Maximum Mini by Jeroen Booij ISBN 978-1-84584-154-6 Veloce Publishing Ltd. £24.99 (p&p extra) reviewed by Richard Porter

Up to now I've regarded Peter Filby's Amazing Mini as the bible for Mini kits and variants. I don't think it's ever been surpassed for sheer comprehensive coverage of the Mini phenomenon, but Maximum Mini is THE book to have if your main interest is in Mini derivatives. This is more than just a book - it's been a labour of love for the author. It is not just very well researched: Booij has sought out examples of many extemely rare cars - some unique - from as far afield as Japan and New Zealand, photographed them and talked to the original designers in many cases.

This is a large size hardback (250x250mm) with 128 pages in colour. A full two-page spread is devoted each make, and sometimes to more than one mark. Our club cars are well represented, from the D.A.R.T and its recent reincarnation up to the Heritage Mk.VI, including the Mini Jem and Kingfisher Sprint. The Autocars Marcos estate, originally destined for Israel, also finds a place. This book is by no means a complete catalogue of Mini variants. Sportcars, coupés, racing cars and buggies there are a-plenty, but to the exclusion of three-wheelers and what I call the “Mock Mokes” - Cubs, Scouts, Scamps, Yaks and the like. None of William Towns’s creations made it either. What the author has done is dug up the fascinating history of some wierd and wonderful machines, very few of which were made in any number if they made it to production at all. I for one hope this book will be a great success and volume 2 will follow on in due course.

This is not just another Mini book. It's right up our street, and we are stocking it for sale to club members at a discount. The fact that my Mk.IV is included in no way affects my enthusiasm for it! A few other club members may also be pleasantly surprised to find their cars pictured.

Postscript: Actually Jeroen did ask me if he could use my car but I'd completely forgotten about it, so it was a nice surprise when the book arrived!

Appendix: Featured Cars