The Royal Mint has produced a cupro-nickel £5 coin to Brilliant Uncirculated standard – a higher quality of minting than the coins in your pocket – especially for the 50th anniversary of the Mini. The coin features on its reverse a side-view image of Sir Alec Issigonis’ classic Mini, created by David Cornell FRSA, FRBS, and is housed within an illustrated presentation folder.

The basic Brilliant Uncirculated £5 coin is £9.95 (approx. $14)
The Silver Proof coin is £44.95 (approx. $64)
The Gold Proof coin is £72.50 (approx. $103)
The four coin Silver set is £175.00 (approx. $249)
There is also a silver proof £10 coin which is £275.00 (approx. $390)

All are available from http://www.royalmint.com/Annex/Mini.aspx

“Leonard Lord, the somewhat autocratic head of BMC, reportedly decreed: ‘God damn these bloody awful Bubble Cars. We must drive them off the road by designing a proper miniature car’. ” – Wikipedia

Without the rise of the “bloody awful bubble car”, we might never have seen the birth of the Mini! This post is a tribute to the unsensible awfulness of the bubble car.

Messerschmitt KR175

even more Bubble Cars here.

Infineon Raceway is are offering REME and the Mini community a “PRIME” spot in the paddock area, like last year. They would like 40 MINI/Minis (20/20) if possible. Please note while the Porsches, Jaguars, Bentleys, BMWs, Audis, and the rest are parking on the hillside on gravel areas, our Minis will be front & center in the pits, on smooth pavement. We will be next to the food booths, bathrooms, and smack in the middle of all the great vintage racecars and drivers.

Let’s make an effort to get a LARGE group of Minis there. Please contact your freinds and let them know. We need to get as many classic Minis as possible.

We can purchase tickets from Infineon Raceway through Redwood Empire Mini Enthusiasts at a discounted price of $52 per person for a two-day pass which will includes our Mini corral in the paddock area. If we purchase a minimum of 20 tickets, we qualify for a Mini corral. The $52 price is per person, not per Mini. We would like to get 40 MINI/Minis, including at least 20 classics. We need your Paypal payment by May 15. Make Paypal payments to paypal@redwoodempiremini.com note Wine Country Classics on you payment.

Once we have met our minimum 20 tickets for the corral, individuals can purchase tickets directly

Retail tickets are $60 and can be purchased from the track or Ticketmaster.
Ticket master: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C00417AC3BC4AAA?artistid=1309992

Last year’s event pics here .

My son and I have now been accepted to race at this years Reno Historics Vintage Races.  We will be sharing the Monty Mini and thus have been accepted to run in groups 1 and 3.  Sure to be racing against a Corvette or two, we are now loaded and ready to go!

The famous Monty Mini Cooper from Mini Mania will be raced by the father and son team of Dennis and Don Racine at the annual Vintage races.