Used Mini – 50 Years Old & Still Going Strong

You wouldn’t believe it. That iconic car design, the Mini, has now been gracing the mean streets of Britain for 50 years. It may seem like time has just zoomed by, but it is undeniable – that once revolutionary design is now, believe it or not, an old one.

Thankfully that doesn’t mean that we have to forget about the lovely Mini. The old used Minis may be getting a little archaic for most drivers, but the brand new versions are aiming to set a new trend for funky looking superminis that aren’t so much small as they are smart. To celebrate this time of nostalgia, and to acknowledge a brand that have transcended the generations, Mini have gone all out and created two new 50th anniversary presents to themselves, in the form of a smart limited-edition birthday model.

The first such mini model will no doubt be hard to buy as a used mini for the time being – unless you choose to buy the old original version. This, you see, is a Mini Mayfair, a modern reincarnation of the 1982 Mini that used to grace our retro and vintage streets. Striving to be eccentrically British, this is the Mini at its best – as long as you like a palette of brown shades. If that isn’t your cup of tea, then this design may just be your very worst nightmare.

So, what is special about the 2009 Mini Mayfair? Well, there is that colour scheme – strangely 70’s for an 80’s car, and brilliantly retro in design. The chocolate exterior leads to a coordinating mocha leather interior; soft, luxurious and really very British. It is, however, the extra little touches that contribute to making this a more luxurious car than most Minis can ever dream of – the smooth mahogany-esque shiny mirror caps, the funky green stitching.

Of course, despite the luxury, many people won’t be able to stand the sheer amount of brown going on in the Mayfair. For those people, the Mini Camden alternative is an altogether less retro and more modern design, jam-packed with technology and shiny features. Here Mini aren’t harping back to any used Mini or design of the past – instead, they look forward, to the next 50 years to come. Consequently, the design is futuristic, modernised, lots of clean whites contrasting with dark blacks to make everything look more than a little bit space age. That effect is continued by the chrome/bright white accessories and contrasting fabrics – with metallics and stripes interplaying to make the whole car look impressively complex. This is a modernists dream.

So which mini is more suited to you on this special 50th birthday? Do you fancy a trip down memory lane, or is the next 50 years where your focus lies? The brand have catered to both approaches with beautiful and unique cars, suited to the occasion and definitely dressed in their Sunday best. Both clad with state of the art technology, choosing which edition to buy may just be one of the biggest challenges facing motorists today!