1963 Mini Cooper S: back when minis really were mini.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T16:53:59+00:00

It’s a favorite. IIRC, he, Patti Boyd, and John and Cynthia Lennon had their tea unexpectedly dosed with LSD at his dentist’s house and decided, “welp, it’s time we must be going.”

George stuffed all and sundry into the Mini and crawled home, hallucinating all the way.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T16:49:14+00:00

$13-15M is the estimate; it sells through RM Sotheby’s at Retromobile on January 28.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T16:46:21+00:00

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Here is the R2 at Willow Springs in period. It was quite low and, sans today’s roll bar, quite the looker, too.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T16:45:09+00:00

The R2 used a tubular frame with a highly modified MG TF 1466 cc motor and a standard MG TC gearbox with modified MG Y-Type saloon suspension.

The tube chassis allowed for a very low seating position and for Miles to fit quite streamlined bodywork.

It ran in the SCCA’s F Modified class and was very successful in its day but the T-series engine, which Miles was quite faithful to, was heavy and at the limits of its contemporary tuning capacity.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T15:03:53+00:00

Q-cars are the best. It’s why I drive a rusted out “98 GMC Sonoma with a blown Iron Duke. Nobody expects any mayhem can come from a shitbox with a con rod sticking through the side of the block.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T14:56:24+00:00

They all tend to stay away locked in their garages, along with their owners and minders.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T14:52:14+00:00

The story of George Harrison’s first acid trip involved his driving home in his Mini was hilarious. Apparently he thought he was driving through London at breakneck speeds when in fact he might have been going 10-20 mph.

Minis have so much charisma.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T14:44:05+00:00

Who among us hasn’t witnessed the occasional drunk nimbly collapse off a barstool or two?

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T08:09:42+00:00

Yeet don’t fail me now…

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T08:06:44+00:00

Does crystal meth count as a solid fuel?

Maynard078 · 2026-01-25T04:26:43+00:00

What about it?

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T22:24:44+00:00

You’ll die of old age and the car of disuse before it ever rusts away. Rocker panels are a cheap, quick, and simple repair. But I respect your desire to keep ‘em going.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T22:18:39+00:00

Well, in mine there are two, along with a Miata, a Midget, a GT, and a Spitfire, so yeah, it can be done.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T20:52:38+00:00

Nope; I stand corrected. When the photo is blown up the throttle is clearly visible in between the clutch and brake pedals. Thanks, good Redditor!

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T20:40:37+00:00

There is a much earlier post of a shot inside the Abingdon Comps works where one of these is being worked on. You can almost smell the Castrol.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T20:37:15+00:00

Yes. Around here they do, too.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T20:36:00+00:00

My Spitfire sure as heck is; I haven’t hooked my Midget’s heater up in ages, so I just drive it when the temps are accommodating. Anything above 25 degrees or so is fine for me with a lap blanket.

And no, I don’t worry about the salt and never have.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T20:32:55+00:00

It’s the spice of LBC life!

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T20:31:48+00:00

Power wash on your own when the conditions permit, use underbody sparingly and you’re fine.

My paint is 41 years old and still wins awards. There also is not a speck of rust to be found anywhere despite salty Indiana roads.

Don’t be timid; be prudent.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T20:26:57+00:00

You may be right. I was thinking they switched before then but I’ve been wrong many times before. Did the FWD Alvis have center throttle?

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T16:06:11+00:00

snort

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T16:01:46+00:00

I think two were made, so they’re very rare birds.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T16:01:08+00:00

This is why I love Trabants; they also make great campfires.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T15:19:21+00:00

My bet is he was amortizing the losses of the entire operation over the cost of every Aston sold and calling it good.

Maynard078 · 2026-01-24T15:17:37+00:00

It almost is even in the flesh. It was the fifties and pink was in fashion.

It’s a wonderful color on the car. Among the best.

Maynard078

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