Buying a classic Mini or Mini Cooper? Prefer a Mini saloon, estate or pickup? The Mini Essential Buyer's Guide is the ONLY book you need to help you get your dream Mini. From initial considerations, to sealing a deal, this jargon-free, heavily illustrated buyer's guide includes a unique step-by-step guide with points marking system, taking the guesswork out of appraising used Mini. From early models, the Mini Cooper, Mini Clubman, and 1275 GT, to the Mini saloon, Mini estate, and even Mini pickup and Mini vans, whatever Mini flavour you want, this book shows you how how to get your own piece of Mini motoring.
Created by British Motor Corporate (BMC) as a response to the Suez Crisis, the original Mini was iconic and innovative. From the first Morris Minor Mini of 1959, to the Mark VII that signalled the end of classic mini production, this quintessentially British car was not without its defects, some of which could turn a Mini masterpiece into a Mini nightmare. This book is dedicated to helping you buy a great example of a classic Mini, giving you essential information and tips, direct from a marque expert, to enable you to confidently assess a Mini before making a decision. In fact, it's the only book that does this!
Is it worth buying a classic mini?
Minis are marvellous, but they're not for everyone. If you're wondering if a Mini is really the perfect car for you, this book reveals the practicalities of owning and living with a Mini, and what real-world Mini ownership entails, from taller drivers, and interior space, to running costs, and the weight of controls. Discover what it's really like owning a classic Mini, and what you should expect to pay for everything from replacement parts and spares, to servicing, and professional resprays. Inside information from a marque expert is the way to go when looking to buy a classic – and that's precisely what you'll get in this compact guide. It details everything you need to know before you view a Mini, from which model is best suited to you, and describes what you can do to make sure you don't fall foul of less scrupulous sellers.
What do I look for when buying a classic mini
Each guide shows you how to perform vital pre-sale checks for things such as chassis numbers, the reasons a car is being sold, data checks, paperwork – all in one place, and in concise, jargon-free, easy-to-understand text.
You'll also learn what equipment you should take on a viewing, expert tricks on where problem areas lay, and how to spot them, and issues that may be specific to a particular model.
I've found my perfect Mini: where do I start?
Each Essential Buyer's Guide includes two chapters dedicated to viewing and assessing a car. The first is a Fifteen Minute Evaluation, showing you some quick-fire checks that you can use to determine if a car is worth a more detailed look, or whether you should walk away now.
A marque expert in your pocket
So, a fifteen minute evaluation piqued your interest in a car, and you've decided to take a closer look? Assessing a Mini is the most important part of the buying process – but what if you don't have the skills or knowledge to assess one? No problem: a detailed 60 minute evaluation chapter is at the heart of each Essential Buyer's Guide. This unique walk-through chapter breaks down you Mini assessment into bite-sized chunks, each with an easy-to-use four point scoring system, and each step clearly illustrated and thoroughly explained.
In the Mini Essential Buyer's Guide, Mark Paxton covers 43 separate checks across all models of Mini, and the scoring system, you can assign a score to each one, meaning you can view, record, assess, and compare multiple vehicles – so you get very best of the bunch.
Take the guesswork out of your purchase with an Essential Buyer's Guide; it really is like having an expert in your pocket!
More than metal
Our guide not only gives you the expert technical knowledge needed to find your dream Mini, but also the practical aspects of Mini buying and ownership – such as buying from an auction, paperwork that needs to be completed for a sale, and some crucial things to consider should you be thinking of buying a Mini to restore.
There's also a chapter on vital statistics, paint problems, and issues that can arise when Minis are left without being driven for a time … but that's not all …
Mini meets
Minis are evocative of a golden era of motoring: a symbol of the Swinging Sixties and Seventies, a motorsport and social history icon, and even a movie star! They're about much more than just the metal bits, and owning a classic car, especially one as iconic and well-loved as the Mini, brings access to a whole new social scene with worldwide scope. With contact details of owners clubs and parts suppliers in the UK, Europe, Australia, USA, and more, as well as details of Mini books that you'll want to own, you'll even have the social scene covered!
What models are covered?
Mini – The Essential Buyer's Guide covers all traditional Mini models produced between 1959 and 1999, including saloons, estates, vans and pick ups: Mini Cooper; Mini Rover Cabriolet; Early Mini Saloon models; Mini Pick-ups; Mini Mark I; Mini Vans; Mini 1275GT; Mini Clubman
Does NOT cover BMW Mini models, or Mini One models.
