The 12 days of StreetCar: Classic Cars 

In February, StreetCar celebrated the icons from years gone by… Classic Cars! There was no better way to beat the winter blues than to witness the battle between two iconic British classics… the mighty Mini. 

First introduced in 1959, the mighty Mini is the ideal vehicle for speed and a lot of fun. We caught up with two very distinctive Minis that often battle it out for supremacy at Maidstone & Mid-Kent Motor Club (MMKMC). 

The first was driven by Lloyd Covey whose Mini celebrated half a century this year, and the second: a charismatic Mini named Olive. Going from a show car in the early 2000s, to being recommissioned in 2020, the car was then bought by Lloyd, a dedicated member of the MMKMC, who introduced this humble Mini to the Motorsport life. It participated in it’s very first Autotest under the lights in September 2020 and has since enjoyed a successful career in grassroots Motorsport, competing in 20-25 events per year. 

The most notable competition for Lloyd’s Mini came at the MMKMC AutoSOLO in 2023. After a damp morning the competition was neck and neck, split by milliseconds. With the adrenaline pumping, going into the final run, Lloyd and his Mini gave it everything and came away victorious by a fraction of a second! 

Olive, driven by proud owner and MMKMC member Si,started its competitive Motorsport career at MMKMC. The first time Olive took to competition was at a Tarmac Autotest in November 2022, representing the oldest car at the event. Ironically, Si competed against his son, the youngest competitor. 

Olive has experienced a few complications in the past, including a wild goose chase for a missing bolt and a sudden loss of power on the journey home from an event.  

The two cars often battle it out at the MMKMC Autotests with many close competitions in 2023. They are perfect examples of great StreetCar competition between two iconic classics. With plenty of plans for repairs and competitions scheduled for 2025 we wish both of these Mini all the best!