Though it might be a rare sight these days, Alec Issigonis’ Mini has been the subject of more affection than most cars get in ten lifetimes. It frequently tops lists of the best British car ever made and is often used as a byword for the sort of ingenuity that apparently came naturally to people in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Thus attempts to modernise it (beyond BMW’s enormously successful go at doing it wholesale) have proliferated over the years - and given the appeal of tiny, lightweight cars in an increasingly battery-powered era, are unlikely to stop anytime soon.
Case in point, the Wood and Pickett Mini by CALLUM. Unless you’re of a certain age, the first name there might not seem immediately familiar, but Wood and Pickett were among a number of Mini specialists back in the day that had a go at uprating the car for more discerning customers. The firm claims a number of celebrities among its former clients, and while it has dropped below the radar in recent decades, the revitalised iteration (under new ownership) has sought to return to its glory days with a restomodded version of the Mk5 Sports Pack Mini.
Who better to help in this endeavour than Callum (we'll ignore its preference for capital letters), the design house that continues to turn its hand to virtually any task. Predictably, it seems its design director took little persuading: “The Mini is one of the most important cars ever created not just for its innovative engineering, but for what it represents culturally as a symbol of British ingenuity and style,” said Ian Callum CBE. “It’s a car that broke the rules and became a global icon. To reimagine it through the lens of Callum, with Wood and Pickett’s craftsmanship, has been deeply rewarding.”
So what do you get? Well, a bespoke design package for starters. The Mk5 was the final production version of the Mini (and is itself a classic), but in its new valances, sills, and updated rear end, Callum reckons it has drawn on Wood and Pickett’s legacy as a coachbuilder. Inside, the changes are even more striking, with a newly designed dashboard that incorporates a piano-style switch pack and what looks like touchscreen infotainment. Not to mention reams of Bridge of Weir leather and a fit and finish that British Leyland could only dream about.
Happily, it isn’t all show and no-go either. And nor is it electric, mercifully. Quite the opposite, in fact: under the tiny bonnet, you get what Wood and Pickett describe as a rebuilt Stage 3 1.3-litre A-Series motor that develops around 110hp, connected to a re-engineered gearbox and new upswept twin-exit exhaust. To make the best possible use of it, you get a ‘road-tuned’ suspension kit alongside uprated brakes and Callum-designed 13-inch alloy wheels that look no less chunky than the ones Rover used to attach 25 years ago.
No performance figures are claimed for the result, but previous experience of fast Minis suggests that nearly doubling the output ought to make the car as spritely as a dandelion seed in a hurricane. Which is a good thing when you consider that the Wood and Pickett Mini by CALLUM, each of them hand-built in Britain, will start from £75,000. Its maker suggests that no two will be alike and that each customer is encouraged to collaborate in the look of their limited edition car from day one. The first one is the result of David Gandy’s vision and will be on show at the Heveningham Concours this weekend. Let’s hope more follow.
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