The body
conversion of the Austin A35 was well received, but any thought of production
stopped when the Mini was announced in the Autumn of 1959. Ken Nightingale obtained a new Mini and soon it appeared with a fast (sloping) back conversion. It did not look right, but the potential of
both engine and body conversions for this sporty little car was evident. Over the next two years, the first Mini was
converted to have a more streamlined front as well as its fast back, a second
Mini was obtained and given a similar treatment but with headlight covers, and
the experience of the first two was put into a third Mini which had a lowered
roofline as well as a streamlined front and a fast back. The part-completed third Mini (far right) in the photograph is the current POP 22, although
somewhat confusingly the first Mini is sporting this number plate. It is almost certain that the first two New Era Minis were scrapped many years ago, but the final version (and the one that would have gone into production) remains.
The body
conversion of the Austin A35 was well received, but any thought of production
stopped when the Mini was announced in the Autumn of 1959. Ken Nightingale obtained a new Mini and soon it appeared with a fast (sloping) back conversion. It did not look right, but the potential of
both engine and body conversions for this sporty little car was evident. Over the next two years, the first Mini was
converted to have a more streamlined front as well as its fast back, a second
Mini was obtained and given a similar treatment but with headlight covers, and
the experience of the first two was put into a third Mini which had a lowered
roofline as well as a streamlined front and a fast back. The part-completed third Mini (far right) in the photograph is the current POP 22, although
somewhat confusingly the first Mini is sporting this number plate. It is almost certain that the first two New Era Minis were scrapped many years ago, but the final version (and the one that would have gone into production) remains.