Mini Clubman

Personally I perfer the round nose quite a bit more than the Clubman. It seems to lose some of its cheeky character but its still a Mini.

Personally, I think that looking back it was a indifferent move style-wise by Mini to build the Clubman version. The original Mini shell, which basically didn't change much over 40 years is very good as is and the Clubman lost the basic appeal of the design.

Having said that, the whole story is history now anyway, and that's the fun of history - second guessing and debating which was better or worse or otherwise.

I definitely prefer the roundnose, especially in a saloon. The Clubby nose looks good on an Estate, especially with some nice 13" wheels, wide arches and a bit of lowering.

Clubbies have a pretty loyal following, and they're certainly unique. Just a little out of proportion to me. Of course, to me, there's no such thing as a bad Mini.

I've noticed on another Mini forum that the Clubman gets quite alot of from the "roundnosers". just wondering what people here think.

Mark

The Mini Clubman was a pointless exercise by British Leyland - but many were sold, and the Clubman estate looks better than the 'roundnose' Countryman (IMO). Plus the 1275GT although slightly slower than the cooper is a great little pocket rocket!

I consider the Clubman to be as much a Mini as any other Mini

I say blame it on the VW Passat/Golf [Dasher and Rabbit to us] and Guigaro's "form follows function" school of design. Within a decade, most of the world's cars had gone square. GM designer, Bill Mitchell, called it the "fit tab 'A' into slot 'B' school." The total overwhelming of automotive design by this square asthetic was too pervasive to last. The Clubman redesign was just following a trend. The wrecking yards are full of those extremely rectilinear designs. Subaru went so far as to make the lock-cylinder bezels on their doors square. I too think that the Clubman design looks better as an estate or a van, because the square proportions of the aft-cowl design complements the nose better.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> 54somerset69arkleyss said: I say blame it on the VW Passat/Golf [Dasher and Rabbit to us] and Guigaro's "form follows function" school of design. <hr></blockquote>

Hey! Picking on one of my favourite VW designs? (the original Golf/Rabbit)

Seriously though, good point, I had never thought of this angle. The original Golf/Rabbit was a very clean and unfussy design (only messed up by the square headlight American version of 1980 to 1984), a design that I really like. But later designs that came along didn't do a very good job of the same concept.

Also its all about the family face - Austin Maxi style front.

Apology,
When I wrote my previous post, I was under the impression that the Clubman was a mid-seventies production. This would have fit my convenient theory. I am writing a history of the Mini, for a school paper, and found out the Clubman was intro'd in 1969 [one of the facts I will be sure to check again]. I love car history, and usually have my facts in better order. I'm just glad that you Mini folks spared me the indignity of taking me to school on that one!!!

In my opinion, the Clubman is ugly. Fortunately, it is only styling.

I remember seeing photos of an Innocenti Mini which was restyled into a square cornered design. Anyone have any photos of that?

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> Super 7 said: I remember seeing photos of an Innocenti Mini which was restyled into a square cornered design. Anyone have any photos of that?<hr></blockquote>

Yup... I have some. And I have actually seen them before. They were sold up here in Canada for a number of years in the 1980's (with the crappy Daihatsu engine unfortunately, long after they stopped using Austin engines).

I have some pictures I have taken that aren't very good, but my friend owns one and took some excellent photographs of his car, and I have a copy of it hiding in my computer, but I don't have a website to host it YET (in the works), if you really want to see a picture we could figure something out maybe.

One of the British glossy magazines also did an excellent article on the Innocenti Mini within the last two/three years or so (I just can't find which one and which issue right now!)

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Super 7:
In my opinion, the Clubman is ugly. Fortunately, it is only styling.

I remember seeing photos of an Innocenti Mini which was restyled into a square cornered design. Anyone have any photos of that?<hr></blockquote>


here is one