Mini van! (Concept for now)

[Burple]

I've only one word for this...

WANT!!

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/261389/ :cool::cool::cool::cool:

[Craig]

Oh yes :thumbs up:

[gauldrymini]

Would have had one had it been available instead of the CM...an ALL4 Clubman van would have been:thumbs up:

...will be keeping an eagle eye out when it arrives in the showrooms...

[zimbo]

I like the looks of this but just not sure what the point is of the clubdoor on the van though :rolleyes:

[ianking]

Oh yes. Bang Tidy.

[Gismo]

I like the looks of this but just sure what the point is of the clubdoor on the van though :rolleyes:Gives better access to fit bulky items

[ELFMAN]

Someone's already built one of these 'privately' (Dankan MINI Shop http://blog.dankanminishop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DSC00993a.jpg - it's at the back), and they made a fine job of it too - removing/welding up the Clubdoor and even smoothing off the roof.

Yes, it looks OK, but then again, the Clubbie looks fine in standard guise, so I'm not not sure about the whole concept... If you want a practical load-carrier, the Clubbie's relatively narrow rear opening with its high sill and complex rear doors don't help for everyday tasks. If they're serious about this, it should have a redesigned rear sill and either a single door or a hatch at the back, and let's face it, if you're using it as a load carrier, you're not going to be trying to shove bulky items through the Clubdoor...

As it stands, it might have a place as a sort of 'niche marketing tool' for a small business which doesn't need a proper 'workhorse', but I can't see many (cash-strapped) businesses shelling out on one of these when there are many more practical and cheaper alternatives on the market.

If you REALLY want a MINI Van (which I like the IDEA of) why not get an old Clubbie and 'delete' the rear seats etc and have some side panels made up for for the signwriting?

[Gismo]

But if it's a hatch rear end things like fork lifts won't get close enough, not suggesting that the new van would be able to carry a significant weight, but........

[ELFMAN]

I'd bet money that nobody who might buy one of these will have ever SEEN a forklift! :smilewinkgrin:

[MINIme:)]

This looks like just what I need when I get into furniture restoration... :yes nod:

[Stewart]

Yeah I see it more a trinket delivery van, that will take light loads and spend more time parked sideways in front of the premises of the small business than anything else. Coming to an estate agent near you soon!!!!!!

In saying that a mate had a Blue original mini van and you could get four in the back...with no seat belts, no seats, the odd bag of Pakora. It was amazingly good fun. But then back then you could pile out of the back with plod parked in a petrol station and they would just smile, those were the days.

[weefossy]

Heard about this last week........like very much, but as has been said already, it would be faily simple to covert a Clubman and keep the option of the rear seats, which we were going to do with the original Van before we changed. Does anyone remember this, which appeared in NM Mag a few years back?
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/weefossy/TonysFishChips4.jpg

I have managed to get a washing machine, still in all it's packaging, in the back of our Van as it is and I'm also not sure if we could live without the rear seats, our grandaughters love getting in through their special "Princess Door" at the back!!
A guy in Edinburgh has had his rear side windows colour coordinated in the vinyl they use on the buses, which allows passengers to see out, but nobody to see in. He has then had his business graphics added, which makes it look just like a Van.

Still something I'd like to do, with "Mom's Chuck Wagon" on the side.

[ELFMAN]

Heard about this last week........like very much, but as has been said already, it would be faily simple to covert a Clubman and keep the option of the rear seats, which we were going to do with the original Van before we changed. Does anyone remember this, which appeared in NM Mag a few years back? Still something I'd like to do, with "Mom's Chuck Wagon" on the side.

Ahhh, I remember that run Malcolm - I can see still smell the chips (should really wash more often...).
One of the few NMS runs with a Heart Attack NOT caused by over-ambitious cornering speeds!

[ELFMAN]

This looks like just what I need when I get into furniture restoration... :yes nod:

You'd have to restore a hell of a lot of furniture just to pay for the van Joanna! :smilewinkgrin:

[Stewart]

Very Scottish, fish and chips out the back of a van and bottle of Bru sitting on the deck……:thumbs up:

[weefossy]

The original Van was only days old when that happened. We put a couple of dozen fish suppers in the back and it took a long time for the smell to go away. Worth it though, Tony's fish suppers were top notch.

[weefossy]

Looking at the pictures again of the new Van in more detail , it's interesting that they haven't done away with the Chrome body line on the rear panels. I would have got rid of it and made the whole rear panel one piece, which would have meant that any graphics wouldn't be "cut through horizontally with the chrome body line. Interesting also that they don't show any pictures of the other side with the "Princes Door", as again that would devide the graphic vertically. Easy to realise that I've given this some thought over the years......so sad, but like Stewart I remember the days when we could get 4 peps in the back ....with guitars and nobody worried about health and safety as we headed off to the Lake district.

[ELFMAN]

Here's a PROPER Mini VAN! :cool::thumbs up: Now THAT I want!!! :yes nod:
Jeez! I managed to attach something! There's no stopping me now..... :crazypilot:

[weefossy]

Minis, sunshine, palm trees.........that must have been Ardrossan in "Summer of '69"

[Stewart]

Here's a PROPER Mini VAN! :cool::thumbs up: Now THAT I want!!! :yes nod:
Jeez! I managed to attach something! There's no stopping me now..... :crazypilot:

Think light blue and your there, I don't have any pictures but my mate does (actual printed pictures remember them) of us all standing round it looking so young! Mate brought a box down from his loft and there was hundreds of pictures just mucking around, it was great just seeing all the old cars in the back grounds...

[MiniSnaps]

John Clarks had a PW Clubman "van" with the rear side windows wrapped at Knockhill when they first came out....

[weefossy]

think it was this one

3346

What was good about this one was that the graphic covered the whole side, so it didn't look like the rear window had just been covered. However the chrome body line still cuts through the whole picture. don't know how you could avoid this?

[Duncan Stewart]

:cool: I will seriously consider it if the price is right :cool:

[MINIme:)]

Think light blue and your there,

yep I'm picturing myself....
actually when I was first looking last summer my very first intention was an ice blue clubman. Have NEVER seen one of those.

[Sheilz]

yep I'm picturing myself....
actually when I was first looking last summer my very first intention was an ice blue clubman. Have NEVER seen one of those.

Ive only ever seen one ice blue countryman. Ths colour doesn't seem to have taken off at all.i saw one clubbie made to look like a van in Peebles yesterday. Belonged to an estate agent of some sort. I think the van looks good. Not really for majorly bulky items though I mananged to get four high backed dining room chairs in mine which was a bit of a surprise. Mind you the hatch's capacity for carrying was deceptive too. Specy carried a piano from Gala to Abz though it did come apart. I didn't tell anyone that bit, just that I picked it up in the mini!

[stoney]

i would love one :lol:

and on that not Malcolm i have a cover for the back of your cubbie sitting in my work shop for you :thumbs up:

[weefossy]

Excellent Rob, we can pop through for it one weekend or if your working over our way come in for tea one night. And of course Mrs S is welcome as well.

[stoney]

Excellent Rob, we can pop through for it one weekend or if your working over our way come in for tea one night. And of course Mrs S is welcome as well.

No prob :) will sort some thing out ;)

[Tam1314]

Looks quite good, l hope they change the name tho, just Minivan would be fine.

[ELFMAN]

If I was wearing my Cynical Hat, I'd say it was a Cunning BMW Plan to kickstart faltering Clubman production (induced by Countryman uptake by potential Clubman customers).

[stoney]

If I was wearing my Cynical Hat, I'd say it was a Cunning BMW Plan to kickstart faltering Clubman production (induced by Countryman uptake by potential Clubman customers).

Prob hit the nail on the head there :)