 using the new MINI.

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) The End Part

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) The End Part

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From October 1965 the option of an Automotive Products (AP) designed four-speed automatic transmission became available. Cars fitted with this became the Mini-Matic

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Slow at the outset, Mark I sales strengthened across most of the model lines in the 1960s, and production totalled 1,190,000. Sold at almost below cost, the basic Mini made very little money for its owners. However, it still did make a small profit. Ford once took a Mini away and completely dismantled it, possibly to see if they could offer an alternative. It was their opinion though, that they could not sell it at BMC's price. Ford determined that the BMC must have been losing around 30 pounds per car. BMC insisted that the way company overheads were shared out, the Mini always made money. Larger profits came from the popular De Luxe models and from optional extras such as seat belts, door mirrors, a heater and a radio, which would be considered necessities on modern cars, as well as the various "Cooper" and "Cooper S" models, to be discussed later.

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The Mini etched its place into popular culture in the 1960s with well-publicised purchases by film and music stars.

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 2

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 2

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Until 1962, the cars appeared as the Austin 850 and Morris 850 in North America and France, and in Denmark as the Austin Partner (until 1964) and Morris Mascot (until 1981). The name Mini was first used domestically by BMC for Austin's version in 1961, when the Austin Seven was rebranded as the Austin Mini, somewhat to the surprise of the Sharps Commercials car company (later known as Bond Cars Ltd) who had been using the name Minicar for their three-wheeled vehicles since 1949. However, legal action was somehow averted, and BMC used the name Mini thereafter.

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In 1964, the suspension of the cars was replaced by another Moulton design, the hydrolastic system. The new suspension gave a softer ride but it also increased weight and production cost and, in the minds of many enthusiasts, spoiled the handling characteristics for which the Mini was so famous. In 1971, the original rubber suspension reappeared and was retained for the remaining life of the Mini.

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 1

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 1

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The production version of the Mini was demonstrated to the press in April 1959, and by August several thousand cars had been produced ready for the first sales.

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The name Mini did not appear by itself immediately—the first models being marketed under two of BMC's brand names, Austin and Morris. The name Austin Seven (sometimes written as SE7EN in early publicity material) recalled the popular small Austin 7 of the 1920s and 1930s. The other name used until 1967 in the United Kingdom (and in Commonwealth countries such as Australia), Morris Mini-Minor, seems to have been a play on words. The Morris Minor was a well known and successful car, with the word minor being Latin for "smaller" so an abbreviation of the Latin word for "smallest"—minimus—was used for the new even smaller car. It was originally going to be called the Austin Newmarket.

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars 3

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars

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The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered an icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (that allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers.The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary, the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 2

This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis. It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park / Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates: the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations including an estate car, a pickup truck, a van and the Mini Moke—a jeep-like buggy. The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were sportier versions that were successful as rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967, although in 1966 the Mini was disqualified after the finish, along with six other British entrants, which included the first four cars to finish, under a questionable ruling that the cars had used an illegal combination of headlamps and spotlights. Initially Minis were marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor, until Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969. The Mini was again marketed under the Austin name in the 1980s.

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars
A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 2

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 2

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 2

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Demand for the Mini was increasing, not only from the production line but from used Mini dealerships as well. As different Marks of the Mini were introduced, each model evolved, with the Clubman having a longer nose and differing front end to the original Mini design. Between 1959 and 2000 when production of the Mini was brought to a close, the shape of the Mini did not change much at all, in fact the shape of the Mini was registered as a trademark, which is almost unheard of in the car industry.

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The curtain was drawn on the production of the Mini in 2000 as Rover, now the manufacturer of the Mini following on Austin and Morris, were making huge losses and were forced into a buyout by German car giants, BMW. The Mini was to be no more, at least not as we knew it. BMW dragged the Mini into the 21st century, completely redesigning the car, yet keeping its redeeming features. The MINI (all in caps to distinguish it from the original Mini) divided opinion between fans of the original, yet gained rave reviews from those in the know.

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Many Mini enthusiasts felt bitter towards BMW for not continuing production of the Mini in favour of the more expensive MINI, whereas others were among the first to buy the new MINI. The much larger MINI was criticised by purists for literally not being mini anymore also, yet none of the negative criticisms have affected sales.

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The MINI has sold more than one million units since 2000 and remains one of the few cars that actually retain its value in the ever depreciating world of car sales. Used Mini dealerships are one of the few who have not been badly affected by the credit crunch and have not had to slash prices to keep afloat - a fine example of just how popular the Mini has remained.

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Original Minis remain sought after and some of the rarer models are valuable collectors' items. Minis remain one of the most popular renovation projects for retired car enthusiasts also, as they hark back to the swinging sixties, trying to recapture their youth. Love 'em or loathe'em the BMW MINI is likely to remain a popular car for years to come, as the Mini remains a car close to the hearts of British industry.

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 1

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars

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One of the most iconic cars will be celebrating its 50th birthday in August 2009 - a British classic that turned into a cult classic - the Mini.

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Since the Mini was conceived in 1959 it has become a phenomenon. Originally designed as an fuel efficient, affordable, space saving small car, in the 1960s the Mini was such a success that some of the biggest celebrities in the world owned at least one Mini, including John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Peter Sellers and Steve McQueen.

The Mark I Mini was updated three times in the UK with the Mark II, Clubman and Mark III, and different models were designed during this time including the Mini van, Mini estate and the ever so cute Mini Moke. The most sought after model from the Mini fleet, the Cooper S, (brand new and from used Mini dealerships) enjoyed rally driving success in the mid-60's claiming a number of world titles.

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The Mini was the model with which other car brands based their small car designs, employing the front wheel drive system designed by Austin for the original Mini, and despite competition from other brands, Mini remained the popular choice of small car.

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 2