A RENOWNED car customiser has taken a standard Mini and cut it down to an even more ‘mini’ size. With its 1300CC engine, it is so small that it’s even able to do a wheelie when driven in reverse gear! Customizer Andy Saunders told FutureStudiosCars: “I did the original build with Mini Ha Ha back in 1983, people thought I was nuts.” The Mini Ha Ha is one of the first and best-known creations by the famed independent car designer and customizer. “The idea came about when I was at school, there was a group of four or five of us and we were all into cars and I just knew that this had to be built,” remembers Saunders. The car was subsequently sold to a museum, before falling into disrepair. It then fell into the hands of car restorer Andy Shaw who has painstakingly restored it to its former glories.
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MotorTranscript
00:00When I built Mini Ha Ha, people thought I was nuts.
00:05This car is such a unique car and it's got a lot of history and it's been an honour to restore this car back to its former glory.
00:17Today's a great gathering of lots of Mini fans and it's great just to get together and go and see what other people are doing.
00:23Just generally be able to chat about Minis all day.
00:26Driving Minis is just, it's an addiction, absolute addiction.
00:30There's one car at this Mini convention that's getting a lot more attention than the others for being more Mini than the rest.
00:38This is the Mini Ha Ha, an infamous Mini customisation created over 35 years ago.
00:48I did the original build with Mini Ha Ha back in 1983.
00:52Mini Ha Ha came about when I was at school. There was a group of four or five of us and we were all into cars and I just knew that this had to be built.
01:01I was 19 when I built this. I built a car to use every day, which was its purpose.
01:05I was very new to it. It's had all the bumper brackets removed all the way around.
01:10The boot lid was welded into the panel.
01:12This section here is the section that holds the rear subs frame.
01:15So when I cut it in half, it was basically, it was cut into three.
01:20It was cut there and then the two foot seven was taken out and then this was the second cut line.
01:25It is so strong, like it's coming up to 40 years old now, it's so strong.
01:29After building the Mini Ha Ha back in the 80s, the car was sold on and made its own journey, leaving it in a rather unfortunate state.
01:38Andy sold the car to a car museum in Portrush called Motorworld.
01:43That closed down and then it changed hands three or four different times before I came across the car.
01:49Luckily, it was rescued, bought and repaired by a new owner.
01:53This car is such a unique car and it's got a lot of history and it's been an honour to restore this car back to its former glory.
02:01With no expenses spared, Andy worked tirelessly to restore the car.
02:06Whenever I first bought the car, it was not in good condition.
02:09The body shell was okay but it just was a rolling chassis, two sub frames, no glass, no interior, no engine.
02:16It was going to be quite a challenge. The shell itself was in really good condition.
02:20So, stripped the car down to a bare shell, sprayed the car, put it all back together again.
02:27Everything went really well.
02:28As far as the restoration goes and how much it cost, I have no idea because I didn't keep the cost.
02:33I just wanted to restore the car gradually so I had no idea what it cost. No idea.
02:39And his work has paid off as the Mini Ha Ha is still as popular as ever.
02:44I think it's just, the colour's good but it's the size of it. It's just an amazing piece to look at.
02:51Nothing compares to this.
02:54Anybody that sees Mini Ha Ha always brings a smile to their face and really that makes me so proud and happy.
03:00It's a fantastic two-seater. It gets smiles every time it's out on the road, which is what it's all about.
03:06It's an absolute pleasure for us to have it here on display.
03:11Seeing it like this, now it's restored, it cheers me up to no end.
03:16To think, like I say, someone values my work and my design enough to actually restore it.
03:22My long-term plan for Mini Ha Ha is to let as many people see it as possible because it's been lost for so many years.
03:29This is the ultimate smaller car because it's the first, the original and the best.