Auto's

Just been thinking has anybody in the club got an automatic mini or what's your opinion on them !!!!!!! let get some response

i wanted to get the wife driving again and thought about getting an auto for her but after speaking to a couple of mini specialists was told to stay well clear very slow and plenty of probs with the alto box one said most boxes need rebuilding after 50000 miles minis are not the best starters in the cold months and you cant bump start an auto and there not the best stoppers in the world that gear stick can come in handy for some extra brakes ive had fast and slow auto cars before but to me u just cant beat a manual

I had an L-reg 1.3i Auto mini. Not nice, slower than your Nan in an 850 and making some unpleasant sounds at about 50,000 miles. Lousy on fuel (30+mpg on a good day) and dire to drive. Not enough get up and go to get in trouble and not enough use to get out of it either.

The auto box was designed for an 850 so it doesn't cope with 1275cc very well and who would stick the auto box in the engine oil? Not a good idea at all. One local specialist said he wouldn't sell me any tuning mods for it because the box couldn't cope.

Just my opinion but built on experience.

Matthew

Matt
Not strictly true that the auto box was introduced for the 850 Mini. It was launched simultaneously with the BMC ADO16 1100 automatic in 1965. It was designed by Automotive Products.

I bow to Ian's superior knowledge when in comes to dates and research but I maintain my stance on the auto. Don't do it, unless you have to. Automatic minis have given many people freedom and independence which they wouldn't have had otherwise. Some of us are old enough to remember Minis taking over from NHS motorised trikes for disabled people.

From past auto owners in the club ..ref1972 l reg slow and uneconomical. Bill and Terisa.....Thats the car ,not them. Then as Matt said about the mobility cars we had a mature disabled driver in t club who disliked her converted auto mini as it had no get up and go ...