1988 Leyland Mini city review from UK and Ireland

Nothing hardly used.

The worst car I have ever driven is a Mini 1000. Now you may say so what? What else have you driven? Second worst was the Jeep Golden Eagle. Others include Vauxhall Chevette, Ford Granada, Renault 21, Ford Capri, Ford Escort, Vauxhall Senator, Volkwagen Polo, Ford Sierra.

My first ever driving lesson was in a Mini 1000 way back in 1977 it cost me £1 with BSM. The brakes of the Mini were so sharp I could not judge the stopping distance. This was as you had to be on top of the white line before brakes needed to be applied they are either on of off. It is more of a go-kart with a roof than a family car.

The next time I drove a Mini was in the 1980's. My sister was given a white one by my dad he bought for £5000 from the man next door. It was so small I had to crick my neck to sit in it. The steering wheel was a funny truck style thing: really big thin and at a strange angle. The noise was incredible so loud and un-pleasant. The performance was poor as 50 mph was a struggle and it would slow down going up the hill to Toddington in Beds.

Other features a giant speedometer and petrol gadget err... that was about it. Doors were the thinnest I have ever seen. In a crash with any other car you were dead meat. It was that dangerous.

In 1978 I drove into the side of a Mini 1000 as it did a right turn. Riding a motor cycle at the time I came off the worse with massive brain trauma and a broken arm.

And to think people raved about this car. I was amazed how bad it was 20 years ago. The Mini was introduced in 1959. It was then a revolution as cars designed then were very poor. Then back room boffins used the back of fag packets, bog rolls and what ever came to hand. The Mini came in Austin, Morris versions later other 'up' market versions came out. The Wolseley Hornet, Riley Elf, Cooper, Cooper S etc. Also utilitarian Van, Pick up, Moke, Estate versions come and went.

Sold for £505 the £5 was the profit the car was seen as a loss leader. It had been commissioned from Alec Issigoniss the design Chief of BMC because they wanted all the 'Bubble' cars popular at the time off the road. These German vehicles were made of scraps after the war by BMW, Heinkel and Messershsmit the aircraft companies.

The Mini came in 850 33hp and 1000 39hp versions. The 850 would do 70 mph and 45mpg. The 1000 would touch 75 and do 44 mpg if you plugged in your ear drums. Powered by an A series engine it that had come from the A30 A35 range of the 50's. The Engine was built to be as bullet proof as the technology of the time allowed. But can be easily tuned up. All Mini are rust prone and need a lot of maintenance as the technology is out of date. Another version like the Clubman 1000 a mini with a boxy front end restyle were thought to be more up market. It seems incredible now people would pay extra for a clubman, but in the 70's it was possible. I remember the decade being a teenager at the time. People would lie about everything to pretend they were happy. It got a bit over the top when people used to tell me about there dreadful cars with rose coloured spectacles on. At the time ever car magazines praised the Mini they knew what their reader wanted to hear?

Other bad points are the boot it has only 5 cu ft of space the spare wheel is in there and the boot lid hinges down. It is not then a hatchback, but a reverse hatchback so was almost useless unless you wanted to rest shopping on the boot lid as you drove home as some did and they praised this feature!

In Italy a hatch back Mini was made, but it never came to England the Mini was also restyled in Italy we missed out on it as BMC went broke became BLMC then BL then Rover and finally started selling cars made in India calling the City Rovers, but tripling the actual cost of the car.

The Mini City 1000 lasted in the 90's, but if any one is thinking of buying an old Mini 1000 and doing it up do not do it. You will be bitterly disappointed. The Mini is all a real horror show even if it is far superior to some other cars of the 50's. Rose coloured spectacles cannot hide its terrible compared to even the worst car you can drive today.