One of the most recognised and plagiarised car designs in the World, immortalised in films such as The Italian Job, the Mini became an icon of British design during the swinging sixties in London and around the globe.

The Mini was the brainchild and end product of a two year research project by the chain-smoking Sir Alec Issigonis for the British Motor Company (BMC) started in 1957 and launched to an astounded public in 1959.

The Mini was born out of economic necessity and demonstrated the differences in the mindsets of US and British car owners at the time.

In America, multi-laned freeways were springing up everywhere and the 1950′s was a time of indulgence in classic muscle cars and massive engined saloons. Fuel and economy was not a consideration.

However in Europe the mindset and zeitgeist was totally different, with the first two lane UK motorway not opened until 1959.

In 1956 petrol rationing had been reintroduced in the UK due to the Suez Crisis. When Egyptian leader General Nasser shut the Suez Canal, Britain’s largest oil supplier of the time, Burmah Oil, which operated out of Persia, had to find alternative and much longer routes.

Demand for sales of small economic to run cars soon outstripped supply and this gap was filled by the famous two seater ‘bubble cars’ and other strange machines of German origin like the gull winged doors on the three wheeled Messerschmitt Kabinenroller (cabinscooter) KR175 and KR200.

Against this background, BMC commissioned Issigonis to come up with a world-beating small car to replace its aging Morris Minor, a previously untested idea.

The Mini’s ingenious concept and design meant it offered a staggeringly large amount of interior space for what was essentially a 10 foot long car. The short wheelbase meant the Mini was extremely maneuverable and the car only weighed just 587 kg.

When Issigonis set to work he imagined an ultra compact cube to house four passengers, fronted by a space-saving front wheel drive system. However in a flash of genius he positioned the engine transversely across the engine well with the gearbox underneath it, to keep the drive-train super compact and outside his cube, and in doing so he invented the transverse engine.

The prototypes were fitted with a 950cc Morris Minor engine which could reach speeds of 92 mph, but the production car was first released with a more limited 848cc BMC engine that had a top speed of 72 mph.

Every available space was utilised in the design of the BMC Mini.

The car had tiny ten inch wheels in very tight wheel arches. Inside the car was basic with novel storage drawers in the doors but nowhere to put a radio on a small dialled facia. Issigonis did however include an ashtray!

Issigonis couldn’t have possibly known that his cube car would go on to be voted in 1999 the second most influential car ever built, behind the Model T Ford.

BMC launched the first Mini Mark 1 in August 1959 under the brands Austin Seven Mini and Morris Mini Minor. They were manufactured at the respective Austin and Morris plants at Longbridge in Birmingham and Cowley down the road in Oxford.

The basic Mini cost just £496 when it was launched, the cheapest car in Britain.

Despite rapidly developing a cult following, and the car being driven by Stars such as Steve McQueen, Paul McCartney and Margot Fonteyn, initial sales were extremely slow and by the end of 1960 only 116,000 Minis had been sold, way below BMC’s production capacity.

The car didn’t reach its peak sales for another eleven years when in 1971 318,475 new Minis were sold.

It was also rumored by competitors Ford that the basic BMC Mini cost more to produce than it was sold for.

BMC responded by saying that the profits were made by having additional extras to the basic model, such as a radio, but on inspection the records show that the Mini did not make a profit for the company until 1982.

As a nationalised company with considerations of employees and trade unions, coupled with the investment in technology, BLMC as BMC became, could not halt a slightly loss making production.

So Mini production continued until 2000 and over 5,380,000 cars were built, making the Mini the most successful all British car ever made.

Dave Healey is a specialist motor underwriter who has been underwriting Classic Mini Insurance since his career began. Is is now a simple process to compare Mini Insurance online, as there are many specialist classic car insurance providers who offer exclusive Mini Insurance schemes.

Car detailing, or auto detailing is a term that is used allot nowadays and it can have different meanings to different People. For example, in America the term detailing usually refers to most kinds of car cleaning, whereas in the U.K the term ‘car valeting’ is more predominantly used to describe most car cleaning activities, with the term detailing only fairly recently being adopted to describe a more thorough clean.

Generally, the correct definition for the term car detailing is to meticulously clean, polish and protect all parts of a vehicle from top to bottom, inside and out, using specialist tools and products that would not usually be used by your typical car cleaner. It does not however, include paintwork and body repairs although sometimes light cosmetic restorative work will be untertaken, for example stone chip touch ups and clear coat wet sanding, depending on the condition of the vehicle and the detailer in question.

The main area and aim of car detailing is to fully enhance and restore the vehicles paintwork by eliminating light scratches and swirl marks that have been inflicted over time and that reflect the light in such a way that they give an unsightly cob webbing effect on the surface of the paint or clear coat. Before this is undertaken though, the exterior has to be thoroughly washed and cleaned in order to remove as much dirt and as many contaminants as possible.

The first step of the exterior detailing process is usually to foam the vehicle completely and allow it to soak, this helps to soften up any dirt and lift it off from the surface prior to pre rinsing. Whilst soaking, a soft bristled detailing brush may be used to agitate areas like the window rubbers, plastic grills, trim details and badges. The foam, along with the loosened dirt and grime is then thoroughly rinsed off.

Before washing the paintwork, wheels and wheel wells/arches are usually cleaned as these tend to be the dirtiest and most contaminated parts of a vehicle. Specialist brushes and wheel cleaning products are used to remove grime and baked on brake dust from all areas of the wheels and wells/arches including suspension components, brake calipers, around lug nuts and even from the wheel rears.

After the wheels and arches have been thoroughly cleaned, the paintwork can then be washed from top to bottom using plush wash mitts instead of sponges and soft micro fibre towels instead of chamois leathers in conjunction with the two bucket technique and grit guards, which all help to prevent any damage (in the form of light scratches and swirl marks) from being inflicted. The complete wash process including the wheels and arches can take anywhere up to two hours to complete, depending on the size and condition of the vehicle.

After washing, paintwork is clayed using a specialist automotive clay bar and lubricant which gently removes any bonded surface contaminants that washing alone cannot remove. This is an important step in the car detailing process as these contaminants can hinder the polishing process and prevent a top quality finish from being achieved.

After the paintwork has been properly cleaned and prepared it is then polished to remove any light scratches, swirl marks, hazing, oxidation and other surface imperfections. This is usually done with a rotary or dual action polishing machine as they allow the polish products to be thoroughly worked into the surface and broken down and so generally create better results. However, paintwork can effectively be polished by hand using the right products and great results can also be achieved with enough time and effort.

The polishing process is usually a multi-step task, as differing abrasive grades of polish are used to correct and refine the finish and it can take a number of hours or even days to complete, again, depending on the size and condition of the vehicle. This is usually the most involving, labour intensive and time consuming part of the car detailing process.

After being polished and corrected of any imperfections, the paintwork is then protected and sealed. Some detailers choose to use a pre wax cleansing product which prepares the paint for wax and ensurers it bonds to the surface properly. High quality natural carnauba based paste waxes and synthetic polymer sealants are used to provide months of tough, long lasting protection and create an incredible shine. Multiple layers of wax and sealant are often applied to ensure optimum durability and shine are achieved and it is not uncommon for high end carnauba paste waxes to cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Once the paintwork has been sufficiently polished, enhanced and protected, the other exterior parts are then dealt with. Windows and glass are also polished and protected, as are any metal and chrome parts. Rubbers, plastics and vinyls are revived and dressed to help bring them back to life and protect them from the elements. The wheels and even the brake calipers may also be polished and waxed using designated products which further enhance and protect them and give a level of detail beyond that of a normal vehicle clean.

The engine bay area is also always properly cleaned, polished, dressed and protected during the car detailing process, using a range of cleaning products and brushes, but it varies from person to person at which part in the process it is undertaken. Some prefer to tackle it first before the rest of the car, while others may clean it after the exterior has been detailed, before moving onto the interior.

An interior detail comprises of all upholstery being vacuumed and thoroughly shampooed to remove any contaminants and stains, while also brightening and freshening it up. Headlining is cleaned, leather is thoroughly scrubbed to remove any dirt from deep in the grain and is then conditioned and protected. Plastics, vinyl and trim are cleaned and dressed using appropriate products to revive and protect them from the sun, then the interior glass is also cleaned and polished to give a crystal clear, smear free finish.

The interior detailing process is also very involved and time consuming as every area including even the smallest vent and switch are properly dealt with using a wide variety of brushes, swabs and micro fibre towels to remove the smallest dust particles from the tightest of areas.

The general practice of car detailing is undertaken to ensure that the vehicle is kept in as good condition as possible during ownership. Once a full detail has been undertaken, mini details or maintenance cleans can be performed on a regular basis which will not be as involved as a full detail yet will help to give all parts of the vehicle that ‘just detailed’ look.

Car detailing helps to retain much of a vehicles original value and it can also add a considerable amount to the value of older more neglected or abused vehicles that have never seen that level of care. Overall, car detailing is the process of thoroughly cleaning, enhancing, restoring and protecting all parts of a vehicle, in order to keep it looking its very best and retain much of its value and a detail differs from your average car clean because of the levels of involvement, the time spent, the tools & products used and the quality of results that are achieved by the end of the process.

Starting a mobile auto detailing service can be a smart addition for any detailing business. This is a service that addresses a real need that exists among many car and truck owners. Most people would love to bring their vehicles in for regular detailing. After all, this kind of car and truck servicing not only makes their vehicles look good, but helps vehicles last longer as well.

Unfortunately, many people simply do not have the time to bring their vehicle in for detailing. Even on the weekends, when they don’t need to bring the car in to work, people often need their vehicles to do other errands. This is why many people keep putting off the task of bringing their car in for detailing. The best way to deal with this situation is to bring the detailing to the customer.

The Right Stuff

While starting a mobile auto detailing service is certainly a good business decision, it does require an investment in the right kind of machines. It’s important to note that doing detailing jobs on-site means that you can use many commercial and even industrial-grade machines for effective cleaning. Servicing premises will have ample facilities to deal with water run-off and excess water consumption. The situation is very different when you do a detailing job at a customer’s residence. Not only do you need to be careful about excessive water consumption, you also must ensure that the detailing job doesn’t lead to excessive water drainage. Residential areas are often not equipped to deal with high levels of water drainage.

The best way to deal with these issues is to invest in the right kind of machines for your mobile auto detailing business. For cleaning exteriors, ensure that you buy pressure washing units with pressure levels of 1500 psi or less. This will ensure optimum cleaning power that doesn’t damage the paint or body job of the vehicle. It’s also important to use systems that have water flow rates of 0.5 GPM. This offers cleaning power that doesn’t harm the vehicle surface and cuts down on excess water drainage as well.

Inside And Outside

Mobile auto detailing requires more than just exterior cleaning. It’s also important to invest in the right kind of mobile car wash equipment for vehicle interiors as well. For cleaning carpets and upholstery, it’s best to use car wash machines and carpet cleaners that use less water and more suction and extraction power for cleaning. These kinds of car wash products are ideal as they allow the interiors to dry out in just a matter of hours. This can be extremely beneficial if you are working on a deadline. The low water usage also means the interiors will dry out completely and there will be a reduced risk of germs growing in the damp material.

It’s clear that a mobile auto detailing service is a great way to deliver a service that many customers would really find beneficial. It is vital to invest in the right mobile car wash equipment for the job. Using eco-friendly car wash products as well as car wash machines with low water consumption can be very beneficial to your detailing business.