238 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

 

West Midlands Safari Park
 

[mab01uk]

First R50 MINI body built in 1999


Early R50 MINI Built at Longbridge (Methods Build 1999)

From Austin Memories - The New Mini (R50) - Preparations to build it at Longbridge:-
http://www.austinmem...d-30/index.html

 

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Motor Show - Earls Court (1964)
"Morris Mini Super revolving on stand and it comes away into four sections.
The engine of the Mini cut in two."










These BMC Motor Show stand sectioned moving cut-a-ways were quite amazing.....
http://mk1-forum.net...hp?f=5&p=172612

Things were never better!

[Steam]

 


West Midlands Safari Park

 


West Midlands Safari Park

That gives a whole new angle on "Car surfing"

[mab01uk]

 

John Cooper at Gaydon in 1998 during the development of the R50 MINI by Rover.

(The R50 MINI pictured with JC is an early Rover prototype - R50 'anoraks' will notice the differences to the 2001 final production cars, eg. side repeaters/vents, mirrors, door handles, fuel cap, wheels, rear side glass shading, Cooper badges and extra lights below the front quarter bumpers.....)

Edited by mab01uk, 08 February 2022 - 07:44 PM.

[mab01uk]

Dutch rally driver Maus Gatsonides with his Farina Grey 1959 Austin Seven Basic.....he also invented the Gatso speed camera! 
https://en.wikipedia...Maus_Gatsonides

 

[mab01uk]

 

[mini-mad-mark]

A gallon of super (4 star?) for 5/1 - 5 shillings and a penny or about 25 and a half new pence for those not old enough to remember old money (maybe some on here don't even remember the halfpence....)

 

The first time I recall taking notice of the price it was 36 (new) pence a gallon (I was about 9 or 10 years old then, not actually buying it just watching my Dad fill up)

 

Now £7.50+ a gallon (depending where you are and what time it is as it might have gone up to £8 since I saw the news at 6 o'clock !!!)

[Cooperman]

One needs to put petrol and diesel prices into context.

I recall paying 5 shillings for a gallon of 4 star for my 1961 850 Mini, when I first bought it in 1963.

However, since then average inflation has been in the order of 25 times. That would make a gallon of 4 star around £6-50 per gallon. 

However, the Mini did around 40 mpg, whereas a modern small car, such as my wife's Fiesta 1.5 Turbo-Diesel Fiesta gives an average of 58 mpg and with much better performance than an 850 Mini. A better comparison might be a Mk.1 Cortina GT which had slightly inferior performance than the Fiesta, but which gave about 27 mpg. 

Fuel economy is just so much better now. It is amazing how much fuel those older classic cars actually used. Compare the Ford Zodiac Mk.3 which gave about 21 mpg with a modern similar sized 6-cylinder BMW 3-Series (petrol) giving c.38 mpg with a huge increase in performance.

We have enjoyed cheap fuel for a long time in relative terms.

[mab01uk]

 

[mab01uk]

 

[mab01uk]

 

[mab01uk]

 

[mab01uk]

 

[mab01uk]

5 star petrol 71p a gallon 1970's....on its way to the £1 gallon!