ASD Minim prototype is genuine motoring history

A genuine piece of British motoring history is up for grabs as the ASD Minim prototype/press demonstrator/brochure car has come up for sale in Bexleyheath, London. Just six of these cars were made by engineering mastermind Bob Egginton in Maidstone between 1984 and 1990 with this being the very first. Although it was a really clever design, the car was put down by the press and didn't become a success hoped for by Egginton. When I visited him in 2010 he told me: “I could not persuade them to understand what we were trying to do. This was meant as a cheap car that could be driven by all members of the family. In those days they were absolutely power-mad, it had to have 7 litres at least. The Minim was surprisingly roomy, you could put a week’s shopping in the boot at the front.”

Remarkably, 'Q142 JKO', the car's registration as it was seen in a huge number of mid-1980s motoring magazines, was converted to left hand drive at one stage, while the odometer shows a mileage of under 300. Genuine? Fact is that it is up for grabs. Come on guys, do yourself a favour and go for this unusual piece of motoring heritage instead of any other Mini. There are so many of those while this is genuinely unique. It deserves to be saved! See the ad here.

UPDATE 14 June 2018: Sold for £465.00, now offered for sale again with the new owner for £1,750. Hang on, price now increased to £3,500.

'Q142 JKO' is the original ASD Minim prototype/press demonstrator/brochure car

Picture Ebay

It's been converted to left hand drive at some stage but could be converted back easily

Picture Ebay

Chassis plate shows number M86/001 - that's Minim number 1 which dates back to 1986

Picture Ebay

Interior is simple but appears to be complete, but dear, this car needs some tlc!

Picture Ebay

Odometer seems to show less then 300 miles. Could that be from new..?

Picture Ebay

1000cc engine has to be the original unit. It looks similar to when it was new

Picture Ebay

Here is the body buck being fabricated in ASD's workshop in Maidstone in 1984 or '85

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And the car's chassis seen at the same place here. Note Lotus-like construction

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Here, the car is just finished, still at ASD's workshop but now already registered

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Bob Egginton back at Unit J2 in Maidstone. Note that ASD sign is still there!

Picture Jeroen Booij

The car shown for the first time after completion. The press was harsh to it

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Pictures being made for the ASD Minim's brochure in 1986. It was marketed as a family car

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Plenty of room in the boot at the front for a week's shopping! That's Egginton's wife and daughter

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The very rare brochure shows the same car that is now offered for sale

Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Maximum Mini's return

Well, well. The last weeks have been - erm - different. After having bought a new house, moving into it appeared slightly more complicated then expected. While the weeks passed I have seriously altered my skills as a bricklayer/plasterer/carpenter/painter, but writing about Mini derivatives was on the bottom of the priority list all that time. That will change from now on, as the end of restoring (rather then moving) house comes near. But where to start? I have received several messages (sorry if I have not been able to answer you properly, I certainly will, it's only just that computer and network are functioning properly) and some were very interesting. One dear reader bought an Ogle SX1000, another a Mini Marcos and one even a Status 365! Then there have been some updates on pictures that I posted and stories that I wrote (more on that later this week), and as always - and do keep them coming - people have advised me about cars that have made it to the market. One I'd like to start with is a pretty special and very rare one: an ASD Minim. I wrote about that car earlier (see here) but have never seen one of the presumed six cars made, in the flesh. An unfinished one turned up in Milton Keynes last month (it looks to be the same as the one in the earlier article), and it still hasn't lost much of its intriguity. Where did it go to now?

ASD Minim's chassis certainly was influeced by Lotus. Tub in front fits over backbone

The body is somewhat strangely proportioned. Did you ever see a finished car? 

Minimally known

Earlier this year I went over to Kent to meet up with Bob Egginton. Bob is a nice bloke who built all sorts of vehicles from the 1970's on, most of them race bred. But I was mainly interested in his two 1980's Mini based exploits: the Hobo and the Minim. The first appeared to have been documented fairly well and when Bob took me to an old mate for lunch who'd appeared to have kept a Hobo in his garage for decades, he made my day.

However, the Minim seems to be more mysterious. Bob never kept any records but thinks he made six. He now sends me a stack of pictures every now and then when he comes across some more while cleaning out old drawers. Great stuff.

It does make me wonder what happened to these Minims. I have never seen one and never came across pictures other then the ones used for publicity in the eighties.
Before I met up with Bob there was an unfinished Minim for sale though, but I have no idea what happened to that car. It would be nice to catch up with its new owner.