gerry@probe.att.com (Gerry) writes:
> [I wrote:]
> >Yes it was built by the factory. The model type is best known as a
> >Mini Traveller. Never, if ever, a "station wagon" or "estate".
>
> Wasn't this also known as the Countryman ?
Yes, I'd forgotten!
Actually, perhaps Mini fans can confirm, wasn't it Morris Mini Traveller
and Austin Mini Countryman?
I'm pretty sure that's correct. My Mini was a Morris (with the bull
in the logo and everything), and it was clearly called a Morris Mini
Traveller. I also have some British sales literature from about 1971
or 1972 that lists the Countryman as the long-wheelbase/rear-doors
version of the Mini; dunno if they were all called Austins by that
time (grace a B(P)L) or not.
The Traveller is a neat little car. It's only marginally longer (10")
than the standard Mini, yet that gives it an even smoother ride than
the surprisingly comfortable Mini. The added length makes it a
really useful vehicle for carrying spares, camping gear, or other
things; I think it was just barely long enough for me to lie down
in, making it almost useful as a campmobile.
My Traveller, BTW, came without wood on the sides, though the wood
was a factory option (as well as a popular aftermarket add-on, as
are the Rokee dashes that cover the neat Mini shelf with the oval
pod in the middle in which the speedo is mounted).
I miss my Mini. Yet another car I wish I'd had the patience and
money to work with...
--Scott
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