From Rover With Love

Ian Edwards of CardiffMini club began his love of Minis when working for a Rover dealership.

Over the decades (yup, I am that old), right from my very first Mini memory (Martin’s Marvellous Mini in the Tiger and Jag comic) and through my 27 years of Mini ownership, I have many happy Mini memories.

Now most Mini owners wax lyrical about their first Mini, either before they could even drive or their first car being a Mini but the first time I drove a Mini was at the (not so tender) age of 25. The Mini in question was a B-reg Clove brown Mayfair with caramel interior trim which was the very first demonstrator I was given (a hand-me-down) in 1985 when I started working at Howells of Cardiff, a main Austin Rover Dealer.

Despite this Mayfair not being a fan of rain (I very quickly learned to dry out the water-hating distributor) the legendary Mini charm and character had me hooked. In Spring 1990 I finally put my money where my mouth was and purchased a six-year old rusty Mini 25 with just over 39,000 miles on the clock for the princely sum of £1,550. Little did I know that 'ANY' would not only be still in my life 27 years later but also how much ownership of this rusty silver Mini would shape my life.