Some people have been frustrated by my playful debate in the Miniature Guide to Minis and I am sorry for that. Here is a slightly more serious look at the Classic Mini.

The first thing to know is that these cars were not imported regularly into the US when they were new, though some sources say as many as 10,000 came in prior to Federal Emissions standards in 1967 .  That means there were few Mini dealers, no parts network, etc.  Of course, the Mini was distributed widely- Millions of 'em worldwide- but not here.  As a practical matter, that means your Mini is very likely to have Right Hand Drive, because so many either spent their lives in the United Kingdom or went to New Zealand.  In a car of this size, RHD is not as large an issue as it would be in, say, a Bentley, but it is something to consider.  There are Minis that have been converted to LHD (one eBay seller charges abouit $500 to do it) and there are Minis that were factory built for places like Germany and France that have always had the steering wheel on the left.

The next thing to consider is the engine size. The first Minis had motors well under a litre in size  (848, 948 cc) while the last of the Classic Minis had 1275 CCs. This seems tiny in a world where 2 litres seems to be about standard, but 1275 was about the size of the MG Midget's engine, as well.  Because of the car's light weight (about 1200 pounds), horsepower is adequate for most situations. I have driven an apparently stock 1 litre  (40 hp)  Mini at 75 mph on US Interstate highways with no ill effects.

Maybe we should back up. The original Mini was designed to be an economical means of transportation, much like the original VW.  Because they handled so well, people started racing them and, of course, making them go faster.  Early on, a man named John Cooper developed several ways of increasing the Mini's horsepower and several of these were eventually incorporated into the factory model called the Mini Cooper. The Mini Cooper modifications to the engine, exhaust and brakes can all be accomplished  relatively easily after the car leaves the factory and you will frequently see cars described as having "Cooper specs".  These are not Factory Mini Coopers, of course, but may cost less than ones that are.  Chances are, far more aftermarket Cooper Spec cars exist than true factrory Mini Coopers.

Other confusing nameplate issues arise from the British Motor Corporation's habit of "badge engineering" i.e, offering essentially the same car from more than one brand, much as General Motors does. Thus some Minis are sold as Morris Minis and some as Austins. There are Riley Elfs and Wolseley Hornets among others. Then there are the body style variants: vans, wagons, Jeep like utility vehicles called Mokes, pickup trucks, etc.

The earliest Minis have external hinges and sliding (i.e., non rollup) windows.  Later models upgraded these two characteristics. Unless they have been ground off (not unheard of) all Minis have standing body seams which lend rigidity and offer one more way  to customize them, as with chrome seam covers. Most Minis came from the factory with TEN INCH wheels, though many have been altered to larger 13 inch ones. A very popular brand of aftermarket wheels is the MINILITE , which has been copied many times in both sizes. These often show up and are generally far more desirable than the painted ones that were standard. In addition to the familiar painted roofs, other frequent changes are grilles, additional lights, and  fender flares.

There isn't time or room to go into a lot more detail here, but one last thing is absolutely crucial:  Between being 20-40 years old and having been driven on salted roads in many cases,  a lot of Minis have rusted badly.  Body panels are available and  floors can easily be replaced, but these things aren't free.   Be aware of the risk, even likelihood, of rust. If you are buying your car from pictures, ask as many questions and see as many pictures as you can.

I hope you have found this guide to be informative. Obviously, it raises almost as many questions as it answers and is not meant to take the place of extensive research, including  actual driving experience with these wonderful cars.  Thanks for looking and please see my other  guides and reviews.

WT