Mini 1978 British Leyland Video Part 1 - The Best Mini Yet

[cheesydalek]

Just bought a 1979 Mini 1000 as my first car. I dont think i would ever own anything else. Im 18 and theres bo other car in the world that screams "Drive Me" so much as a Mini. Mine has just been completely rebuilt but still cost less than £2k, bargain of the century. And the fellow before me had it finished in ashade similar to an early Leyland Orange used on the Mk3 Cooper S and it looks a lot more attractive than the Blaze Orange it should be. I am in fact turning it into a MK3 Cooper S 'tri

[mattcliff296]

i might buy a mini

[malteseRocks]

I want a full version of that song, it's so epic.

[vomitstrides]

28 foot turning circle ?

I could turn my Mini in its own length with the use of the handbrake. I had a few Minis in the late 70's. The first new one I had was a Clubman in this very colour "Reynard Metallic", loved it.

[RomanJockMCO]

anyone else notice that he's not buckled up?

[fagAshLil1234]

the song is dope, and so is the car

[christianorigin]

I just bought an Austin Mini 1978 manufactured by the British Leyland, the driving experience is amazing, taking into account this is a 32-year old car, it works perfectly!

[AndrewMcCheyne]

Such a gentleman.

[BillDFC]

Raymond Baxter!

[liljim4]

top gear track...introduce baby stig!

[blaster2012]

My Grandma bought a new orange Mini Clubman in 1979 with Denovo puncture resistant tyres,and it was lush! Tinted windows,and an interior so black and nylon,lovely! But no matter how much they polished it, in the end it still fell apart. : (

[quirpco]

The original Mini is more fun than a night in Vegas with a roll of cash and 10 drunk prostitutes.

[Paulph04]

@quirpco Totally agree. I have one and it's amazing the attention it gets.

[quirpco]

@Paulph04 That's great! I never actually owned one, but a friend of mine had a '71 1275 that I drove a few times. What year/model is yours?

[Paulph04]

@quirpco Thanks. It's a 1986 Mini Mayfair 998cc, in original condition.

[quirpco]

@Paulph04 Long life to your '86...cheers!

[G1NZOU]

Iconic Car.

I really want to unsieze my Wolseley Hornet after watching this.

Not many cars, even modern ones are as cool as the Mini.

[ianupton]

im confused. the GL 1.3 comes with sun visor but no radio but the GLS comes with visors and radio but only a 1.1 engine and standard steel wheels. if you want the 1.3 but want the option of sunvisor and allow wheels you would need the GLS super but this doesnt have disk brakes like the GL....

[taffy1967]

What the hell are you waffling on about?

[Conrad1147]

Triumph Spitfire requires 24 feet for a turning circle. Just sayin'

[taffy1967]

But it only has 2 seats and has never won the Monte Carlo Rally 4 time outright or been owned by Mick Jagger or The Beatles etc. Just sayin'

[gentil79]

but still not as good as the old Volvo 340

[taffy1967]

In your head maybe. But how many times did that win the Monte Carlo Rally or get owned by all The Beatles.

[gentil79]

@taffy1967 Your barking at the wrong tree. I was referring to the turning circle, not the car itself. the Volvo 340/43/60 had the best turning circle.

[taffy1967]

@gentil79 My reply still stands. ;O)

[G1NZOU]

@gentil79 Mabye the tuning circle is better, the mini is THE little car though and is famous around the world for more than just its turning circle.

[gentil79]

@G1NZOU I know that, i was just pointing out a fact, not critisising the car. i'd rather have a mini than a Volvo 300 series

[G1NZOU]

@gentil79 Sorry, fair enough.

It's awesome to have any old car, you get second looks on the road.

[Joe90ridesahonda]

really?my Reliant Kitten had a 23ft turning circle,im sure its not as good as that!

[Domitron1998]

Original Minis rock. BMW claimed that if their New MINI (BINI) wasn't as revolutionary as the original, then they would have failed. So sorry BMW, but you failed big time there.

[prarieguy2004]

@Domitron1998 the BINI was designed by Rover, it was the only part of Rover BMW kept after driving Rover into the ground and selling all their assets (they wanted to kept the 75 too). Rover was real competition to BMW in Europe before they bought it ...guess that why they killed it. At least the still build MINI's in Coventry.

Have to agree tho...there is only one real Mini!

[taffy1967]

So to be honest, and not wanting to sound harsh. But BL weren't that bothered about the USA & it had more than enough on its plate trying to compete with the likes of Ford or Vauxhall in the UK. Plus the 1970's was a terrible time for the UK and BL, because there was endless industrial action, plus a 3 day week imposed. The workers were killing the company and it actually went bust in 1974 and needed Government help (& that wasn't the first time BL needed the help).

[taffy1967]

Apart from anything else, the Mini was a ground breaking concept that was only conceived to drive the bubble cars off Britain's roads & to encourage the average family to take up driving. It was actually a flop at first, but when the 1960's kicked in it became the car to be seen in & it's incredible that it achieved so much (main reason why BMW are using it's name today). But due to an accounting error, it's success wasn't good news for BMC as they initially didn't make a great profit from it.

[taffy1967]

So I like many are very pleased that the original stuck around, because we'd have lost out owning & driving our favourite little cars. Plus there is no other car that I could have so much fun with & afford to own & run alongside a main family car. Plus it's a car that's never really dated & it still looks great today, even if numbers on UK roads are fast dwindling and prices are increasing. So I believe that the kids of the future will miss out on not having owned and driven a real Mini.

[taffy1967]

Okay the original 1960's Mini would still be remembered in the history books for winning the Monte Carlo Rally outright 4 times, starring in 'The Italian Job' (1969) with Michael Caine & for being owned by The Beatles, Peter Sellers & Mick Jagger etc. Plus of course it'd be remembered for it's part in revolutionising the motor industry. But only a select few serious car collectors would own an original & they'd be irreplaceable & priceless antiques.

[RoadCone411]

Wow, what a great video! No offense to those that like them, but the Clubman front ends are horrendous looking. It's like a Marina glued on the front! No wonder BL/AR/Rover stuck with the original front end. The Fiesta and R5 were newer designs and much better cars - but the iconic Mini holds a place in every Britons heart.

[taffy1967]

The Clubman front was designed by Roy Haynes who was responsible for designing the front end of the MK2 Cortina. Yes the Clubman front dated, but it did it's job and it's a bit like a Mini in 1970's gear and it has a following of it's own now. The Fiesta and R5 were not better cars, okay they were hatchbacks, but the Fiesta handled like a deckchair on wheels, where as the Mini could run rings around it and was far more fun to drive too.

[psykotanks]

Nothing bad about the Renault 5 and the Ford Fiesta but just look at the cars together at about 2:57. No doubt that the Mini is the coolest! :-D

[taffy1967]

The Mini is definitely the coolest and the others aged in no time.

[psykotanks]

Right!

[1958plymouth440V8]

Anyone know where I can get the British Leyland theme for free without having to register with anything?

[vidpop]

I had one of these brightly coloured " 78" minis very economical but it had one or two quality control issues. I think that these were due to the many industrial disputes. When I had mine Lucas was on strike and they were fitting awful cheap headlamps. I insisted that I wanted Lucas headlamps and was lucky enough to get them.

[lunarjetman1970]

ooops, typo. Make that a 1098cc engine ;o)

[lunarjetman1970]

SUPERB Video. I still own my 1977 Mini, i'm half way through full restoration ;o)

I checked out the Mini he's driving here on the DVLA tax enquiry website, to see if it is still around - and it seems it was last taxed in 1994 and was registered with an 100cc engine and was coloured black at the time. I guess it might be languishing in someone's garage somewhere or more likely, went to the great scrapyard in the sky when it was aged 17 :o(

[unigateman]

ibexx930

Check out Oakfields garage website they are selling a Mk 3 cooper S on a K reg 72 plates, ther were only about 1600 mk 3s made and were extremely difficult to shift

[unigateman]

Its weird initially hated the clubman but a 1275gt in black is now superb. Own a 73 mini cooper s;

[Ibexx930]

No you don't. They were produced untill 1971.

[unigateman]

Oh yes I do, its a very late cooper S registered in france in 1972, Its now registered on an L plate, There was a lot of Mii coopers stuck in showrooms in the early 70s especially the innocenti model.

[MrHargreaves]

Does anybody have footage when Raymond Baxter raced the mini? Would like to see more of him on these cars.

[gungor1985]

i dont mind the clubman cause they r still affodable to buy but beats the old morris models

[psykotanks]

AWESOME VIDEO!!! I love Mini's, the 70's and Great Britian so this is pure entertainment for me :-D

[no1saphead]

screwed up the front fenders

[Paulph04]

Seat belts weren't law in those days, they only became compulsory in 1982, :D

[directingmumble]

The Mini sure does look better then the Fiesta and that Renault.

[joness105639]

I agree, but I also think that the Issigonis 9x would have been EVEN BETTER! too bad they never built them.

[1337ASM]

the mini mki are easially teh best lookin minis

[mrscweem]

Dude I still got my 78 mini. I love that thing. Just got a MG metro engine for it :D

[mrscweem]

Eeew it a clubman. ahahha

[pomomatthew]

Maybe it's because the Fiesta is like 2 feet longer to begin with! ;)

[tshirtsprout]

This is a great tune written by one of the most prolific jingle writers of all time, Johnathon Hodge . He also wrote the famous Lenor music, A Mars A Day and Fry's Turkish Delight, not forgetting, Shake 'n Vak !!

The singers are Johnathon, Garry Sulsh , Stuart Leathwood and Clare Torry.

[uzzle65]

He's absolutely right about the nimbleness of the Mini's handling. In New Zealand in 2003 I was driving along a coastal road, came round a corner and there was a big bull seal on the road! Quickly swung the wheel and the Mini reacted immediately, the back end swung around around and I missed the seal and keep going down the road - at the same speed, about 100kmh. And in the dark too.

[aDeSe18]

Raymond Baxter, classic narrator on British GP's beetwen 1969 and 1974. I remember him narrating the Big Crash at SIlverstone in 1973 and the British Grand Prix, at Brands Hatch in 1974.

[coolitababy]

I truly hated those nylon seats and black grills. This was the beginning of the end of the Mini 1000 for me.

[joness105639]

Mr. Baxter There was a BETTER mini. Issigonis out did himself when he designed the 9x. Unfortunately for everyone, BMC and leyland killed it and worse, refused to learn from it when the time came to make the metro! The 9X was a modern even more space eficciant even more compact car with more power. Its design looked unified instead of a 1970's nose stuck to a 1960's body.

[taffy1967]

The 9x needed a major make-over, because it just looked dull and boring in comparison to the Mini. Plus small cars meant small profits (until robot technology came), so why would BL want to loose even more money investing in something that would provide little return? The Clubman just followed on from the Riley Elf & Wolseley Hornet in the upmarket Mini range, so give it a break. It's a shame they hadn't shoehorned a bigger engine with a 5 speed box, it would be possible with the extra room.

[joness105639]

You are reading contemorary standards of design back into the late 60's early 70's when the 9x was being developed. It was way ahead of its time in styling. To me it looks quite at home with cars in the 1980's. Small cars may mean small profits but the fact is that small cars were BMC's bread and butter.

[taffy1967]

But 9x would have been expensive as Longbridge would have had to tool up for it and anyway the classic Mini was still a top selling car anyway. BL would have been better off giving their best selling Morris 1100/1300 car range a make-over instead of replacing it with the Allegro (allagro) and the other cars that damaged their reputation during the 1970's. Why can't you see that makes more sense instead of harping on about replacing the Mini.

[joness105639]

they should have doene that too, but I still lust after the 9x's engine.

[taffy1967]

Why all this fuss about the 9x's engine? Rover had a much better engine with their 'K' series. BMW were stupid not to use that in their New MINI or BINI (as we call it). Instead of that Chrysler lump.

[myminicooper35]

Great video. Bit of an anorak comment, but its interesting that the Clubman driven by Raymond Baxter does not feature the 1978 innovations, i.e. the new wheel trims, steering wheel and reversing lights.

[lordyoung1980]

Great video! i have owned lots of minis and still have a mini cooper,but the competition was far more advanced if were being honest.But they were characterless and were'nt built for as long.

[joness105639]

Shame the 9X never reached production.

[taffy1967]

Why? The 9X looked hideous?

[joness105639]

It looked good enough compared to it's contemporaries.

[taffy1967]

But not good enough to replace the Mini which is ageless and timeless, plus has a cute face too.

[taffy1967]

Shame the 9X never reached production? Just how many times are you going to repeat yourself, are you a parrot and who are you trying to convince? We never had it so good with the original Mini of 1959-2000 and just like the VW Beetle or Citroen 2CV, the Mini was and still is a much loved cult car that would never have that status if it had been replaced in 1969. Plus I couldn't imagine 9X winning the Monte Carlo Rally 4 times outright or starring in 'The Italian Job' with Michael Caine.

[taffy1967]

The competition were merely Mini imitations. Sure they were hatchbacks, but it was Issigonis who showed the world how to effectively package a car and then most of the worlds car manufacturers copied his design and continue to do so today. Sure more modern cars are more refined, but none are as much fun to drive as an original Mini. A real Mini is great fun at legal speeds which is just as well considering the amount of speed cameras everywhere today.

[joness105639]

The 9x suposedly handled better than the mini and was simpler to build. It would have been thr ight deicison. Automotive icons aren't diminished because they are replaced or superceeded. The bug eye sprite was replaced witha slab sided facelift but the bug eye is much more a cult car than the later models. Italian job was released in june 1969 and filmed in 1968. A mini could still have been raced at monte carlo in 69 along side a 9X (which would have beaten the mini).

[taffy1967]

Oh for Christ sake stop taking drugs because you're hallucinating and talking utter crap. Even Alex Moulton stated that the 9X was a very ordinary looking car and it wouldn't have had the same appeal as the original Mini. Why can't you just appreciate what the original Mini achieved (which was a hell of a lot) and how it influenced the worlds car makers and stop harping on about some prototype that would have looked ordinary compared to the Fiat 127, VW Golf and Ford Fiesta etc.

[taffy1967]

How the hell can you say it would have been the right decision to replace the Mini. You're talking utter rubbish with your supposedly this and that tripe. Even if 9X had competed in the Monte Carlo Rally, by 1969 it wouldn't have won against the RS Escorts or the Porche 911. Plus the BL Works Department closed in 1970, so it wouldn't have had much of a motorsport career either. The Italian Job film was released in January 1969 and that helped see the Mini last & become a loved British icon.

[joness105639]

Basically when I look at the 9x I see a missed opportunity to bring an impressive aseries replacement to market in a more efficiant package that used less parts and had a hatchback for convenience. I cant help but imagine an MG Midget with a 9X derrived engine and how nice it would have been.

[taffy1967]

But they didn't need a sodding hatchback, because they had the Mini Clubman Estate and not everyone wants to carry a piano or a 3 piece suite in the rear of their car.

[joness105639]

I take it you were one of those idiots at leyland who was too short sighted to go with a hatch dispite their contemporary popularity?

[taffy1967]

No I'm not an idiot (unlike you it seems) and I've never worked for BL. But at least they weren't short sighted enough to axe the original Mini considering it's own long term popularity. Plus BL would have been far better off updating and face lifting the top selling Morris 1100/1300 range, instead of replacing that and creating monstrosities like the Allegro, Marina & Princess. So the Mini may not have made much of a profit for BL, but it was the least of their problems in the 1970's.

[taffy1967]

Plus the Mini even survived being axed in 1987 too, because the new chairman (Graham Day) figured that it was actually a good litter earner since all the tooling was paid for. Then the Japanese couldn't get enough of them and so it received an award for Britain's best exported car. Quite an achievement and by the 1980's 9X would have been as out of date as the Metro (Rover100) was during the 1990's. Mini, we never had it so good for so long. So be proud, because lots of people are.

[taffy1967]

Anyway you're an American, so just what the hell do you know? The Mini was a common sight on British and the other European countries roads for decades and that's just how we liked it. Perhaps I should point out how stupid the average Yank was for buying gas guzzling Titanic sized cars for so long without doing anything for the environment.

[joness105639]

I love my MG midget and I think its a shame what ended up happening to it in 1975 when a triumph lump got shoved in it. I cant help but wonder how things would have been different if a new engine like the one from the 9x had been put in the midget prior to the leyland merger. The mini is all fine and good, but the 9x should have been built. The midget and the B should also have been replaced by the mid 1970's. You cant tell me that not updating a prodict lineup is good business long term.

[taffy1967]

Well in the harsh logical light of reality, yes perhaps the Mini should have been completely updated/replaced for the 1970's to keep ahead of other car manufacturers as that is the way of the world. But VW kept their Beetle looking the same for decades and so did Citroen with their 2CV. So what with the Mini being such a marvel of modern technology and succeeding beyond all expectations, sometimes logical sense prevails.

[joness105639]

VW didnt exactly keep the beetle looking exactly the same and the other thing is that after awhile they ceased to be able to sell it in some markets due to regulations. Yes it sold well in developing countries long after it died everywhere else, but even it got replaced eventually. The 2cv had the shortest life of the three we consider here and even that had numerous updates. Niche cult cars can outlive normal production cycles. Morgan for example, but its not good for a volume manufacturer.

[taffy1967]

The VW Beetle looked little changed from it's inception in the 1930's up to it's demise here in the UK around 1977. The 2CV was also launched around the time of WW2 & looked much the same up to it's demise in the late 1980's (or was it 1990's?). As for the Mini, well that also ceased to be able to sell in some markets for the same reasons, but it was later re-introduced by Rover after many updates were carried out like it being able to run green & having fuel injection & later safety features.

[joness105639]

The 2cv looked goshawfull with rectangular lights and tehre were other noticeble changes.  I know about the EFI aseries and the fuel economy alone sounds like a tempting prospect for use in a midget, but it still wasnt good enough to sell them here.

[taffy1967]

In October 1991 the recently re-launched Mini Cooper got equipped with the Single Point Injection type engine (non-Cooper models soon followed suit) & in October 1996 the Multi-Point Injection engine & lots of modern safety features too. But the Mini was never conceived for the American market, it was just for us Brits to have a decent little car that was better & safer than the BMW Issetta bubble type cars. So it wasn't us who lost out & thankfully it was available to us for over 41 years.

[joness105639]

Yes it was in response to the suez crisis, but the fact is that lots of other markets needed it too, including 1970's America. "Export or Die!" remember? The same is true everywhere. America's industry is crumbling because we buy more than we sell. Its a common problem for many first world nations. The worst part for us is that most small cars built by the big three for the home market SUCK and I keep wishing they'd sell the European spec focus here.

[taffy1967]

The Suez Crisis & the import of nasty foreign bubble cars like BMW's Issetta is what saw the creation of our Mini. Lots of world markets got the Mini & it was manufactured all around the world & not just at Longbridge. Check my website & the link is on my main page. Only America weren't bothered & that was it''s loss & so BMW are now making the most of it today with their bloated hatchback. The Ford Focus is actually quite a dull car & today most people in the UK drive MPV's.

[joness105639]

10,000 minis were sold here in america. Many more would have been sold if it had been updated to meet the new regs at least. In 73 all that would have needed to be done is try to sell it on it's gas mileage and it would have beat out honda and toyota for the small car market easily. Yes the new mini is bloated, but a hatch is handy.

[taffy1967]

10,000 is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the number sold in the UK & the foreign markets. To meet the demand, Minis were also manufactured in countries like Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Belgium, South Africa, Chile and Venezuela. Even if it had been updated & bloated out to meet US safety laws, it's doubtful that it would have taken off back then anyway. As for a hatch, there was a Mini Estate version available between 1960-1982, so it didn't need to be a hatchback.

[joness105639]

"10,000 is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the number sold in the UK & the foreign markets" That doesn't matter, you are using anacronistic data. You have to look at contemporary figures. The fact is that the oil embargo of 1973 catapulted honda and toyota and others into major roles in this market. I think that suggests that BMC/BL gave up too soon.

What is your problem with hatches? I never understood that.

[taffy1967]

I've got no problem with hatches, but I just prefer real Minis and there was a Mini Estate anyway. I'm not using anachronistic data at all, as at it's peak in 1971, over 318,000 Minis were produced that year. BMC or BL as it was by 1973 were still trying to sell it's shoddy Morris Marina in the USA & the Mini was doing very nicely in many other countries. More so in the UK when there was a big demand for the Mini due to fuel shortages.

[joness105639]

Yeah the focus is dull but the european spec is less dull than the american spec one. Always works that way. the most exiting GM sedans were designed and built in austrailia, Chrysler is just too weird and had an identity crisis when it merged with mercedes. Im basically more than a little pissed that health and safety folks are preventing the equivillant of a new MG midget from hitting the streets.

[taffy1967]

Niche cult cars like the Mini can be good for volume manufacturers, because the Mini created a hell of a lot of good will around the world, especially in other European countries & of course Japan. After almost 20 years absence & thanks to new management thinking, Rover also re-launched the Cooper name in July 1990 & created the new MGB. So they were bringing out their greatest hits & it worked because the Mini became their biggest export model during the 1990's.

[joness105639]

None of that did any good here. We havent seen a new MGB since 1980. It took 15 years and I dont know how much money, not to mean some law bending/breaking to bring just one into the USA for private ownership (there is only one legit RV8 over here). Niche cult cars are not so good in the long run for some key markets. They can't be the bread and butter nor are they good halo cars.

[taffy1967]

But the Mini was good, because it opened doors for Rover in countries like Japan who couldn't get enough of them. America is very insular anyway & no British car manufacturer was going to get a hold over there, not with America's big car manufacturers. As for the Mini, check out it's history & just why it was created. If anything, due to it's amazing achievements & 1960's cool status, they'd created a monster that couldn't be replaced as there was & still is so much affection for them.

[joness105639]

America insular? No British Car manufacturer get a hold? Have you completely forgotten your history? The american market was englands biggest market in the 1950's-1970's. The Japs did it after the oil crisis convinced more Americans to drive smaller and the fact is that no American manufacturer has ever built a really good small car for the home market. Whats more is that people knew about british cars but were clueless about japanese cars. You guys had a toe hold and you blew it.

[taffy1967]

Rubbish, oh so we sold a few MG's & E-Type Jag's. Big deal & come off it, America preferred it's Cadillacs & Chevrolets (or the VW Beetle) to anything imported from Britain. I mean did the Morris Minor make it big in America during the 1950's? No, so what are you talking about? We didn't blow it either, Issigonis showed the world how to effectively package a car with the Mini & virtually every car manufacturer has copied it ever since. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery as they say.

[taffy1967]

Thousands of Brits had a Mini as a 1st car & many (like me) stuck with them & became Mini enthusiasts. So we're only too happy to be selfish by being pleased that the Mini hardly changed it's appearance during it's production lifetime. That's why it has such a massive cult following around the world today & if 9X had been launched & updated/replaced every few years, then the Mini would be no different to cars like the Ford Fiesta which has been changed many times & is just another hatchback.

[joness105639]

The mustang was changed many times but there is still a cult following. Each update has it's fans. A car doesn't need to remain unchanged for a long time to maintain a following. My first car was my MG midget and I very grateful that it uses the same engine as the mini because this means a nearly infinite supply of engine parts. But I also keep wishing that it was updated with something better than the triumoh lump. The Midget Atlantis and the 9x are just two examples.

[taffy1967]

The Mini did evolve and become more refined & safer over the years, but apart from the upmarket Riley Elf, Wolseley Hornet & the Clubman range, they chose to keep it's basic shape & round face much the same. Sure we had the new MiniMetro in 1980, but the old Mini soldiered on because people loved it & thankfully BL/Rover acknowledged that & kept it alive whilst there was a market for it. It was ultimately new legislation & BMW who killed it off in the end.

[joness105639]

Might I remind you that safety legislation killed it in the US market in 1967. We only had it here for 7 years. I blame BMC, BL and Ralph Nader for that. If the 9x had been introduced it would have sold very well in the US with the 1973 oil crisis just around the corner, and if as you said the 1100/1300 had been refreshed (maybe with a 9x engine) and made more reliable, they would have done fine (I've heard horror stories about the auto boxes on those).

[taffy1967]

You don't need to remind me of anything, because the Mini never took off as a big seller in America & so BMC weren't bothered when it was taken off sale. Plus it was never created with the American market in mind. The 9X would have also suffered the same fate as it was no bigger & so that wouldn't have been available to you either. The auto boxes on the 1100/1300 were the same as fitted to the Mini & many a later BL car too & their a good enough unit as long as their well serviced & cared for

[taffy1967]

Either way, even if 9X had been launched & updated/replaced every few years, there would still have been industrial unrest with BL workers in the 1970's, the other 1970's lacklustre cars would still have given BL a bad reputation that stuck & BL/Rover would still have failed & died by now anyway. We don't have a car industry any more, nor do we particularly lead the world in anything either as all our electrical products are imported from Japan. We had it all in the 1960's but not any more.

[joness105639]

BL made some horrid decisions. They never should have gone ahead with the TR7 and continuously blocked update/replacement plans for the MGB (I love the EX234, ADO76). Not to mention countless other issues. . .

[taffy1967]

Oh & the presenter of this BL dealer training film is the late Raymond Baxter, who for many years used to be a presenter on the BBC1 TV series 'Tomorrow's World'. He left that series after a disagreement about Concorde & how they wanted him to report on how it was too expensive for Britain & a waste of time. He refused as he believed it was a magnificent piece of technology that we should be proud of. Good to see that he also felt the same way about the original Mini up until his his death.

[vitorskoda]

And the Leyland advertising song... It will stay in your head for quite a time!!

[vitorskoda]

Sucha a great video... Do you have anymore?!

[heckmacbuff]

Raymond Baxter is so reassuring.