Last Year Minis were imported

This may sound stupid for a mini owner, but I have two questions...which dozens of "experts" have given me a dozen answers. Here goes: WHat was the last year British Leyland exported Minis to the U.S. ? What was the last model year the U.S. Government grandfathered/allowed Minis into the U.S.????

[ 08-18-2003: Message edited by: RCL ]</p>

"WHat was the last year British Leyland exported Minis to the U.S."

1967. Some were sold in '68 as leftover '67s. BTW, it was still BMC back then. All of them were badged as Austin or Morris. Didn't become BL until about '71.

"What was the last model year the U.S. Government grandfathered/allowed Minis into the U.S.????"

1978, under the current 25-year exemption. Cars over 25 years old may be imported without having to meet the then, or current, EPA and DOT standards.

In other words, you can import (and many people do) any Mini that is titled as being 25 years old or older.

Thanks Xracer.....someone tried to convince me at a hill climb this past weekend that a 71'...namely mine...was imported illegally. I thought BMC brought them in till 76 or so...I also heard some Canadian cars were brought in as late as 82' ..legally, that is.

Thanks for keeping me straight with the history lesson.

Yep......Minis were imported into Canada until about '78 or '79.

If yours is a '71 and left hand drive, it was originally a Canadian car, and unless it was a rare Mk.III Cooper "S", it was a Mk.III Leyland Mini 1000 (998cc engine).....however, '71 was transitional between BMC and Leyland, so some '71s and '72s might be badged as Austin or Morris.

It should have roll-up windows, and no external hinges, and, if original, a 998 engine.

[ 08-20-2003: Message edited by: Xracer ]</p>

Mostly true...

British Leyland sold Mini's brand new in Canada up to 1980, by then only with the 998 engine, many have since had the BMC 1275 installed. There is a hot market up here for the 1970's Mini's, look up almost any Canadian classfieds listing and they are regularly listed for healthy prices.

Import rules... A car has to 25 years or older to be legally exported into the States, 15 years or older to be legally imported in Canada. As a result there are piles of the 1980's Rover Mini's being imported into Canada right now.

Thanks to both Xracer and Sherlock......

Bought my 71' with B.L. number plates in S.C. and had it "fixed-up" in Texas. Left-hand drive, BMC 1275 installed ...has roll-ups, newer doors (no hinges...inside door handle is mounted at slight angle- not quite 45 degrees... so it may have come by way of Canada.

Glad they are keeping the prices up in the North...makes me feeel better about spending sooo much mooola to restore and fix up ours

RCL

Thanks Sherlock. I wasn't sure of the sales cutoff date north of the border. I knew it was somewhere around that date.

Yeah, the 1275 engine swap was, and is, fairly common for the Mk. IIIs....as well as the conversion to 7.5 disc brakes. We've got several Cooper "S" clones in our club.

Still, in all, the stock Mk.III with the 1000 engine makes a nice, (fairly) reliable road Mini, and the twin leading-shoe brakes are at least adequate.

Because there are so many Mini's all over Canada(most of them the 1970's ones that were sold here new) there are lots of clubs devoted to them.

In our club (below in signature) among other saloons there are almost 100 Mini's represented and I know of at least two other all-Mini clubs in southern Ontario, and more all-Mini clubs across the country.

For a good Canadian Mini website that will give you an idea of the scene up here go to www.miniportal.ca, there is a definite advantage up here for Mini fans because there are lots of the 1970's examples left.

Thanks Sherlock... WOW, I never knew ther were sooo many minis in Canada. Sounds like that's the place to be.


Where is Barrie.... I did some work in the Brampton are...and my wife and I honeymooned in Canada....23 years ago!

RCL

Sherlock...forgot to add....What are the BIG events for Minis in Ca...and when do they happen (sounds like a vacation plan in the works...ha ha ha)!
RCL

Hi RCL,

Barrie is about an hour north or so north of Toronto, although I'm only going to be living there until the end of September at which point, after about a week of driving and checking out neat British/import cars, I'll be in Calgary.

As for Mini events, you should try to make an effort to come up for British Car Day in Oakville/Burlington coming up on September 21st (or at least the Sunday closest to that date!) There will likely be around 75 Mini's on display, along with over 1,000 other British cars! The whole details are posted under the Local Events forum.

Aside from that show there are some Mini-only events that take place in Ontario earlier in the summer, there's a website somewhere that likely lists them.

Maybe see you there... it will be my last Ontario Brit car event before I move.

[ 08-23-2003: Message edited by: Sherlock ]</p>

RCL....this year was a BIG year for Canadian Mini events:

June 5-8: Back To The Bay for Rendezvous 2003 in Thunder Bay, Ontario put on by the Thunder Bay Vintage Sports Car Club...lots of Minis attended.

July 1-4: Mini Meet East in Magog, Quebec

August 8-10: Crazy Canadian Mini Jamboree in McGregor, Ontario

August 11-15: Mini Meet West in Victoria, British Columbia

....and, of course, the Sept. 14th British Car Day that Sherlock mentioned.

Sherlock.....where are you moving to?

One slight correction... the Toronto Triumph Club moved weekends (for British Car Day) on me, it has always been the second weekend after Labour Day long weekend up here, well... until this year apparently the new date is September 21st - off to Local Events forum to change the date.

If you read my new updated profile it's back home to the "real" mountains of Alberta in a few weeks. I'll miss the plethora of Brit/import cars all over southern Ontario but I've been waiting for too long to get back to the mountains (and there are actually a fair number of Brit/import cars around Calgary too, so it's not a complete washout)