We all did. We all said to ourselves, “I want to buy a classic Mini and restore it”. Now is your chance to do that while keeping up with the times. Swindon Powertrain have launched their ‘Classic Mini Kit’. These are classics with a new interior.
The aforementioned Classic Mini Kit is a toy box consisting of the company’s “HPD E” setup with a 107 hp brushless permanent magnet motor, gearbox, open diff and all the relevant wiring. Only here everything is pre-mounted on the Mini’s front subframe, with brackets specifically designed for installation.
There are also specially designed internal CV joint housings to allow the fitting of standard Mini driveshaft assemblies, while you can swap the standard diff for an optional LSD. Other optional items (that you really need) include a 12 kWh battery pack – located under the bonnet -, engine controller, on-board charger and DC-DC converter, speed sensor kit and cooling system pump.
The kit weighs just 70 kg and prices start from £8,850 (plus VAT, so £10,620). This may be of interest to Mini collectors. Those who still want to drive their beloved car every day, but now in electric form.
By the way, there are a few things to know about the Mini in general, originally a British brand now owned by BMW. It’s almost officially the sportiest small car around.
In the 1950s, Leonard Lord gave the order for a fully domestically produced car that would be accessible to a wide range of people, with low fuel consumption and low servicing requirements.
Sir Alec issigonis designed the first Mini. The most difficult task was to fit the engine, gearbox and four seats into this small cabin.
In 1958, the car’s drawings were completed, and the wheels were placed in the four corners of the body to make better use of space.
John Cooper later created the Mini Cooper S, which was a great performer in many races. The Mini has evolved a lot over the years, but even today’s model still retains the distinctive features of the first examples, such as the round headlights and the sporty stance.

Adam Gubán