Austin Mini 1000 Special (1990)

At Klokje Rond in the regular AutoWeek, the question sometimes comes up whether it would be nice to take a closer look at a car with a very low mileage. But noblesse oblige, in that section we really only deal with cars with a lot of kilometers on the clock. In this section, in AutoWeek Classics, we have the opportunity to view a 32-year-old car that was driven over thirteen thousand kilometers on the way to our inspection.

After a long standstill only tires Mini renewed

You can bet that it entails risks to put a car that has stood still for so long and back into service again. Just think of all the parts that can dry out and need to be replaced. Very little has been done to make Bart’s Mini ready for use. “I bought it from a company that left it for years. They have technically corrected it. They claimed to have checked all vital components. I took him at his word, because I know almost nothing about the technique myself. As far as I know, only the tires have been renewed. The originals from 1990 were still underneath.”

Mini drove less than 10,000 kilometers in the first ten years

Bart also knows the history of the Mini: “It was bought new by an older couple. The lady of the house used it for her commute. In the first ten years, it drove 9,910 kilometers. There was an oil change every year, but it never had a real service. Then it went into storage.” Bart will only use his Mini sporadically. “I want to take it for a ride every now and then. It is also parked in my house and I walk past it every day. So you can best see it as an ornament.” Bart still has two Minis at home. A Rover Mini from 2000 and a Mini Red Hot from 1988. This duo is used more often. “I prefer the simple models. They give me a feeling of real driving. And I prefer small cars. I find it useful and I feel a bit lost when I drive a big car.” That’s exactly how this white Special is: no right wing mirror, no radio, no center console, no trunk mat and a four-speed gearbox. The engine produces only 41 horsepower. You couldn’t be further away from a Cooper.

Mini appears to be in showroom condition

When the Mini goes on the bridge after the test drive, Klokje Rond chef Dennis Koldewijn can say little negative about it. “At most, the carburetor needs to be adjusted, because in built-up areas the choke has to be pulled out a bit. Otherwise you turn off.” But if we can take a close look at the little Briton and see all the details, the ‘oh’s’ and ‘ah’s’ are not from the sky. This Mini is in showroom condition without exaggeration. As if time has stood still. Dennis points out all the innovations that this model has. In 1959, because when the first Mini came on the market, it was a revolutionary thing. “The transversely mounted engine provides a lot of space in the interior. Do you see how the radiator is placed. It is next to the engine and slots in the fender provide cooling.”

Rubber cones for suspension

Dennis also pays close attention to the suspension system. “Rubber cones are used that lie horizontally under the car. It is a very compact construction and it ensures excellent handling. But there is no suspension comfort.” There is also the redeeming answer to the question of whether a classic car with so few kilometers is actually safe. “It depends on where he has been. A lot can indeed dry out, but with this Mini I see that everything is still in excellent condition. It has probably been in a dry, dark place and that is the ideal situation.” Dennis feels firm on fuel lines and brake hoses, but he doesn’t think there’s any harm. “It looks like it was tectylated before stopping. That has been really well thought out.”

Sticker warning for asbestos

Bart indeed bought what he thought he bought: an almost perfect Mini. “It was small details that made me think I had a very original car in front of me. For example, there is a sticker under the hood that warns against asbestos. That is very contemporary, because its use was only banned in 1993. I have also been in contact with the person who bought this car new. That explains the low mileage.” In any case, we will not often encounter the beautiful white Mini in traffic. “I occasionally drive it and want to preserve it as best as possible. If there is a museum that wants to exhibit him, that would be great fun.”

Officially, this Mini is an Austin, but you don’t see that anywhere

To sum up the history of a car about which countless books have been written and produced from 1959 to 2000 in this place, where do you start? We could talk about the many brand names under which this type was produced: Austin, Morris, Riley, Wolseley, Innocenti, Rover … Austin was there from the start. First the little one was called ‘Seven’ and from 1962 it became ‘Austin Mini’. According to the official version, Bart’s car is an Austin, but you will not find a logo anywhere.

Austin Mini incorporated into Rover

In 1988 the brand name was dropped and the models continued under their type name and were later incorporated by Rover. In the time that this car was produced, it was actually not the intention that Minis were built anymore. In 1980, the successor was already ready in the form of the Austin Mini Metro. But just as with the VW Beetle after the arrival of the Golf and the Citroën 2CV after the arrival of the Dyane, Visa and AX, demand remained and production continued unabated.

Mini was revolutionary in 1959

The Mini was revolutionary when it was introduced in 1959. Its transversely mounted engine and front-wheel drive allowed eighty percent of the platform’s surface to be used for passengers and luggage. The Fiat 500 (1957) and the many micro-cars from Germany such as the Messerschmitt and the Isetta did not do that. The technical layout of the Mini continues to this day.
There were more novelties: the transmission is placed under the engine and runs in engine oil. We had never seen that before at the time. Furthermore, there was independent wheel suspension with rubber elements with progressive damping instead of normal springs. This is by no means comfortable, but together with the wheels that are placed extremely far on the corners, the Mini owes its kart-like handling to this.

The opinion of Carrec Technocenter

Dennis Koldewijn: “The carburetor could be checked as the icing on the cake, but other than that I really can’t say anything negative. As a rule, cars that stand still a lot don’t get any better. The storage where this Mini has been must have had a good climate. I expected a lot of dried out rubbers, brake hoses and covers. But there is hardly anything noteworthy to see. So that’s what it was like to drive a new Mini in 1990. What a pleasure, congratulations!”