VANGUARDS: AUSTIN MINI VAN - J SAINSBURY, MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

The Mini van was launched five months after the saloon, in January 1960, and remained on sale until 1983. The saloon’s wheelbase was extended by 4 inches and the rear overhang by a further 2.5 inches, creating a load platform 55 inches long, quite impressive in a vehicle which was still only 129.55 inches in length.Vehicles travel down their production line with their doors open, so Mini vans were produced with twin side-hinged rear doors allowing them to be closer together than would have been possible if they had been fitted with a tailgate.
Features include jewelled headlights and detailed cab interior.

KYOSHO 1/18 BMC MIN COOPER S - WINNER RALLY MONTE CARLO 1965

A model of an historic Mini for fans of the marque here. The real vehicle, crewed by T. Makinen and P. Easter, was able, despite trying weather conditions, to win five out of six special trails, winning the Rally. Only 35 out of 237 cars finished. This is a good rendition. Buy it now

VANGUARDS HISTORIC RALLY SET

This superb 2-piece set features rally versions of the Allardette Anglia and the Mini Cooper S, both of which are sponsored by Lledo PLC.

The Allardette Anglia is a 1964 version with a race-tuned 1500cc engine. It took two years and £30k to be built by owner/driver Martin Fox. Martin who has been driving for five years, and hos co-driver Kate Honey take part in rallies all over Europe as part of the Motoring News Demon Tweeks Historic Championship, which is the largest of its kind in the world.

The Mini Cooper S, co-driven by Sam Sullivan, is owned and driven by Stella Morris who had it specially built from scratch up to rally specification at of £20k. Both teams have achieved enormous success, perhaps this is due to the winning male/female combination of each team. The Allardette is currently a top ten car in the Championship.

CORGI BMW MINI COOPER S IRISH TRICOLOUR BRITISH RACING GREEN

As the New BMW Mini Cooper has grown in popularity so have the options available to the consumer and one of the popular area of accessorizing is in the choice of roof graphics.Ranging from pattern designs to novelty illustrations one of the favourite choices has been the national colours and this model shows the Irish design on a British Racing Green Cooper S.

MINI MIGLIA - MINI 7 RACING CLUB, RICHARD WAGER

Richard Wagers Mini Miglia No 50 was originally built in 1991 by Ian Pattison and came to be known as the Kenwood Mini in its original black and red livery carrying Kenwood Car Hi-Fi sponsorship. The car won first time out at Pembrey breaking the lap record. It also won what is widely regarding as the closest ever Mini Miglia race at Castle Combe in 1996 when no less than 7 seven cars went over the line in under a second. In 2004 it underwent a face lift with the works carried out by Ludlow Motorpsort and is now backed by Sean Devine Civil Engineering as well as Kenwood. Released: December 2007. See more

24ct GOLD-PLATED 50th ANNIVERSARY AUSTIN MINI

Following Corgis tradition of celebrating significant anniversaries of the Mini, this special gold plated model of a Rover Mini is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the special car which was launched in 1959 and designed by Alec Issigonis.

VANGUARDS 1/43 AUSTIN MINI ON FIRE

Resplendent in customised Boy Racer decoration, our 'On Fire' mini also features jewelled headlights, working suspension and detailed chassis, not to mention that prominent aerial and shocking pink upper body paintwork.

CORGI 1/76 MINI VAN 'CORGI TOYS'

A new tool for 2008 the 1:76 scale Mini Van modelled here depicts the retro styling of the Corgi Toys of yesteryear. Like today’s Multi-Purpose Vehicle’s or MPV’s the original Minivan (1962-1969) was designed for maximum interior room and was introduced during the 1950s coinciding with the emergence of Corgi Toys. This model celebrates the decade that also saw Mettoy Playcraft Ltd launch Corgi Toys as its new toy range of die-cast model cars. They were the only toy cars on the market at that time so were a huge hit. See more

VANGUARDS 1/43 MINI VAN ENFIELD BRAKE AND CLUTCH SERVICE YELLOW

During the design of the original Mini saloon, Alec Issigonis had shown great devotion to the packaging of the car. The ten-inch wheels placed at the very corners of the vehicle, external body seams, beautifully packaged drive-train and compact suspension system all helped the Mini to have a ground breaking passenger space to vehicle size ratio. Those very same features meant the load bay of the Minivan was flatter and bigger than you had any right to expect in a van only ten inches longer than its tenfoot long saloon cousin.

VANGUARDS MINI MANIA 1:43 MINI COOPER STEVE McQUEEN

McQueen bought his Mini from Hollywood Sports Cars and had it taken straight to Lee Brown’s custom shop. He didn’t like the green body and white roof so had the car refinished in medium brown metallic with a beige roof. Brown also chromed and then reversed the wheels to widen the track, fitted a wooden dash, a fold back sunroof and had trimmer Tony Nancy re-cover the seats in brown vinyl. The engine was ported and balanced.

McQueen never had front number plates on his cars as he felt it spoilt the clean look.

Twenty years later Lee Brown spotted an advert for the car and bought it back, so he now owns the car he originally customized for the film icon. See more

VANGUARDS 1/43 SCALE CATALOUGE MINI

On the front cover of the 1997 Vanguards catalogue appears a selection of Minis: some in white with white roofs, more in white with black roofs, and a single yellow model. The 50 white models (25 with white roof; 25 with black roof) were presented the Lledo trade launch of the 1997 range. As a result came requests for a model of the yellow Mini.

This has been produced as a special limited edition, marketed as the 1997 Vanguards Catalouge Edition. In yellow, the Mini looks very pleasing.

LLEDO VANGUARDS: MINIVAN 'RAC'

This model is the Austin Mini van, which comes in a version without roof ribbing. This really is a delightful model, and proportions of this famous van. The shape of this vehicle is not easy to reproduce, so Lledo is to be congratulated on achieving a model that looks right from whatever angle it is viewed.
A pleasing touch is that only the window on the driver’s side is shown in an open position.
The livery chosen for this first release is RAC Road Service, in the familiar blue with white roof. A roof board is included, bearing the legend ‘Caledonian Patrol’

LLEDO VANGUARDS: AUSTIN 7 MINI

The Austin 7 Mini now forms part of the Vanguard range, and as such has been upgraded with its chassis detail, chromed bumpers, headlights and radiator, plush door handles, petrol filler cap and other similar detail picked out in separate colours. This is a very pleasing model of the Mini, for we feel Lledo has captures the difficult shape perfectly. It is offered in red and blue.

CORGI: THE ITALIAN JOB

It has to be the most famous Mini film of them all: The Italian Job. Not the first time from Corgi (an ‘Italian Job’ set was released with the Minis in 1/43rd scale), but now it is the 1/36th scale Minis that come in the familiar red, white and blue. Although now a few years old, this casting of the Mini has always looked good, and so this set is certain to prove popular. See more.

LLEDO: AUSTIN 7 MINI

The Mini is of course another of the modelled car, and one of which the shape is not always totally captured. Lledo, however, has performed an extremely good job in getting the shape and propotions of this car right. They have chosen the 1959 Austin 7 Mini as DG74, which comes in either dark red, or as a white Police version, complete with roof sign and blue light. Lledo is planning to offer both left and right hand drive versions of the Mini.

Clearly Lledo is offering these models at a competitive price, so finer detailing points are not included. However, if the Mini is the standard to be set for future releases, then there will be much to look forward to from lledo.

MINI MIGLIA MINI 7 RACING CLUB STEPHEN KING MODEL CAR

Mini Miglia - Mini 7 Racing Club as driven by Stephen King. The Dunlop Mini Miglia No.25 was built during 2005 and is prepared and owned by Stephen King.A designer manager who lives in Sheperdswell, Kent.Stephen has competed in many forms of Mini racing and decided to take the step into the fastest classic Mini category with a brand new car.The Dunlop Mini Miglia challenge cars accelerate from 0-60mph in around 4.5 seconds and have a top speed in the region of 120mph on longer circuits! Very impressive! Shop here.

DIECAST MODEL MORRIS 1300 ESTATE

This variation of the 1110 was first produced in 1967 and became Britain's best selling car. Production of all types reached 801, 966. It was available with either two or four doors. Production ceased in 1973. A Good rendition of this popular motor.

One of a Limited Edition of 2,870 pieces and includes a Limited Edition Certificate. Model is mounted on a removable plinth with a removable hard plastic cover. Buy now.

CORGI MINI 7 - MINI 7 RACING CLUB, MAX HUNTER

Max started his racing career in 2000 grass track racing in a 1000cc mini. He was fourteen years old. He grew up in a racing environment. His father raced a Mini 7 in the Mini 7 Racing Club from 1994. After two years of grass track racing Max competed in his first Mini 7 race in 2002 at Oulton Park, just three days after his sixteenth birthday. His grass track racing was very good grounding for a circuit racer. It was not long before Max hit the front with a win at Rockingham in the winter season. In this first year he became Novice Champion and his success continued. His ambition is to be Mini 7 Champion. Released: November 2007

IXO 1/43 SCALE - 1965 MORRIS MINI VAN - ROYAL MAIL

This model dates from 1965 but the year letter C is missing. The registration number typeface is wrong too. To our eye, side on, the van seems too long and thin. From the front it captures the look well. The rear has mesh covered windows and there's a door security bar. Buy it now.

MR.BEAN WITH HIS MINI CAR

Who likes to see Mr.Bean, you have to find a Mini Car with his car-mate all the time. Mr.Bean Mini Diecast Car produced by Corgi Classic Limited in 1998. Length 7.4 cm. Mr.Bean Mini diecast car was produced with permission from Tiger Television Limited, which owns the copyright of TV Series.

It is yellowish green body, the trunk lid black cars are vehicles used Mr.Bean in this series have come home next door latch on the door. Mr.Bean TV Series broadcast in England from 1989 to 1995, then was the popularity around the world, in the form of books and videos. This success has sold millions of discs, including movies produced in 1997 is Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie is a show Mr.Bean Rowan Atkinson. The Mini car which was used become a remembrance of the viewers. Shop here.