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From The Production Line.
PEPI, THE MINI WHICH BECAME A WAY OF LIFE.
Mr. Phil Quine, a journalist in the Woolongong district of NSW sent to B.M.C. this tribute to his Morris 850, which, he says, “became a way of life.”
I bought a Morris Mini in March 1962; I should have bought one when the Minis first came out, 12 months earlier.
I was 42 when Pepi – that’s my name for the little red Mini – and I became acquaninted. Until then, all I new about cars was that you had to be extremely nippy at pedestrian crossings.
We met in a car salesroom in Woonona, Woolongong.
No trouble
I liked his jaunty, rather cheeky air. And I think Pepi liked the reverent way I handled the controls. Since then, Pepi and I have travelled 42,000 happy miles.
Allowing for an average speed of 30 mph, this means I have had 1400 hours of trouble free motoring. So I thought it time to tell you what a completely satisified customer I am.
Cheerful
As soon as I got my lience, Pepi became more than a car – he became a way of life.
At first I beep-beeped cheerily at other Mini drivers. I soon gave tjat up because the road became dotted with Minis. As the miles rolled on, I began to take a fathely interest in Pepi’s performances. My mileage around town has stayed a steady 45 to the gallon for three years. On longer trips, I have got as high as 53 mpg. We logged 29,180 miles before I replaced the original tyres and I could have boosted that figure above 30,000.
My new tryes have already travelled 13,000 miles, with little sign of wear.
Internally. Pepi is as sound as a bell. I take some credit for the way I look after him and I perform all those little services and attentions whichout which even the best bred little car is apt to feel unwanted and neglected.
Every so often, I take him to my local BMC dealer, Pember’s of Woonona. All this keepd Pepi in tip top condition. He appricates it because he has done his best at all times and in all conditions. Pepi usually cruises about 50mph, a speed that suits both of us.
Comfort
Once I sent him up to 78mph just to see what he could do.
He carries four adults in roomy comfort, and five quite easily. One time, I strained the friendship by asking him to carry six. He did so uncomplianingly, but I think six is one too many, little “wonder” car that he is.
One of Pepi’s greatest assets id his postage stamp parkability.
Battery
I work near a busy street where parking is an art, and many times I have sneaked into small parking spots while frustrated motorists with less manoeuvrable cars have had to travel an extra furlong.
Pepi’s battery lasted three years almost to the day; I changed it at 41,647 miles and, until the week it ran down, I never knew what it was to have trouble starting the motor. All my friends had car troubles to talk about, and I hadn’t.
Incredible
Pepi doesn’t look quite as dashing as he used to do – understandable in one whose owner, I regret to say, regards polishing the car as one of those jobs he puts off until the month after next.
But I can only describe his continued 100 percent performance as remarkable. He fully deserves the superlatives of the many motoring editors and test drivers whose comments I have read. I thought you were a trifle flamboyant when you chose the adjective, “incredible” to describe the Mini. If anything, you were selling it short.
What a car!
De Luxe
So far as I can tell; Pepi’s engine is working just as well as when I got it. I have not had the slightest trouble with brakes, steering, electrical system, or anything else. But, sometimes, somewhere, Pepi is going to run down; when that happens, I’ll feel like I have lost a real friend, but it doesn’t look like happening for a long while.
And I’ve one consolation – I’ll be able to get a Morris Mini DeLuxe as I have just read how you married the features of the 1100 and the 850 and produced a Mini with a bigger engine and hydrolastic suspension, wind up windows, and all the trimmings for just 833 pounds.
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