MINIS
by Robbie White (aged 16)
I've been nuts about Minis since I was a little kid and had a ride in my Auntie's Mini LS 1275. I always wanted to own one and when Auntie Jean offered to sell me hers I couldn't believe my luck.
Minis were first sold in England in on 26th August1959 and produced right up until 4th October 2000. Nearly five and a half million were made during that time and they are now regarded as possibly the most identifiable cars in the world.
The Mini was a complete revolution in car design and pioneered concepts such as front wheel drive, transverse engine, independent suspension on each wheel, placing a wheel at each corner of a car, rubber suspension, gearbox-in-sump, unitary construction and efficient space utilisation. It changed just about everything to do with motoring in the twentieth century and every modern car owes something in its design to the Mini.
People often say they have never seen a Mini like mine. That's because the LS 1275 was a limited edition of just 500 cars that was produced only in Australia. It has what's known as the Clubman body, quite popular in the 1970s, which has a redesigned and slightly longer front end compared to regular Minis. Mine is a 1978 model and was one of the last Minis made in Australia.
If you're interested, there are heaps of articles about Minis and their brilliant designer, Sir Alec Issigons - who also designed Nath's Morris Minor - on the web. Here are a couple:
MORRIS MINORS
By Nathan Deane (aged 16)
The Morris Minor (maybe along with the Mini!) is the world's best-loved small car - and you can see why - it's just so cute!
When our friend, Mr Johnson, gave me his Morris Minor I reckon it was the second-best day of my life (the best was the day I met Robbie). Of course, if you've read Super-Twins you'll know that my Dad wouldn't let me have it and to find out how I finally got to call it my own you'll have to read The Expanding Family.
Rob taught me everything I know about cars and he loves Morris Minors, too - but not quite as much as he loves Minis. As we're always telling people, we're not identical twins! Anyway, my Minor has one thing that his Mini will never have: four doors.
The Morris Minor was designed just after the Second World War by the brilliant Alec Issigonis, who went on to design the Mini and other popular front-wheel-drive cars. It was released in England on 12th October 1948. Because of its enormous popularity it was produced right up until 1971 and over 1.6 million were built. Mine is a 1958 Minor 1000 four-door.
Find out more about Minors here: