A Mini Addiction

Gary Pearson, of SELKent Mini Club, is a self-confessed Miniholic…

- Gary Pearson

I have owned Minis since 1989 and I am now onto my 15th. My first one was a maroon Mini 1000 which I bought to work on and get an MOT. After filling the subframe and sills, I soon learned that Minis need welding. Over the next two years I bought and sold four Minis, including an 1100 Clubman and two Mini Mayfairs, before buying a Mini Cooper new in 1992.

My current fleet consists of a Rover Mini Cabriolet, an 850 Mini City and a Mini City E. I also have a John Cooper S Sport 5 Works and a New Mini which I use to keep the mileage low on my original Minis.

I bought my Night fire Red Cabriolet new in August 1994 for £11,400, after waiting from November 1992 to actually get one. In that time I've probably spent over 1,500 hours cleaning, polishing and panicking when I've started a job on it without knowing what I've let myself in for.