The Car to Drive Before You Die

By Peter Griffiths

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's best-loved small car, the classic 1960s Mini Cooper, has been named as the car everyone should drive before they die.

The humble four-seater, nicknamed the "Flying Shoebox," beat the mighty McLaren F1 supercar into second place in a top 50 compiled by one of Britain's top motoring magazines.

"You just feel good driving a Mini Cooper," Auto Express' motoring editor Tom Barnard told Reuters. "You can go around corners fast and zip through traffic."

With its friendly looks and relatively fast performance for what was first dubbed a "housewives' car," the Mini Cooper became as much a symbol of swinging London in the 1960s as the mini-skirt and flower-power.

It was exported round the world and won an army of celebrity fans, including British comedian Peter Sellers and Beatles stars John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Perhaps its most famous appearance was in the 1960s heist film "The Italian Job" starring British actor Michael Caine.

It was the first British car to win the European Rally Championship and triumphed four years running at the Monte Carlo Rally in the mid-1960s.

"It is an enduring masterpiece and even now is a hoot behind the wheel," the magazine said. "Everyone should drive a Mini at some point in their life." The second-placed McLaren F1, which has a top speed of 240 mph, was described as "uncompromised engineering purity."

The German-built Porsche 911 C2 came third after winning praise for its "blistering performance, wonderful handling, perfect steering and a seductive exhaust note."

The Model T Ford came fourth for "bringing motoring to the masses" while the sleek Citroen DS, once the car of choice for French presidents, came fifth.

The highest Japanese entry at 14 was the Subaru Impreza, which made its name on the world's rallying circuits.

Seeking to cover every driving experience, the judges recommended people try a traditional London black taxi (31st place) and a five pounds old banger bought at auction (43rd).

Limping into last place was the Sinclair C5, the ill-fated electrical tricycle launched in Britain in 1985.



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IB/W MCS Premium & Cold Combo

Waitlist 2/15/03

 

here's the full list

1. . . . . . . . . . . . Mini Cooper (classic) :smile:
2. . . . . . . . . . . . McLaren F1
3. . . . . . . . . . . . Porsche 911
4. . . . . . . . ... . . Ford Model T
5. . . . . . . . . . . . Citroen DS
6. . . . . . . . . . . . Ferrari 575 Maranello
7. . . . . . . . . . . . Lamborghini Murcielago
8. . . . . . . . . . . . Jaguar E-type
9. . . . . . . . . . . . Lotus Elise Mk1
10. . . . . . . . . . . AC Cobra
11. . . . . . . . . . . Bentley
12. . . . . . . . . . . Caterham 7
13. . . . . . . . . . . Volkswagen Golf GTi
14. . . . . . . . . . . Subaru Impreza Turbo
15. . . . . . . . . . . Fiat 500
16. . . . . . . . . . . Volkswagen Beetle
17. . . . . . . . . . . Citroen 2CV
18. . . . . . . . . . . Peugeot 205 GTi
19. . . . . . . . . . . Mercedes S55
20. . . . . . . . . . . Range Rover
21. . . . . . . . . . . Dodge Charger
22. . . . . . . . . . . Ford GT40
23. . . . . . . . . . . Mercedes Pagoda SL
24. . . . . . . . . . . Land Rover Series 1
25. . . . . . . . . . . Audi Quattro
26. . . . . . . . . . . Honda NSX Type R
27. . . . . . . . . . . Aston Martin Vantage
28. . . . . . . . . . . Ford Escort Mexico
29. . . . . . . . . . . TVR Tuscan
30. . . . . . . . . . . Range Rover
31. . . . . . . . . . . LTI Taxi
32. . . . . . . . . . . Mini (new version)
33. . . . . . . . . . . Austin 7
34. . . . . . . . . . . Smart Cabriolet
35. . . . . . . . . . . Ford Sierra Cosworth
36. . . . . . . . . . . Austin Allegro
37. . . . . . . . . . . Alfa Romeo V6
38. . . . . . . . . . . Saab 92
39. . . . . . . . . . . Datsun 100A Cherry
40. . . . . . . . . . . Morgan
41. . . . . . . . . . . Daf 55
42. . . . . . . . . . . Nissan Skyline GT-R
43. . . . . . . . . . . £5 auction banger
44. . . . . . . . . . . Jaguar XJ
45. . . . . . . . . . . MGB
46. . . . . . . . . . . Morris Minor
47. . . . . . . . . . . BMW Z1
48. . . . . . . . . . . Suzuki Cappuccino
49. . . . . . . . . . . Toyota Prius
50. . . . . . . . . . . Sinclair C5

 

I dont see the Aztek on there?