MINI MARVELS
The year is 1959, and you are attending the London Motor Show in search of your first new small car, as your salary can endure the 'never-never' hire purchase payments. The first exhibits to catch your eye are the new BMC twins, the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven. ‘From bumper to bumper, there is more brilliance per square inch than any other car ever built,’ proclaims the brochure. The sales copy further promises a cabin that is tailored ‘like a top hat!’ and that ‘you’ll rub your eyes in disbelief when you see how much luggage she carries and you’ll clap your hands with joy at the beautifully effortless ride this amazing motor-car gives you.’
Yes, this could be the ideal vehicle, one that demonstrates your inner avant-garde nature beneath the sports jacket or the twin-set. You may not be quite sure how a sideways engine actually functions, but the Mini-Minor and the Seven do fulfil BMC’s promise that it results in ‘heaps more room for family comfort.’ However, while looking around Earls Court, it becomes increasingly apparent that the latest offerings from the British Motor Corporation have few domestic rivals. Neither Vauxhall nor
