Mini Magazine December 2021

All good things come to an end, it would seem-even a second stint as Mini Magazine's editor. Incredibly, it's been almost three years since we took the helm of MM, and I have to say, it's been great fun. True, there were a lot of differences between the scene the mag catered for in the late 90s and the one I returned to, but some things never change, and that's Mini owners-still the most passionate, friendly and charmingly unhinged bunch of enthusiasts you could wish to meet. We have to say thank you to everyone who's made putting the mag together each month such a pleasure-the owners of the feature cars, all of our contacts at the specialists around the country, all of our valued freelance photographers and writers, and of course, you,…

All good things come to an end, it would seem-even a second stint as Mini Magazine's editor. Incredibly, it's been almost three years since we took the helm of MM, and I have to say, it's been great fun. True, there were a lot of differences between the scene the mag catered for in the late 90s and the one I returned to, but some things never change, and that's Mini owners-still the most passionate, friendly and charmingly unhinged bunch of enthusiasts you could wish to meet. We have to say thank you to everyone who's made putting the mag together each month such a pleasure-the owners of the feature cars, all of our contacts at the specialists around the country, all of our valued freelance photographers and writers, and…

Before we get into the story of this stunning retro Cooper, you need to know a couple of things. Luke Smith has been here before – as in featured in Mini Magazine – and unlike most other serial feature car owners, he’s managed to make it to the page twice in just six short months. His amazing MPi Pickup took the cover spot in the June 2021 issue, and although we knew this car was in the works when we photographed the Pickup, we didn’t realise just how quickly it would come together. Secondly, Luke has a tight knit bunch of friends who are all as mad about Minis as he is. To say they encourage each other would be a massive understatement. And this car came about directly as a…

The last rally that Louise Thomas and Heidi Woodcock of Mini Girls Rally Team competed in together was at Donington Park, just before lockdown. “After Donington, I came back to the Isle of Mull – which is pretty isolated at the best of times. I was working in the local hospital, right through the pandemic. I was living alone because of my work. I wasn’t rallying, I couldn’t see friends or family. It was horrendous.” Though it wasn’t just the isolation that made the eighteen months between rallies particularly hard. At the end of May this year, just when they were preparing to rally again… Louise found a lump in her breast and went for a mammogram. The lump was a benign cyst, but the scan detected cancerous tissue on the…

Before we get into the story of this stunning retro Cooper, you need to know a couple of things. Luke Smith has been here before – as in featured in Mini Magazine – and unlike most other serial feature car owners, he’s managed to make it to the page twice in just six short months. His amazing MPi Pickup took the cover spot in the June 2021 issue, and although we knew this car was in the works when we photographed the Pickup, we didn’t realise just how quickly it would come together. Secondly, Luke has a tight knit bunch of friends who are all as mad about Minis as he is. To say they encourage each other would be a massive understatement. And this car came about directly as…

The last rally that Louise Thomas and Heidi Woodcock of Mini Girls Rally Team competed in together was at Donington Park, just before lockdown. “After Donington, I came back to the Isle of Mull – which is pretty isolated at the best of times. I was working in the local hospital, right through the pandemic. I was living alone because of my work. I wasn’t rallying, I couldn’t see friends or family. It was horrendous.” Though it wasn’t just the isolation that made the eighteen months between rallies particularly hard. At the end of May this year, just when they were preparing to rally again… Louise found a lump in her breast and went for a mammogram. The lump was a benign cyst, but the scan detected cancerous tissue on…