Minis in Canada

[BruceK]

Way back about 30 years ago I own a 1979 Austin Mini 1000 that was built for the Canadian sales market.   (I might have purchased it from a Canadian who drove it to the US and it might have been titled as a 1962 Mini - hard to remember now)

If you've ever seen one of these Canadian Minis of the late 1970s, you'd definitely remember it.   The last Minis sold in the US were 1967 models because British Leyland didn't want to modify the car to meet the new safety and emission regulations that went into effect in 1968.  Americans were offered the Austin American instead.   But for some reason, BL was perfectly okay modifying the Mini to meet Canadian regulations which were almost the exact same as the US federal vehicle regulations. 

So the Canadian Minis provide a look into an alternate universe - what would have happened to the Mini if it was still on sale in the USA well into the late 1970s?  Well, it would have followed the same path as the poor MGB and MG Midget and received ridiculous big bumpers smog pumps, side marker lights, and other stuff. 

[94touring]

It's funny anyone would put any stock into a mini bumper providing safety.

[BruceK]

There were some truly awful things done to the Canadian Mini, but there was at least one good idea was mixed into all that:  Safer doors.

The doors on the Canadian Minis featured both side impact beams, as well as a unique idea to link the doors to the body in an impact.  There was a strengthened sill fitted to the body, and within the door opening, a special metal button stood up.  On the door, as you can see below, there was a special sleeve on the bottom of the door that that fit over the button when the door was closed.  During a side impact, the sleeve engaged the button and the door was now fully tied into the body at the sill, greatly resisting side impact intrusion. 

In my opinion, this significant safety feature should have been fitted to all Minis sold worldwide starting in the mid-1970s.

[BruceK]

It's funny anyone would put any stock into a mini bumper providing safety.

Well, the law just required bumpers that could withstand a 5mph impact with no damage, just like any other contemporary car.  The bodyshell for the Canadian Minis were reinforced at the front of the car where the 'nerf' bar that held the bumper was affixed, top and bottom.  And at the rear, the areas under the taillights and boot lid was also reinforced. 

So the bodyshell was definitely more robust than a stock Mini.


Of course, the first thing I did when I got my Canadian Mini was to throw those massively ugly bumpers into a dumpster.