BBC TV - 'The Car's the Star' - The Mini - 1997 (Old Top Gear)

Quentin Willson presents the story of the original Mini.

[@stewartw.9151]

Used to buy and sell these and even raced and rallied them. Never paid more than about 50 quid for any Mini and some were perfectly good, others rot-boxes! Never gave a thought that they could ever actually be worth money one day!

[@stuart8663]

BBC really did a great job on this series.

[@chancesareshewears]

My first car! Bought for 140 quid in 1981! STILL MY FAVOURITE after all these years.

[@Embracing01]

I bet you wished you'd kept it. Prices of original 60s Mini's (or any old classic Mini doesn't have to be a Mini Cooper) are going through the roof, with prices upwards of 20k. They are not worth that kind of money IMO.

[@brianfearn4246]

Mr Alan Jefferie's enthusiasm and interest are absolutely overwhelming . To say the least.

[@christopherstorey8326]

They should bring back the old mini.love mine.love them full stop.

[@BradleyTurmel]

shoutout to them being very proud that they were hand-built to very low standards. No wonder they had to stop building them! Still a shame though, they look like an absolute blast to drive.

[@68AMW]

Sad thing is that BMW never really understood the word "MINI" from day 1 of production!! 20 years on and ALL their models are on steroids, but still displaying the word MINI!!

[@jimtaylor294]

^ Nah. They asset stripped Rover of everything they could keep or sell on, and left the rest to a group of equity men that couldn't possibly succeed. That's what happens, when you sell British companies to foriegners... the latter gut it, blame you for why it isn't making money, and keep deflecting blame onto others long after it's all gone to pot.

[@stewartw.9151]

If they were still making the real Mini, slightly modernised, instead of the bloated and vastly overpriced, over-specced BMW so-called Mini, they would still be popular and selling!

[@ianhow100]

Think poor old Sir Alec is still spinning in his grave at the return to 15" wheels. There is nothing mini about it, apart from a shadowed hint at the body shell

[@lrg3834]

Stewart W., for sure on that!

[@TheYorkMan]

It wouldn't pass modern safety tests. No amount of 'slight' modernisation would help!

[@Embracing01]

@@ianhow100 The modern Mini is anything but Mini. We live in a society now where cars need to be big and fat to accommodate all the fat people in them. Most people today would struggle getting in a small car like a Mini or any other classic car of that time. Just shows people are getting bigger and taller.

[@ianhow100]

@@Embracing01 I know that. It's the one grieve I have with it. Such a misuse of a name. Knowing what it was

[@bizarroworld3902]

If only they'd had Galvanised panels!

[@philpatterson8045]

My first Mini in was 8 years old, the sub-frame rusted through. wings rusted and sills rusted.

[@ianhow100]

@@philpatterson8045 was a one good feature of the BMW mini. Less rust traps. Same was partly possible with fibreglass bonnets. No rotting A frames

[@jimtaylor294]

^ Not really, as BMW's ""Mini"" is a hideous Golf sized imposter, living off stolen valour. Anyone with decent means get an original Mini shell stripped down, Galvanized and given a modern pain job (needless to say paint technology has come a long way from the 1950's; they no longer need to endlessly paint the Forth Rail Bridge after all)

[@kurt44mg42]

Back in the day, Ford Motor Company obtained a Mini, which they stripped down into all of its individual parts. After every single nut, bolt, washer, clip etc. was accounted for and priced, they found out that British Leyland were losing about £50 on every one they sold.

[@brucenicoll4373]

Very cool the best thing we in nz did is put a 13b and rwd that thing did weeeeel stands great car

[@NoosaHeads]

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

[@fazsshipkolye4027]

I hope Ineos brings back our mini like its being done with the Land Rover defender.

[@bigjoe9517]

A Nerd box on wheels 😀 Looks like something Mr. Bean would own,

[@honestcommenterseany441]

I had a mini. Red with Union Jack on roof but wrote it off flooring it 😯

[@drstevenrey]

The Mini did one thing to me. To this day I forget to check the oil in the transmission. The Mini had it all in one. One dipstick, one oil, job done. Brilliant. And just to make this clear. If the Mini, original, would be built to this day, it would still sell. Very very mild updating, no new interpretation, just leave it as is. Hey, BL would still live. They could have caught all that modification scene too. Why not.

[@zelekuther7938]

Great video! Just wish it was in higher resolution.

[@gud6y]

Zelek Uther...I transferred this from VHS many years ago so the quality suffered because of the age of the tape! Agree it's a shame though!

[@MultiBigtom]

Does anyone know the name of the music at 4.42?

[@valvlog4665]

The music is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZWak6Gvir5riJo

[@MultiBigtom]

@@valvlog4665 thanks very much. I have been looking for it for years.

[@gavinivers8941]

Quentin is so very good at classic car programs. Is it available on DVD?

[@gud6y]

Gavin Ivers ...I've never seen the series on DVD, but I'd buy it if they did!! 😊

[@josephfetz1748]

The original Top Gear aired in the 1977, and Clarkson was one of the original presenters of the show, appearing fully in 1988 (which is what set that show off). So, with that being said, how can this particular show be described as "old Top Gear" when such a thing already existed prior?

[@richardrichard5409]

@@josephfetz1748 Clarkson was on Top Gear in the 70's.....?

[@josephfetz1748]

@@richardrichard5409 Obviously not, just bad wording. He was one of the presenters of the original show (he started in 1988).

[@randyneil6161]

I would like to own one of these minu but are body parts and mechanical parts available for these car today ?

[@MedievalRichard]

Yep and worldwide as well. Mini Spares etc. I have two. One worth nearly 10k now and the other worth nearly 6k.

[@avivscrewvalla]

Agree with Richard. I own a Japanese spec 96 SPi, imported back to the UK. Try to find one that has zero rust - its worth the premium and they appreciated by around 10% every year if you spare no expense taking good care of them.

[@smiffy1071]

If you are prepared to pay, they still make brand new body shells. As for engine parts, that really isn’t a problem at all, as spares are readily available.

[@ukcarspotting9508]

You get every single part for the minis even nuts and bolts every single thing

[@grahamkeithtodd]

you can buy brand new bodyshells for it,all the oily bits are readily available as well

[@disillusionedanglophile7680]

A movie called "I'll Never Forget Whatshisname" 6:0

[@Embracing01]

Pity there wasn't more of this series made covering other notable motors. Would've been nice to see an episode on the Reliant Scimitar. Prices of Scimitar's are starting to really go up on value, some examples as much as 10 grand.

[@drstevenrey]

If the workers there loved it so much, then why didn't they build them better than they did. It was a good car, but rusted already in the catalog. Mine was built in Spain and was way better with rust, which is weird, because Spain has much dryer weather than Britain ever will. So it was down to the workers not giving a hoot about quality. Cause of death for Austin, Morris, BL, Rover, or whatever they call themselves.

[@jimtaylor294]

False. Unlike cars like the Alfa Sud, where worker incompetence was indemic; the Mini's rust issues were due not to those building the cars, but those in management who'd not put money into in-depth development. (such as not galvanising the chassis, or the fact that a hatchback prototype existed but was never produced) Also goes without saying that many post-sales rust issues were partially due to customer care (or lack thereof). A Mini that's routinely checked, maintained and garage kept [none of which cost very much] will last many years without a major rebuild. There are reems of post sales advice, materials and general life hacks re' Mini mantainance. If you've seen an issue on one, there exists a fix somebody has thought of & published.

[@TheYorkMan]

So did 'EGO' go to a third wedding??

[@cyborgbadger1015]

yOu HaVe BeEn WaRnEd!

[@2Truth2you]

Nice Italian design.

[@lazniprofil2994]

This guy was testing a Lada Riva.

[@jerrysummers5971]

Joke making a car than looses money .Great motor but put the price up what they should have done crazy!!!