The original Mini HaHa

In 1965 I bought my first Austen 7 Mini in Surf Blue with grey mock leather interior. It was second-hand but, after a good clean, it looked like new. Three pedal covers were secured over the bare metal plates, (green for accelerator, red for brake, orange for clutch) to customise it then I put 4"-long switch extentions on the dashboard-big mistake! One night I leant across to find a sweet in my handbag in the passenger footwell. Result-one black eye. Next came the flooded dip in the road. Result-3" of water slopping round my feet. Apparently a design fault of all first editions of the Mini. The garage welded the seams watertight before I bought staircarpet from a shop to make the interior quieter and warmer as the heater was underpowered. Result-backache from kneeling and bending to fit that carpet. Then I bought lap&diagonal seatbelts for the front two seats (which had a habit of throwing the occupants forward if you braked sharply!) But the day I was going to fit them I had to drive three miles on an errand and had to choose between going under the backend of a coal wagon parked round a bend or edging out and overtaking it. I chose the latter. Result-two cars in the shape of an inverted V, a headache, stiff neck, car repairs lasting weeks and STILL no fitted seatbelts! Ah Happy Memories of My First Mini.