The Mini Cooper Has Rockstar Status
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 09. 2014
- There are certain cars that define a place and time. Cars that are so part of the culture that they helped to define it. The Mini is one of them. But why is that? Well, as Mr. Sumner Norman explains, it's because the Mini was ubiquitous-everyone bought one, be it moms shopping for groceries or international recording stars like the Beatles who recognized its universal appeal. And just like Beetles (the VWs mind you, not the boys from Liverpool) and Ford Model Ts, people began modifying Minis for racing almost as soon as they hit the marketplace.
Sumner's 1971 Morris Mini was not immune to this trend as it sports the Cooper's 1275cc engine along with its disc brakes. But the Mini was never really about horsepower, it's more about the handling and according to Sumner, the bends are where the Mini really comes alive for you courtesy of its rubber cone suspension. And raising your spirits is what the Mini is really all about.
In fact, if you're ever feeling down all you need to do is jump in the Mini and go for a drive. Peoples' response is just amazing according to Sumner, they cheer you on. Folks wave or flash the thumbs up or ask questions so often that it's by the time you get home you'll be in a better mood. Whether your day job is rockstar or not, a jaunt in the Mini turns you into one.
More films, articles, and photos: www.petrolicious.com
Petrolicious Membership: sign up for the new Petrolicious Membership program at www.petrolicious.com/membership
Like us on Facebook: / petrolicious
Follow us on Instagram: / petrolicious
Sell or bid on your next collector car at sothebysmotorsport.com
Visit the original luxury and collector car marketplace www.dupontregistry.com
Drive Tastefully® - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Here is a young man who understands style.
+Andrew B. Yep +1
beautifull car, I am looking forward to by me one, jus like the one on the video.
"If you want to be in a better mood, just take the mini for a short drive".
That is sooo true.
I wanted a Mini ever since because I just felt attracted to it. After finally buying my Mini at 22 as my first car and then working on it a full year to get it running the attraction became a connection. And it is sooo true, driving it (on empty roads) is like the best way to get down, relax and better my mood
Why do people have to be such jerks with comments? He seems like a nice kid, and he obviously loves his car. And it's nice to see someone his age taking care of a vintage machine apparently on his own. More than most people twice his age can do, I am willing to bet. Most people can't even drive a manual 'box anymore, let alone properly, let alone one on the "other" side of the car. Keep it up, Mr. Norman.
Thanks for the words of encouragement, Thomas! There's only been one or two negative comments among hundreds and hundreds of good ones, including some great discussion about the cars. All in all, people have been wonderful like yourself! There will always be that one guy.
Sumner, My pleasure. Best of luck to you in all that you do, and keep the shiny side up! Tom
A refined and fantastic video and a young owner who truly understands what he has. Brilliant
This video makes me want to go and hug my classic mini.
Great to see a clued-up young fellow with as much character as his car. Loved the line where he says "it goes British on me ", haha !!
Young folks like this give me a bit of hope for the future of our (obsession.) Well done!
I love it when ordinary people's love for his or her car is evident.
Its not about how fast, or how economical. Nor even how it look.
None of that matter, when you love that one particular car.
Cool to see such a youngster with good taste in cars! Not like I'm old, but you know...
Give that kid the ten thousand dollars!
Really enjoyed this! Great car! I spent
my 20’s in SoCal and really miss balboa,PCH & Laguna. I was running these hills back then in my 1972 BMW 2002. Thanks again for the video. Makes me miss those days!
Good all round appraisal. And you're right, one of the best things about these cars is that, despite its celebrity status, no-one feels intimidated by its presence, so everyone just smiles right back at you! ;-)
I had a beautifully restored mk1 Morris mini minor up until a few years ago. Here in the UK I'd get stopped by strangers, waved at by kids and smiles from everyone. It was a rare sight then and we're 50-ish miles from Longbridge!! Can only imagine the interest you get!!! Love the J registered British number plate too. Loved the boom from the 850cc engine...you drive that Mini exactly as I used to!! Take good care of her.
+6ettinold Thanks for watching and the kind words! I'll keep enjoying her for years to come!
+6ettinold are restorations and maintenance cheap?
I love my mini clubman. She's my daily driver here in Italy. I'm sure once I get back to the states it'll still be the same. Great video! I was starting to wonder when you guys were going to make one of a mini.
This was my dream car when I was a kid, and still it is. Now I own Citroen 2CV, but I hope someday I'll have this beauty. Great car!!!
First car I bought in 1979 was a mini 100. 4 cars later I got a mini 850. My God.....I wish I'd kept them. Brilliant cars and this channel is great. Keep it up you American mini enthusiasts. Britain is watching and really enjoying the content.
I love these cars. There are two in my neighborhood (I live in the USA) and once this summer they pulled up at opposite ends of the main intersection. All we needed was a Triumph or Norton bike to pull up and it would have been full-on surreal.
Awesome car.
Nothing strikes that chord like classic cars do. I'm glad there's other young guys like me that are into these things. Cars like this mini embody a period when automakers had soul built soul into their products.
Man congrats, You drive a pretty nice car. I drive a 1966 VW beetle in Brazil and I know how amazing is to have fun with a vintage car and make friends because of him.
Thanks for share this with us
Such a nice and cute looking car to look at...Happy to see a pristine conditioned car to drive around and enjoy every minute of it...Long live this beauty..
☼Another Perfect example of an Affordable economical Classic.☼
▬Thanks Petrolicious, and Thanks Mr. Sumner Norman!▬
No, thank you for watching!! So glad you enjoyed the video!
Not so affordable now, in 2022 !!
This is my favorite channel on CZcams. You put out quality content. What a sweet looking mini! I've always wanted one
Great car, and the owner is a very well-spoken young man, which is a LOT more than I can say for many of the younger kids these days. This guy loves his car, has a lot of insight into it as well as background knowledge about it, and truly appreciates it! On the other hand: Bieber driving his LaFerrari acting like a gangsta is a perfect example of a twat!
Picking up one of these tomorrow for my first wheels littetaly can't wait
looks awesome from your profile pic ✌️
I'm happy to see this car is in good hands.
Amazing video production and post-production, as always! Thank you!
That is a very nice Mini.
I live in Brighton & Hove in the UK and each year the Mini owners club has a big event in our city and the place is full of minis.
In the early 70s my mother bought a red Mini with the 850 engine. It was second-hand. I was too young to drive at that time. Our Mini was very reliable actually and it was a much loved car. We kept it for many years. It was the most basic Mini. The door windows were the sliding type and the door handles on the interior were not handles at all but cables that hung across the door. You pulled down on the cable and the door opened.
This was the "Petrolicious Car" that I've been waiting for. He hit the nail on the head - the very best part about owning one is how it makes everyone else smile when they see it.!!
Excelent video! Nice story, nice character and good shots! Makes a lot of fun to watch. And than watch it again :) Makes me want to buy a Mini. Well done!
Its great to see the young generation embracing the classic :)
I've always had an affection for Minis after seeing them easily go 1st, 2nd, 3rd in an SCCA race many years ago.
What a cool experience!
Great stuff. I had a 1973 mini in the late 80s. It was such a fun car and great in the City traffic. Congratulations for keeping the dream alive.
What a great little ride! Nice to see a true enthusiast owning it. Congrats! Thanks for Sharing Pertolicious
This is definitely one of the better episodes so far! Not only to I love the car but the owner seems to be a pretty cool lad as well :-)
Mini Austin car is my childhood crush love mini.....❤️❤️❤️
Cool to see a young guy that is very passionate about these cars
Always brings a smile to my face when I see one on the road.
Such an awesome car! 75hp has never looked so fun.
I passed my driving test in 1989 in a Mini. My mum also had a white Cooper years ago, my children used to love going out in it. They would say it was 'Nana's bouncy car'
I had a '74 Mini 1000, and "going British" is the best term I've ever heard for their occasional, spontaneous tempermentalness.
Nothing that an occasional squirt of WD 40 can't cure though.
long live the mini!
Mine was a bought new 1965 Austin Cooper S... hydrolastic suspension, 1275cc engine, twin fuel tanks, white, with a black roof, and a spotlight mounted on the roof! Ten inch wheels, and ten feet - 1/4 inch bumper to bumper... truly a "MINI".
I've seen this car in real life. It usually goes to the coffee and cars meet in Also Viejo!
Come say hello next time! :)
he forgot to mention, every classic mini driver passing by must wave hello to each other :)
Gotta love Live Oak. If I see you on it, Ill give you a thumbs up for sure, sweet ride
A terrific video and your parents must be very proud of you it was great hearing that you didn’t want to change the interior or muck around with what is a truly immaculate mini which are very hard to find, shows your maturity. I really enjoyed watching your video and it bought back memories of when I had one well done kind regards John Tasmania Australia
Thanks for the kind comments, John!
this is at least the third car i see that is filmed in my home backroad santiago canyon, CA. its AWESOME! i wish i could meet you ***** guys when you do a shoot, also, nearby there are other little amazing windy stretches. thanks and keep it up
This movie so sums up the mini experience. Great job.
I love seeing the tradition continue.
Such a great video. Mini always makes me smile.
and thats why we love cars :) . Great video, nice chap. Mini truly is a special little car. Made me miss my old car that I used to take very often just for a ride around, no destination.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! Always good to hear from a fellow mini owner,
beautiful!!!!
thank you sir alec
I don't see anything wrong with changing the steering wheel to improve the driving experience. Just keep the original in case you ever want to bring it back to stock. Same goes for any other modifications. As long as you can easily bring the car back to stock, you may as well tweak a couple of things to make it more enjoyable.
+maprow It has a riveted wood steering wheel now ;) I've hung the original on the wall of my garage.
KillgoreES88 I'm 20 and I have a 87 mini with a metro engine :)
+smmer152 ....its rare (in fact almost impossible) to find an original CooperS Mini that does not have the much smaller wooden steering wheel! I actually passed my driving test in a very similar car to yours (except it was Orange colour), my mother had a Mini van and my girlfriend had a Mini Countryman!
Yes ... Unless you like driving it stock...
I agree, I took the original 1989 steering wheel off my wife's Mini City and put a wooden aftermarket one I had from a Triumph Vitesse that I used to own, and it improved the handling no end. A great little car. Good to see the young man has thought outside the box instead of buying the usual modern car. I saw a young man driving a 1965 Ford Mustang along Bedford Road in Sandy (UK). Made me smile!
Cool guy, nice landscape and a Mine ... perfect video :-)
My dad had a 78 Cooper S for his first car, red with white bonnet strips and fog lights on the grill. He said it was one of the best handling cars he ever had
As an owner of a British Racing Green Cooper, I have to agree with all of Sumner's words at the end. The reaction from people is amazing for these cars. I parked mine outside the barbers whilst I was having a haircut today and had so many people stop to admire it. And I'm in the UK, there's a big following for them here and not as common as you might think.
It's probably my favorite thing about the car. It's impossible to be unhappy in a mini. Congrats on the car! They are a lot of fun :)
Iv got a 1985 mini 1000 which im restoring ' the mini is a legendary car most modern cars owe the existence to the mini
My first car, my first love. I adore how they drive, I've had about 10 cars since and nothing has ever been as direct and entertaining to drive except a single seater formula car I did a few laps on a track day. The car was bought for about £50 as a scrapper when I was 15 and me and my dad spent about 18 months rebuilding it.
Enjoy your car, I have so many memories of mine and the laughs I had in it as a teenager with my mates.
Absolutely great video. I wish I'll own one just like this one day.
Thanks for a wonderful video. I drove one once, and it was a joy! i keep meaning to buy one but ...life...
I could probably step on the roof and the whole car would buckle. Very cool steering wheel!
I had a 1963 bright yellow..a real blast to drive
Massively awesome! Loved it!
I can relate to just about everything said in this video including the last part where he 's talking about how people smile, wave, and give a thumbs up, but I don't drive a Mini, I drive a CRX.
That was so nice, got to love those minis
I had a small car too and smiles from people were priceless
PCH, Corona Del Mar, Balboa Island! Cool video. Spent time in England with a friend in one of these minis. It was like a go-cart going around the roundabouts!!
Great eye!
Damn, bro, what a sweet, sweet ride. You're very lucky to own such a nice car. Cheers. ;)
Lovely little car and a delightful young gent too. Cheers!
Dude ,you have a cool little car. I live the color too.looks like a blast to drive ! !
Nicely summed up, young man! Please keep it original! Maybe find one that's been modified already to play with for autocross, time trials, etc, but keep this as your almost stock driver:)
that colour with that interior is just beautiful
Enjoyed the film and a great passion for the Mini you have there Sumner. Being from Scotland I grew up with Mini's all over the place in the 1970s and 80's, everyone pretty much knew somebody that owned a Mini, many are treasured now and prices are rising fast especially for the Traveller (wagon), van and pickup versions. The Cooper and 1275GT models now command serious money as do the rare Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf variants.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! My mini mechanic for the more serious mishaps is a scot expat living here in Costa Mesa. Graham Reid of Heritage Auto. Thanks for watching!
Just found out about this channel today and have been watching some videos. Not only are the videos of great quality but the owners are so passionate about their cars. Fantastic videos and cant wait to see more. If you get a chance to make a similar video about a FJ40 Land Cruiser that would be great!
My grandma has one but when my grandpa died she left it parked in her house for 23 years, 6 Months ago she gave it to me and im restoring it lol(I even drive around from time to time, I dont have brakes, nor paperwork lo l)
The experience seems so similar to my Austin Healey Sprite. A lot of elements of the Mini are the same and it appears that the way people react to he car is similar as well. People love to ask questions about it when I am out and about in it, it cruises well with modern traffic and in always puts me in a good mood.
Came in for the mini but man those waves in the background!
Really great video, thank you
very classy kid. There is hope for the car-loving future.
BRAVO, nice job on video, good to see that someone of your age LOVES this great car, first car was a mini, then another, and another.........., the last was a ex race cooper S turned back to the street ( sort of). I do still miss it, and like any mini owner who sell's one will allways say they will have another before they die, AND I WILL
The old race-turn-street cars are really fun and unique! I came across a couple in my search but could never afford the ones that were worth owning. Thanks for the compliments, and thanks for watching! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! Make sure to share your next mini with us! ;)
Brilliant. Being from the UK these were once a common sight. Always wanted one, a British icon. Awesome to see an almost original in the US is what looks like brilliant condition. All ours havemostly been reduced to rust. A friend of mine had a modified one that broke all the time. I remember pushing him many times to bump start it or get it off the road haha.
This one looks great in the sunshine over there, I hope you enjoy it for many years! I envy you.
Thank you so much for the kind words and sharing your mini experience. I love hearing them! Hope you enjoyed the video,
Cool video. My first car was a 1974 mini, my dad deseamed it and sprayed it gun metal grey. It did have plenty of British moments after it had rained as the distributer was at the front of the engine and would always get wet. I always remember my grandad telling me about wd40 in the distributor cap and cutting the fingertips off a marigold, feeding each of the ct leads through a finger and putting elastic bands round them to keep the wet out. Lol ahh good times.
Shares many reasons why I love my Datsun 510. Great video!
This has just inspired me to have a MINI as my first car
'The car does go British once in a while' haha love it, I'm from England and you couldn't be more right.
Love your car, if you ever decide to sell it, I will be right there Sumner.
Astonishing!
Don't change anything on it! 😎 Throw it in the garage and only drive it on the weekends 👍 Beautiful, virgin Mini my friend 😆😆
Nice to see one with the original steering wheel. I had that exact steering wheel centre as a kid that my dad got me from a scrapyard. Probably from when his Austin Princess was being a bit 'british'
First
Can never get enough of these videos
Yes! I've been wanting a Mini to turn up in these vids.
I don't know who I have a bigger crush on? Him or the car!
My 62 Left Hand drive was great. Had the original 850 engine and at the time it was near impossible to find the right sized tires here in the US. I picked it up in 1976 for $2k. It finally blew the engine after a couple years of driving and then it was abandoned and then found again and given to the new owner. He was stoked to have a mini for free. I was very spacious and Im 6'2" and could nearly stretch out my legs. Just gobs of room. Simple but very fun. Excellent mileage and tiny fuel tank and front wheel drive. Just too cool.
we love you Sumner!
hahaha I love you guys, too!
that sir makes you also a legend...
I had a J reg Mini 850 when I was serving in the Air Force over in England. I LOVED that little car, 27 Liter gas tank, and mileage would push 40 MPG. Mine was black, with the silver stripes just like the car in the clip. Yeah, Lucas electrics plagued these cars.
I wished I had another one. Maybe some day.....
The dude is the shit!! His passion for the uniqueness and history of the car really comes through.
i wish i could own one i would treat it like gold nice video bro
sumner152 Hi Sumner. Nice to see it on its UK license plate. Here's some geeky UK plate info: pre-1973, UK plates were silver-on-black. Cars registered post 73 were required to black-on-white plates on the front, and yellow-on-black (like your car) on the rear.
The new-style plates were available before the changeover, so it could be that your rear plate is original to the car, despite it being J-suffix (1971 registration letter).
Your car would have also had a black-one-white front plate. Most plates of this era were pressed aluminium, but yours are plastic digits riveted onto aluminium, known as ACE lettering. That was posh, and looks very cool 40 years on.
If you want a matching front plate, send me a message and I will give you the name of a couple of places that sell them here in the UK.
The car looks fantastic. Look after it!
Hi James. Thanks for watching! I am glad you enjoyed my mini. I must thank you further for all of the info regarding the license plates on my car! I had often wondered about the age of the rear plate. It sounds like it may be as old as the car, and the ACE version, no less! I have a picture from many years ago when it still had its front plate. It was black-on-white; you are correct! I am not sure why or when it was removed, but I have been trying to replace it. I would be very grateful if you could point me in the right direction to have a new one made. Thanks again, and happy holidays to you!
sumner152 Good stuff. Try searching for Polar Plates. I had good results from them. Also heard good things about Framptons, although they were a bit more pricey last time I checked.
Some earlier Minis had stick-on plates on the front, split into two parts, one either side of the badge. Looks cool, although I think only correct on cars from the 1960s
James Lipman Thanks for the info! I will check out Polar Plates and Framptons asap.
I worked for British Leyland at their Canadian head office and plant in 1974, 75 and 76 as a university student...a great summer job. I confess I have mixed feelings about the Mini but I'm pleased it gives you such pleasure. By the way it's "Hydrolastic" suspension...
Really? That's incredible! Can you share more about your feelings on the mini? I am sure your point of view is rather unique having seen the political and literal machines behind their making. Yeah I stuck to just hydro rather than hydrolastic for the sake of brevity in the interview. Maybe it's an American thing to shorten words with more than 3 syllables hahaha!
Those are some really cool memories to hear! Thanks for sharing. It's interesting to hear the manufacturing/logistics problems associated with a small car. When I think of such a small car, it's easy to focus on all the manufacturing processes that would be made easier. Hearing how they would drop between the ramps is funny, but I can imagine how it could be a pain! Regarding the build quality, that's pretty remarkable to hear from someone who saw the build from the inside. I can imagine the frustration. Frankly, it's surprising that the mini was as reliable as it was all things considered. Again, thanks for sharing. Super interesting!!
sumner152 Jaguars were shipped in 3 to a container but the rest of the vehicles got a heavy wax coating to protect the paint from the salt air on the sea voyage over. One of my first jobs was steam cleaning that wax coating off. Those badges you noticed are misplaced were usually stuck on...badges and racing stripes, etc. got applied here because they might get damaged in transit and the steam cleaning could loosen them. So your badges got shoddy British application but if you had a North American Mini it would be shoddy American labour that applied them. Your car, of course, is purer because it's missing the headrests and upgraded bumper and seatbelts I remember. I assume you've got the battery in the trunk that's a bitch to change or boost...at least you don't have all the power accessories that would fail on their upmarket cars. Enjoy! Too bad you don't have one with the wood dash trim...one of their efforts to jazz up the car...give it a little Rolls Royce polish...at least they never put any vinyl roof package on that car!
Neb Omashin It's so fascinating to hear about the production and division of labor of an international car like the mini. Funny you mention the dash. I actually avoided the wood or any panel style dash with resolve when searching for my mini. I absolutely love the center mount bubble-style speedo and gauges along with the open dashboard like mine has. For some reason, I find the wood panel style dash to be intruding and to take away from the minimalist character of the mini. I think most customers of the mini in period would be inclined to agree with you in favor of the wood dash, though. You're right that mine definitely has no "upgrades" like the bumbers etc. that the NA market required for import. I really love it the way it is, and was very happy to find a british example. What a cool experience. Feel free to keep sharing! I love to hear about it.
Neb Omashin That's a very interesting first hand account that would seem to agree with the general consensus on the bureaucratic mess of the time. It's a shame, really. British Leyland seemed to often have good designs and/or engineering, but manufacturing and execution seemed to be the downfall. I can't imagine we'd even remember their name if the mini hadn't come along.
Big mini fan. Nice to see an 1000 with a 1275. Would be nice to see it with some twins SU's just like a Cooper.
Great car , I really like the fact its right hand drive (in the states) & sumner152 has kept the original UK plate on the rear . Nice video