What's a Mini from 1989 like today? | Classic car drive

[@darnjem1642]

The most fun to be had with your cloths on. Tearing around a carpark firing out handbrake turns. One of the best cars ever EVER made... Brilliant review my friend

[@mamba101]

Whenever I see one I'm always shocked at just how small they really are, I can imagine they're great fun.. basically a go cart with a roof

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Even the thumbnail looks like a fake car but it's really that small!

[@andyhillhouse9813]

Its a go kart with a clutch and a gearbox. It's such a cliche but it's true!

[@timbotha4422]

The fiat 500 cinquecento is also a shock to see on the roads these days

[@Thomas-zm1ry]

That's a lovely mini. I have a 1963 mini and that's a vintage car

[@RobinTheMini]

BMW bought Rover in 94 but classic Minis were in production until the end of 2000, so definitely not one of the last Minis to look like that...

[@automotivel3501]

A genuine smile on Bob's face driving a classic Mini does that to anyone.

[@AstonsVintageTechnologyWorkshp]

The classic mini shape was still made up until the year 2000, and some cars like mine were still being registered in 2001. Oh and by the way, the reason your knees are up around the steering wheel, is because the seat mounting points are in the farthest forward hole. If mounted properly you'd be fine. Will always drive a Mini, for as long as the powers that be will allow it. :)

[@cjmillsnun]

They carried on making these for another 11 years. Hardly one of the last Minis to look like that. MG Rover made the last real Mini in 2000.

[@seyoch]

true MINI Cooper was bought out by BMW in 2000. Before BMW's acquisition, the Rover Group owned MINI. BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994, and BMW then broke up the group in 2000, retaining the MINI badge.... only since 2000 when BMW bought all rights of the mini, they stopped producing the old model. I got a Rover mini from '92. The rover mini's were quickly modified to injection, couple of years single point injection, for the last years they were multi point injection (SPI and MPI models).

[@willswheels283]

I absolutely LOVE the Minis old fashioned cheeky querkiness, yes it’s cramped, yes it has squeaks and rattles, but so does a 15 year old Fiat or Peugeot. Would I buy one and use it daily to get about.. yes absolutely. Great review mate.

[@sifuminus720]

I own a 02 R53 Mini and an Australian 1969 Morris Mini Kangaroo (being restored), seeing this video makes me so excited for the day that it's finally finished being rebuilt and reconditioned. People put down the newer BMW Minis, for OBVIOUS German over-engineering issues, totally justified. However the first gen minis are by far the best ones to get a hold of if you can, they're the smallest modern Minis, and the handle just as well as the originals. Having driven both eras of minis, the newer ones' only downsides is that they're on average 20-30cm extra in each direction, coming in with another 200-300kg weight, negligible since the engines put out a lot more power as well. Such fun cars. End of the day, true car people appreciate everyone's vehicle tastes, regardless of how exotic or mediocre some cars may seem to be.

[@johnwhite9760]

The mystery switch on the dash is a brake fluid warning light. If the fluid gets low the switch will illuminate, you just press the switch to check it's working and it should light up.

[@pmw3839]

Yes, the pull-out knob on the far right is for heating. I keep mine pulled out to the max all winter. My 1990 mini city did not come with a radio, but it was bottom of the range, so higher spec models may have done. I have had my mini from new, and it has done 57k miles. It is my only car, which I use for grocery shopping and everything else. I drive it at the speed limit (70 mph), when I am on motorways and fast roads.

[@aviestrela]

I daily mine everyday 125 miles per week

[@Intz51]

how is it in winter time?

[@Sanjeet_1810]

I see absolutely no problem in using this as a daily commuter. It was once used by people daily, so even we can without any doubt. Just that you need a different taste to filter out the shortcomings on this beauty

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

Had a Mini 30 almost from new in 1990, they cost £5,500 new , I paid £5000 and knew it was going to be a future classic and only appreciate.Loved it and stupidly sold it in 1995 but checked on the DVLA website and it's still very much alive !.For all their faults, I have had earlier models, Mk1 & 11 they are my favourite car, classless ,aesthetically perfect and huge fun and ultra cool, you will develop a superiority complex , no other car can do this and make you feel you are driving a most desirable piece of automotive history.

[@lukerobinson9646]

What a little beauty.

[@rossgoodwin2700]

I'm 6foot 4 and had a 1998 1275i rover mini when I was 19. It was a beautiful car that broke my heart and my wallet - but now 33 I would love another one. Perfect weekend car. Keep your modern day bmw / Audi.

[@andynixon2820]

Had lots of them in the 80s and adored them. Saw one recently and couldn't believe how tiny they are .

[@Sd1v8v]

As a classic mini daily driver yep, but what you do get is a car that people are happy to see you and easy to fix.

[@adrianwhite9365]

Had a mini as a daily driver for years between 93 and 95 and did lack refinement but like me you had a smile on your face for most of your review. Dont get that with many modern cars. Great insight. Keep it up.

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

The Irish Mr bean Haha

[@BobFlavinVideo]

I can make the faces but sadly lack the ears

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

@@BobFlavinVideo Haha I'm only joking Bob 😊

[@maxbennett3518]

Not sure if your really bothered but that noise is the heater matrix if the switch is on the far right setting it will vibrate but it you switch it across to the left it will turn off 😂 happens in my mini 30

[@TornadoCAN99]

Wow, been chasing that dash rattle for a while now...gonna try this fix....cheers Mate!

[@veggivet737]

I have two MINIs and one Mini, and the '87 Classic gives me more smiles per mile than the other two combined! Happy motoring 😊

[@robtt997]

Great idea to start testing some modern classics . Let’s have more like this as soon as you can

[@ericrochford3134]

Great stuff, so much character with these compared to what we buy nowadays. Like the original plates too.

[@scatton61]

I had an Austin 1300, red, black vinyl roof and extra spot/fog lights... loved it

[@stevecarter8810]

The further back you go the more space inside. Before headrests, the seats tilted further to get in the back. Before wind up windows the front doors could store milk bottles.

[@grayfool]

I've had five. Still the most fun car to drive. You are right about the right hand knob. Pull it out to get warm, in for not warm.

[@DigiKiller]

I just bought a 1990 Racing Green 1000 with the intention of driving it daily, might have to consider avoiding the motorway though, we'll see, but I'm looking forward to giving this classic a second lease on life.

[@ihaveacoolhat1]

I'm 26, I'd totally pick one of these over a modern car.

[@nigeh5326]

BMC (Austin Rover,'s name in the 60s) sold the Mini at a loss in the 60s, Ford bought one stripped it and couldn't figure out why they weren't priced higher. After winning the Monte Carlo rally and the release of the Cooper S it became the car for celebrities to be seen in, not just Ringo but all 4 Beatles owned modded Minis, George Harrison drove his multi coloured Mini in the Magical Mystery Tour movie. I think some of the celebrity Minis are still around in one form or another.

[@wickiezulu]

One thing to take into consideration is when Ford costed the Mini, it was apparently prior to BMC introducing the 1100/1300 which carried over much from the Mini and allowed for a higher degree of component sharing with each other (some say it was in the region of 30%). Otherwise agree BMC could have done a much better job at taking the cost out of the Mini and making it profitable, even the under-utilised Research Department under Duncan Stuart in late-1962 reckoned about £20 could have been taken out of the production cost though the ineffectual George Harriman basically said “If Alec is in favour, I’ll support you”.

[@julianblock5436]

I had an automatic version of this anniversary model, I fitted the usual front seat legroom extenders which even a shortarse like me needed. The roominess is down to zero space used for crumple zones, airbags, and crash protection infrastructure which fill up a modern car thankfully.

[@andycleary6209]

I had a 1967 850cc mini, it had a pull cord to open the door and sliding windows and the gearstick was incredibly long, the indicator stalk had a big green light on the end that flashed when you indicated, no rev counter that would have been too much of a luxury but do you know what, it was the most fun to drive car i have ever had unless you went through a big puddle and soaked the dizzy in which case it would conk out and you had to dry everything off to get it to re start. Was ok after i cut the finger tips off a marigold glove fed the leads through and taped it up, that saved me many a soaking on rainy days trying to dry it off.

[@russcattell955i]

My wife was based at Mill hill Barracks in N. London in the 80's, she had a mini mayfair. She loved it as it was ideal to scoot around the capital in. A trip home to Liverpool was a feat of human endurance though. Perhaps a Cooper S would have been a bit more tolerable as they had much more power & higher gearing to ease the motorway slog !

[@automotivel3501]

Bob those are classic 'automatic' windows, turn the handle one way the window automatically goes down, turn handle the other way window automatically goes up. My old 1070 Cooper S (1964) had only sliding front windows, a string interior door handle Big speedo in centre of dash, roll cage, upside down rev counter, and a racing handbrake. but it sure was fun. Unfortunately a tree came down in storm, crashed through garage roof, my car written off as a 25 year old Mini.

[@Lookbusybuddy]

Had one of these as my first car. Mini 30. Half leather interior. 12 inch alloys.

[@nlo114]

I had a V-reg 850 when I got my licence back in 1990, as the only car I could get insurance for with a DD10. Despite regular service, it had a top speed of 70 mph and the acceleration of a stunned slug. The battery box rotted out, I sold it for £350 two years later. Worth a fortune if I'd kept it, but then if my auntie had bollocks she'd have been my uncle!

[@SteveSmith-wk9dx]

My first car was a 1979 Mini in 'Mr Bean' green. It was eleven years old when I bought it. First MOT it needed new sills & rear sub-frame and a tonne of welding that cost more than half what I originally paid for it. I've never found a car with the same kind of driving experience - super-direct steering, go-cart grip and handling, and surprisingly torquey (up to about 30 mph). I have a friend over 6' 6" who could squeeze into the passenger seat and still have space for people in the back - as long as you weren't driving far. A few years later I had a Mini 'Jet Black' which was just as vulnerable to corrosion. The paint and body seemed to dissolve like a aspirin. Not that other cars of the era were much better. I miss having a Mini but I'm not sure I'd want one as a daily drive. The cars I've had recently have a harsh ride by modern standards but they're luxury compared to the Mini, and its 4-speed box means you're thrashing it at motorway speeds.

[@Veni_Vidi_Vortice]

Minis always get you there. I had a 1275GT with a 1380cc engine which was good for 100 mph. When you're doing the ton in a Mini you KNOW you're travelling fast!

[@DucksFor4]

If I see a old mini I think it has emotions it makes me think it’s a living thing. I think I’ve watched a lot of mr bean so if I see one of these I automatically like them

[@PhantomTD]

Been driving a Classic (1995) mini for the last 7 years. It is one of the most fun things in life, at least for me!

[@KuntalGhosh]

I would still love to drive this car with everything stock and i love the look of the poor car owner!

[@tigerbois7108]

Its a lot of fun i have one as a daily driver its 40yrs old

[@kevingregson3805]

Makes me wonder why they can't make a Mini this size anymore considering that the Kei car market in Japan build cars based on a similar sized platform? Dunno whether or not the Kei cars conform to Western safety standards...i presume that's the reason...but hey, a new Mini built to a similar sized platform would be a wonderful thing🙂

[@jigrodrigues]

Like you said, it's a safety issue

[@markellis4229]

Heater rattling turned on car or windscreen put it off position The rattling will go away my 1989 mini racing Does the same lol 😂

[@Mark1405Leeds]

Going off my families experiences with Mini's they never were daily drivers - could never be relied on to start!

[@MrBenHaynes]

I had '78 Clubman as a youngster. The ride was busy, and noisy with only four forward gears and 1000cc of propulsion. I keep getting drawn to low seat cars to recreate the sensation of speed derived from sitting just above ground level. Enjoyed a Suzuki Swift GTi, now currently in a Mazda MX-5.

[@edinburghgus8379]

My old man used to try and teach my mum to drive in one of these. He was so terrified he’d put a towel over his head during the lesson.

[@mastermind9378]

don't need to subscribe, the answer is yes, you can daily drive a mini, I do it

[@micklawlor9438]

I always wanted to drive an old mini..... now not so much! Great review Bob. I had a sneaky drive by as you filmed that on the Curragh

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Ya should have stopped for a chat Mick!

[@micklawlor9438]

@@BobFlavinVideo Ah you were in the middle of moving the camera around, I'll catch ya the next time.

[@byrnedes]

Great affectionate look at a classic Bob.

[@timcarpenter2441]

The older seats would mean more room in the back, in fact acceptable short trip room as long as the person in front was not huge. It would be an interesting challenge to make that size of a vehicle safe a la Smart For2.

[@nigeh5326]

Back in the late 80s I owned a Mini that took me my wife our 3 year old and his baby brother away for a week with all the luggage no problem. Oh and it was a 1000 cc engine but modified with big SU carb, 998 Cooper cylinder head, big bore exhaust and a rally cam (from I think Newman cams in Farnborough based on the 649 cam for those who know A serries cams). It also had longer ft suspension arms, Minilite wheels for added go kart handling. Even with all this it still did 35mpg around town and on lanes it was v nippy. Sadly the guy who bought it ran it into a wall racing an XR2 😣

[@dieselbushcraft1299]

A beautiful car, bags of fun and fond memories. Assuming the paper certificate in the windscreen is equivalent of a UK MOT, does it have to be displayed in the windscreen? Great stuff 😃

[@sully1865]

Yes, it’s NCT certificate (National Car Test). Irish equivalent of British MOT. It has to be displayed on windscreen along with insurance & tax discs.

[@Amgmerc11919]

I have a 1988 mini city in black i love it

[@paulmcaleer2736]

You picked up on the two points I don't like about driving my Mini 30 - the suspension and the tailgating from other drivers!

[@bernlin2000]

That's the dream car there...too bad cars keep getting bigger (which ironically makes cars like this less safe, just by the shear fact they're outweighed by modern cars, especially in the US) and making cars like this little Mini more risky to drive :-/

[@nickyjames8550]

You can definitely use a mini as your everyday drive

[@ianwindley70]

great video,many fun nights driving around in my mini

[@terryatkinson899]

I've a 97 cinquecento and I get bullied all the time on the roads, even at 70mph on the motorway people have to race past me and then pull straight in in front of me WTF. My car is a hobby and I have a modern car as well. I can't describe what it is about the cinquecento I like, i know it's a death trap but you drive it accordingly. There's no character in modern cars unlike the old stuff.

[@Bicyclehub]

I've got a Cinquecento too and you are spot on. Other drivers constantly have to get past no matter what speed you are doing. It's as if the driver thinks "I'm not having that tiny car in front of me". It's a brilliant design and the handling is like a roller skate. Great fun to drive.

[@terryatkinson899]

@@Bicyclehub thanks for the comment.

[@loonymoon1]

Nice video. I had a 1988 Mini city E as my first car in 2000-2001, it was so basic, similar to that car but with more basic cloth seats with no head rests, massive bus-style steering wheel and no radio at all. It was also quite rusty. I LOVED IT!!! I drove for a year into work every day in it often with two house mates in tow. Sadly it died in a crash in 2001 when an Astra tried to U-turn in the road, not seeing me in his blind spot. I was lucky, a second later it'd have been a head on... not something you want in a classic mini!! Car was written off. Years later in 2017 I bought a BMW mini cooper which I absolutely love. It's not the same of course, but somehow in some way it does capture the spirit of my first car , something I haven't' felt in any of the other small cars I've had, except that first little classic, it's just evolved for the modern day.

[@officialWWM]

What a wonderful little car. Nice drone shots too :)

[@CarsofGlasgow]

Great video BOB nice to see a classic mini!

[@stevefinch8519]

These are a right laugh to drive, back in about 97 I was working in a rover dealersbip the showroom had a last line cooper s with the sports pack arches wider wheels ect real nice lookin car. Also remember when the last line model came into workshop all the mechanics thought the safety items were sacrelidge had a big chunky wheel with an airbag...

[@stevecarter8810]

Of course the sports pack was slower than stock because of the rolling resistance from the tyres and arches lol

[@callumbalodis1760]

I drive a 1977 Leyland Clubman S everyday, love it!

[@DucksFor4]

There starting to make there own classic mini themed new minis

[@caduceus33]

Look Bob, if you can pull a choke knob on Saturday or Sunday, you can Monday through Friday. I could drive it daily, though at less than 5'9" I would have a quite easier time doing it than you would.

[@timothysimpkins3664]

I nearly forgot they use to build pickup Mini vans aswell!

[@MegaProtius]

i drove it every day when i was 17 years old nearly 40 years ago lol...original bakerlite steering wheel would look better.

[@n--r--s--7___9___6]

Mr. Bean car , fantastic car 🔔

[@nigeh5326]

7.5 gallon tank earlier ones had 5.5 gallon tanks and Cooper S Minis had 2 5.5 gallon tanks one each side.

[@philhare4439]

another great, and interesting review. keep 'em coming..

[@WilliamMurfitt]

I've just stumbled across your channel, a great review.

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

Good cars had a long run. Land Rover defender, that was something like 40 odd years, British leyland/rover mini 1959-2000 VW beetle 1949 (something like that)-2003 They still make Ladas... only wish cars were still like this..

[@jacobhaussmann90]

This guy should be on top gear

[@BobFlavinVideo]

TopGear should be on my channel!

[@john-hg1dc]

Bob you're on a bloody role this week keep it coming great review maybe a in depth story on the mini like you did with the beetle

[@gravydavy4188]

That is a Mini 30, 2000 red ones made and 1000 black ones, made to celebrate the 30th anniversary. I run an identical one in red, I have used it a lot as an everyday car. You do get people impatient sitting up your arse but it's easy to leave them when you get to a twisty road or a roundabout, half a minute later they're back again. They're easy to park and because they're so narrow, easy to open the door wide, although I have to duck my head because I'm tall. Bastards pull out in front of you at junctions because obviously you're going to hold them up, even though you're doing the speed limit. The stereo isn't original. You have to get used to people coming up to you to say how much they like it, I had a woman follow me round a car park to comment on it.Things do go wrong but parts are cheap and easy to get.

[@philipalbert3272]

I owned 3 of these in the late eighties and early nineties. Great fun to drive, not so great on long journeys as you would end up with cramp in your thighs.

[@ChrisScottNI]

Well put together episode

[@jrgboy]

I never had a Mini, had a Sunbeam Stiletto, the Imp version of the Mini Cooper, it had an uprated engine, twin carbs , sports seats and instruments .

[@Jo_Wardy]

Looks vintage on the outside modern on the inside

[@samgirgenti2842]

I drove an early 850 with the sliding windows such fun had to gun it when ever we approached anything that liked like slight hill and it was real fun watching 16 stone police getting in and out of Mini Coopers

[@andycleary6209]

I had a 1967 850 with sliding windows(nice place to grow moss) pull string door opening and what used to be called a wizards stick gear lever, the most fun car i have ever owned, it could take a good thrashing and the cornering was fantastic, i can't even bring myself to call the BMW thing a mini as there,s nothing mini about it.

[@rover416sigiangkampozof8]

MINI ROVER

[@mikego18753]

Hay Bob,good vid.I was pulled over by the motorway police in my mini and asked why i was going so slow. cheers.

[@bernard.8355]

Top class video Bob

[@lash9400]

Spot on with your review. I didn't feel safe when I was a teenager in one of these things, bags of character and charm by the bucketful, but this one classic I'll pass on.

[@global_nomad.]

my first car (used) as a 17 year old in 1984....

[@dgattenb]

had a fab fun raising event at collage , to see how many students could fit in to one and drive it .. i think it was about 12.. only drive in the carpark ..

[@johnb.9806]

Did you go to art school?

[@johnwren3976]

I daily drove Minis in FLORIDA for years without ac. Wuss!

[@davidpiper3652]

I had a mini 1000 with an automatic gearbox. It was fun. Mostly!

[@FunkSkunkOfficial]

I wish we had those in America

[@parito5523]

A little bit of yellow-green and a black paint and you are free to go with your car Bean... 😂

[@CarsofGlasgow]

I was getting MR BEAN vibes too

[@timothysimpkins3664]

Don’t forget that th sold Mini where, vans, Mini Clubman estates, has car forms at Longbridge days.

[@alexstewart2534]

I watched your ypsilon video a few years back and this popped up great video definitely subscribed

[@nigeh5326]

The radio isn't original Austin Rover at this time used Phillips kit I think. The box does look original though

[@chrispenn715]

Love the review! I have a much posher 1997 Rover Mini - its got a two speed heater fan and an airbag!

[@fullhpluc4s4de46]

I have a Mini 1000 Mk3 as my first car, I have never figured out what a couple of the buttons do on the dashboard, Does anyone know what all the switches do? Thanks :)

[@alecbrown66]

The mk5, built through the 90's were the best built. I have owned 1974 to 1997 minis and the 90's mk5's on ironed out the worst niggles. The 12" wheels and unleaded pinking were gone. Turn the distributer 1/4" round and it tuned the performance while keeping the mpg high. The old bogey of 6ft talk people couldnt drive it is pure ignorance ( you just set the seat hinge bracket back to its pre drilled 3rd setting. 5mins with a 10mm spanner.). With all minis, you knew exactly what you were getting in trim and equipment, just the basics you need with no gadgets or electronics to go wrong, like modern cars. And if you revved it up through the gears, in a mk5 you would get under 10secs to 60,,and even on motorways it could get to 70mph ( or more, hem hem ). BMW bought rover to learn how to make small/supercars, specifically from the mini. Its just a shame the rover plans to mirror what they did with the preproduction morris minor, of widening the car by 4": basically cutting it in half and stitching the gap) never came to fruition, as then it was planned to slot in the honda 1350cc engine and 5 speed gearbox in, like they did with the metro ( they used the same subframes). And on the inside side impact bars and airbags. It would have brought the mini back on par with the fiesta, clio, micra's. Just a typical rover blunder of badging it for cusstomer panels as the maxi, or morris city brought along negative memories of the unpopular maxi and marina before the consumer panels even looked at it. It would also have had mk1 metro dash/heater/switchgear, along with the much better metro seats and trim, along with the larger 13" standard supermini wheels and improved suspension from the metro. Its a damn shame they didnt follow through as it would have sorted all the excuses BMW used to kill it off, and been a popular good seller, reliable, ecenomical, modern, safe, and given it an even longer life. But rover turned down honda and gave the company away, just because bmw couldnt build a small 1 series that would be able to compete with a modern series 1 against it. And the biggest joke of all is everyone fell for the new mini, despite its multiple faults as a reliable cheap to run supermini.

[@pogo1140]

The fuel tank may have been in the boot, but there was a firewall between the passenger compartment and the boot. The Mini was usually classified as a Saloon rather than a "hatchback". The back seats of the mini unlike the hatchbacks of the same size, rested on the metal bulkhead which was the firewall.

[@MiniEggs1999]

My first car....its even the same colour ! Mine was a ‘67 and amazingly still taxed! Wonder where it is now

[@bubbleblaster98]

You’re quite a tall chap and so am I so I’m just wondering how comfortable you were driving this beauty and also do u think you’d be able to daily it being so tall?

[@t5jerry]

1 word describes this car bobby boy...…. MINImalistic !!!!!

[@solidstate0]

Great video