Amici...
I've too much time on my hands these days, and I recently used some to watch
some auto-related YouTube stuff on TV.
I stumbled upon some old Pathe BMC promo-documentaries from the early 1960s on
the development of the MINI. They are called Wizardry on Wheels, Parts ONE,
TWO, and THREE. While I don't fit in a MINI very well, I have always been
fascinated by them out on the race track. Steven Belfer's Dad, Mike, who was
my mentor raced and prep'd them as well as Triumph TRs. He always described
them as Giant Killers on any short track. The mechanic in him also offered,
"Sadly when anything breaks, they seem to explode like a hand grenade."
Anyway, each of these three BMC 'reels' are about ten minutes long, and quite
interesting. BMC was going for a family sedan that would carry five people and
a bunch of their belongings. The car's performance ability was kind of
frosting on the cake, because they quickly became the family's race car as
well. Considering the old engine used in a brand new model, this was not a
fresh power plant. But where they put the tranny, how they placed the engine,
and other chassis mods set auto design on its ear, and was a heavy influence
for all the stuff from others that followed.
Give it a look. You might find it interesting as well.
Bill Dentinger
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