Growing up in Japan back in 70’s and 80’s, Mini’s were everywhere. We Japanese have a strange obsession with Mini’s. I think the minimalistic charm and Zen-like confidence of the original really appeal to Japanese cultural psychology.
Moving to the States in early 90’s was a shock, as I missed those Mini’s from my daily scenery. It was a great pleasure that I ran into one at the local Department of Motor Vehicle when I went to have my license renewed. It was a 1.3 Cooper with no paint whatsoever, and the surfer dude who owned the car gave me a passenger ride in it. He showed me the coolest thing you could do in the Mini, on the public road, which was…that was just about the only car that you could do 360 without crossing over to the next lane! I loved it.
When I saw one for sale, I jumped, called up immediately, scheduled the test drive. The ad said “fully restored” or something. While I was test driving with the owner sitting next to me, as I came to a sharp turn, I pressed the brake pedal hard. The pedal didn’t go down to the floor, because whole floor broke off and dropped off, taking the pedals with it. It only happened to me once before in my Alfa. Of course I didn’t buy the car. The owner was extremely apologetic though.
It was years and years later, I was in Massachusetts, when I saw two classic Mini’s in tandem. Cause you don’t see them often at all, I couldn’t help but following them all the way to their destination, a biker bar. I followed in after, and turned out, two were owned by the leader of biker gang group called New Bedford Pale Riders. Stereotype aside, I wasn’t sure if I should have been scared. He is a Vietnam Vet in wheel chair, so one of the Mini’s was converted with handbrake/throttle. We chatted about the Mini’s for a bit, and he said, why don’t you take the black one (regular one, his sister drove that one) for a spin. He was so warm and cool and kind, a real shot in the arm and destroyed my stereotype about so-called motorcycle gangs. Unfortunately it started raining and I chickened out, but his sister gave me a ride around the town for a bit.
So far, I haven’t owned one yet, and it seems like I just circle around random people who drive them, but that’s alright, but it seems, the Mini’s just have that effect on me. Really, I don’t think they make them like they used to.