It was small, it rusted (particularly the floor), it had a driving position that only Alfa Romeo could make worse, and the heater simply couldn't cope with the chill of the drafts from the ill-fitting doors and the slider windows which were out of track more often than not. But it was cute.
The Mini wasn't even the cheapest car on the market when it was launched in 1959. But it became an icon, thanks to some famous Finnish rallying, its adoption by the bold and beautiful people of the flower-power sixties, and the willingness to love robbers as long as they were British and personified making the 'Eyties' look stupid as in The Italian Job movie. And it had an innovative suspension.
It even survived being owned by the British Leyland Motor Company and its magnificently inefficient management and workers. And later, out of that frying pan and into the Rover fire. When that heat died to embers, BMW bought the brand and finally put the Mini out of its aged misery.
Now they have reincarnated it. In name anyway.
Due for Ireland in September, but being rolled out in BMW showrooms all over Britain on July 7, Mini has been driven by journalists in Italy over the last few weeks, and in general seems to have been well accepted in its new form. And make no mistake, it IS a very new form.
Sure, there are styling cues of the original 42-year-old, mainly in the radiator grille and squat stance, as well as the option of having a black or white roof in the Cooper version. Inside, there is some nostalgia, like the centrally-mounted speedometer and the toggle switches.
But the driving position can be made comfortable, there's power steering and an adjustable wheel, the brakes have modern attributes like ABS and trimmings, and all trim and fittings are of high quality and beautifully fitted.
It is now a 3-door, with wide side doors that allow easy access to the rear (but the seats there are of the +2 variety, suitable only for toddlers), and the back boot door of the original is now a full-height hatch. And the car is substantially bigger than the original, which never changed in size throughout its life.
The famous Hydrelastic suspension developed by Sir Alec Issigonis has now been replaced by McPherson struts up front and a derivative of BMW's own patented system as used in the 3-series.
It is also no original Mini engine under the unipiece bonnet/lights/grille cover. The 850cc mill of the first car became 1000cc in the Cooper, and 1.3-litre in latter years. Now there's a brand-new 1.6-litre four-pot developed jointly by BMW and Chrysler, which will have 90bhp and 115bhp outputs at launch, and later there will be a 160bhp Cooper S next year.
Road impressions in Italy showed really good handling, encouraging pushing on in the Cooper versions which sounded good and pulled well from significantly below the 3000rpm torque top point.
The car in both basic (Mini One) and Cooper forms is very well specced, but a number of options include a satnav system - the installation of which bumps the speedo onto the steering column beside the rev-counter - and a variety of wheels and tyres, as well as aircon.
The tweely-named spec levels of Salt, Pepper and Chili upgrade the interior trims and other bits. Germans and Brits are fond of personalising their cars, and no doubt these will sell.
But that brings me to price. In the UK, Mini One and Mini Cooper will sell for Stg£10,300 and Stg£11,600 respectively. Factor in the sterling difference, and the extra dosh which Irish taxation and traditional BMW premium here means you will have Irish prices of £16,000 (on the road) and probaby (not yet announced) £18,000 for the two versions before you do the customising.
Herein is the rub. VW invested a lot of money in nostalgia by reviving the Beetle, and while initial reaction was positive, its price significantly cut into expected sales, particularly in Europe. High-priced nostalgia is for the rich, and the rich grow quickly bored with their small toys.
Is BMW possibly going down the same road? Particularly as it plans its own small car 1-series in the next couple of years? Certainly, there's a question mark over how successful the Mini might be in the Irish context at the projected pricing.
It's easy enough here to sell a BMW badge at a premium. Selling the Mini in the same manner could be driving around a different corner altogether.
June 2001
by Brian Byrne