This is what the successor to the classic Mini should look like
(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) - When it comes to missed opportunities in automotive manufacturing, many people primarily think of the GDR. But in Great Britain, too, the gradual decline of the domestic auto industry began in the 1970s. "British misery" became a catchphrase, a parody of poorly manufactured British Leyland cars.
Mini 9X (1969) Zoom
Now the British Motor Museum, based in Gaydon, is displaying some interesting prototypes from its collection. They demonstrate that things could have turned out differently. There was no shortage of progressive ideas.
The occasion for the presentation: On Saturday, July 26, 2025, the internationally renowned Festival of the Unexceptional (FOTU) returns to Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire. Thousands of seemingly unspectacular everyday vehicles from all over the world will be presented there. The focus will once again be on the "Concours de l'Ordinaire" – a selection of 50 particularly rare, yet once-ordinary cars.
A special highlight is the participation of the British Motor Museum. In collaboration with the museum curators, six vehicles were selected from the Gaydon collection – three of them classic everyday cars with a rich history, and three more prototypes from the British Leyland era that never entered production but would have had FOTU potential.
Mini 9X prototype (1969)At the end of the 1960s, Mini designer Alec Issigonis developed a new small car concept as a potential successor to the Mini. The three-door 9X, at 2.95 meters, was even ten centimeters shorter than the original Mini , but still offered space for four adults and luggage. A new feature was an 850 cc engine that was 40 percent lighter than the current Mini engine.
The chassis had also been redesigned, with independent rear suspension and torsion bar suspension. Despite the promising concept, British Leyland management rejected its implementation—a missed opportunity, as other manufacturers brought comparable vehicles to market shortly thereafter.
Triumph SD2 prototype (1975)Conceived as a possible successor to the Triumph Dolomite, the SD2 was a project from David Bache's design studio. It was a four-door sedan with various planned engines, including a two-liter sprint engine with four-valve technology. The prototype pictured uses this engine. Due to low profit prospects and significant overlap with other models in the company, British Leyland discontinued development work in 1975, before series production had begun.
A striking resemblance to the actual Rover SD1, which was launched in 1976, is the model. In fact, the SD1 and SD2 were developed in parallel starting in 1971. However, due to British Leyland's poor financial situation and government-imposed austerity measures, the project was halted. Instead, the Triumph Acclaim, a barely modified Honda Accord, was later developed in cooperation with Honda. Which brings us to the next car...
Honda Prelude (1979)This example of the first Honda Prelude has a special history. Following the conclusion of a cooperation agreement between British Leyland and Honda in 1979, the vehicle was presented to then BL CEO Sir Michael Edwardes. Later, the car served for years as a workshop vehicle in Longbridge and fell into disrepair. Today, it is restored and owned by the British Motor Museum and is an integral part of FOTU culture. And next year, a completely new Prelude is arriving...
British Leyland ECV3 (Energy Conservation Vehicle, 1981)The ECV3 was part of an efficiency project by BL Technology Ltd., led by Spen King, the father of the Range Rover. With an aluminum frame, a plastic body, and a drag coefficient of just 0.24, the vehicle was technologically advanced for its time. It was powered by a newly developed 1.0-liter three-cylinder, fuel-injected, overhead camshaft engine. Fuel consumption was less than 2.8 l/100 km (114 mpg), and a top speed of 185 km/h (115 mph). Some of the ECV3's innovations later found their way into production vehicles.
Source: Hagerty
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