Minis etc.

[Will Owen <nashwill@domain.elided>]

I think it was Henry Kim who asked -

"What about a Mini?  I watched "The Italian Job" as a
kid and was convinced that the Mini is superior to the
Alfa.  I mean did you see those dumb Italian cops get
washed away in the river in their Alfa?"

"The Italian Job" used to be shown at every major
gathering of the Mini Owners Association. Loud cheers
during the chase scene, subdued sobbing when the Minis
got dumped off the mountain...

"So someone set me straight.  Tell me you owned a Mini
and it was a stupid, dangerous, ridiculous toy.  Keep
me looking at Alfas."

Look at Alfas, by all means, but there's nothing
either stupid or dangerous (well, except for the awful
drum brakes on the early 850s) about Minis. I've had
two - so far - and the second, an 850 estate wagon,
was bought in Alaska, driven from Seattle to the SF
bay area, used there as a commuter for seven years
(with trips to Oregon, the Sierras, and LA), then
driven to Nashville, Tennessee. Finally sold it to
some folks from Frankfort, KY, who were going to
restore it as a family project. During the gas crunch
in '73, I could have sold it several times over to
people who approached me in the street, offering loads
of money. 40 mpg was a very big deal then...

The days when you could get a decent one for a few
hundred dollars are of course long gone, but they can
still be found for reasonable. And I think Dug is
dead-on right: a Mini would make a great companion to
an Alfa. Especially if you like to tinker...they're
great toys for weekend wrenching.

Will Owen
Pasadena, CA
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