Last Works Minis / Author: Bryan Purvis and Tim Brenchley 192 pages, 400+ photos 170x238mm / Price: 29.99 The Mini, the car of the 20th Century and still in motorsport in 1997, 35 years after its 1st event. This book sets out to complete the untold recent history of the mighty "works Mini" in international motorsport. How the Mini came to be in Monte Carlo and at the famous Nurburgring battling with the giant teams such as Fiat and Citroen. Of how different manufacturers where building "works" cars on either side of Birmingham but not knowing the other existed. It tells the story of cars developed from 1994 up to the last group A cars of 1997, with fuel injection and six speed sequential gearboxes. The book also covers Rover's plan to go around the world competing in various rounds of the world rally championship. It's all here, copies of Rover internal documents plus many unseen photos that Rover would not want you to see, if they were still around. With many unseen photos of the car's development, copies of Rover's internal documents, copy pages from the road books of top rallies, all of this in color this book truly brings this previously untold story to life.

The 1275cc A-Series High-Performance Manual / Author: Des Hammill 180 pages, softback, 150+ photos 250x207mm Price: £19.99. A completely reworked and much enlarged (by over 60 pages) book based on Des Hammill's much respected earlier work on how to get more power from the A-Series engine. THE complete practical guide to modifying the 1275cc A-Series engine for high-performance with reliability, and without wasting money on parts or modifications that don’t work. Explains how many original components - sometimes modified - can be used in high-performance applications. Des Hammill is an engineer and a professional race engine builder. Includes expert building tips and techniques. Colour throughout.

Anatomy of the Works Minis, Rally, Racing & Rallycross Cars / Author: Brian Moylan / 96 pages, softback, 60+ photos / 250x207mm Price: 16.99. Particularly famous for their great adventures in the Monte Carlo Rally, works Minis humbled many bigger and more powerful cars in international motorsport during the 1960s and 1970s. Mechanic Brian Moylan spent 22 years in the workshops of the BMC Competitions Department where the works cars were built. Here, all the secrets of how ordinary production line Mini-Coopers were converted into the mighty giant-killing Minis of motorsport are revealed in great detail. Minis are still hugely popular in club motorsport and Mini racing series today. The book includes contributions on the racing Mini from Ginger Devlin and the rallycross Mini from 'Jumping Jeff' Williamson.

Building, Preparing and Racing Your Mini / Author: Bill Sollis, with Dave Pollard / 192 pages, Hardback, 192 illustrations / 270x210mm / Price: 17.99 Written by Minifilms very own Bill Sollis, this is a great guide to tuning Minis, illustrated mostly in colour, from deciding exactly what the car will be used for, through to planning and carrying out the work, then competing successfully on the race track.

Dave Pollard is an experienced car DIY and tuning author.

Mini – The Essential Buyer’s Guide / Author: Mark Paxton / 64 pages, softback, 100+ photos / Price: 9.99 This compact and practical book offers a step-by-step guide to help any prospective buyer avoid expensive mistakes and end up with the best Mini possible for their money. Using over 100 clear colour photographs and easy to follow, jargon-free text, the car’s notorious rot spots, common bodges and mechanical defects are examined in detail, along with auction advice, relative values and the realities of living with this 20th century icon.

A few pounds spent on this book could save you thousands!

Maximum Mini / Author: Jeroen Booij / 128 pages, Hardback, 500+ photos / 250x250mm / Price: 24.95 This book focuses solely on the cars derived from the classic Mini. Small GTs, sports cars, roadsters and fun cars: Mini derivatives that changed the specialist motoring market completely in the early sixties, and new designs kept it busy for nearly four decades. From the well known Mini Marcos and Unipower GT that raced at Le Mans, to the very obscure but as exciting Coldwell GT or Sarcon Scarab, almost 60 cars are thoroughly researched, described and photographed in this book.

Paddy Hopkirk / Author: Bill Price with Paddy Hopkirk / 176 pages, Hardback, 250 illustrations / 270x210mm / Price: 18.99 Paddy Hopkirk, winner of the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, is one of Britain's best-known rally drivers and made the motorsport big time in Mini Coopers. A disarmingly modest man, Paddy originally approached BMC with the plea, 'I do want to drive cars which are capable of winning rallies outright, even if I'm not'. From winning at a 1955 St Patrick's Day Trial in a VW Beetle to the 1990 Pirelli Classic Marathon, won in a Mini Cooper S, his glittering career is described in all its glory, with lots of tales of amusing escapades along the way.

1986-2000 Mini Renovation Manual / Author: Paul Hardiman / 192 pages, Hardback, 541 illustrations / 270x210mm / Price: 19.99 The later Rover Minis (1990s), the final 'classic' Minis produced before the introduction of BMW's 'New' MINI, are now very affordable, but even 10-year-old examples are, in many cases, in need of attention. This practical manual provides expert advice on how to breath new life into a used and perhaps tired example of this sought-after classic. From preventative maintenance to the renewal of worn components and details of known problems and how to fix them, the clearly written, comprehensively illustrated text provides all the information required to enjoy a Rover Mini on a budget.

Haynes Restoration Manual / Author: Lindsay Porter / 320 pages, Hardback, 876 illustrations / 270x210mm / Price: £19.99 Dubbed 'Car of the Century' the evergreen Mini, with its spares availability, unrivalled economy and usability, is the ideal restorer's car. This book - covering all models including the Mini-Cooper - details how to renovate bodywork; renew interiors; give new life to mechanical and electrical components including engine overhaul and suspension subframe renewal; and modify the car for improved performance and appearance, including engine swaps and wider wheels. The text, supported with nearly 900 illustrations, chronicles the history of the Mini, and advises how to find a good example for purchase.

Author: Haynes / Paperback

Saloon Mk I and II, Countryman/Traveller - Mk I and II, Van and Pick-up - Mk I and II. Cooper and Cooper S - MK I and II, Riley Elf - Mk I, II and III. Wolseley Hornet - Mk I, II and III, 59 - 69, up to H. 0.9 litre (848cc), 1.0 litre (970cc, 997cc and 998cc), 1.1 litre (1071cc) and 1.3 litre (1275cc). Does NOT cover features specific to Mini Moke

PLEASE NOTE - this paperback reprint is a digital reproduction of the original manual, which is no longer in print.

Author: Haynes / Hardback

Saloon, Estate, Van and Pick-up, inc. Clubman, Cooper S MkIII, 1275GT, 1.3i, Cooper and special/limited editions, 69 - 01, up to X. 0.9 litre (848cc), 1.0 litre (998cc), 1.1 litre (1098cc) and 1.3 litre (1275cc)

 Does NOT cover ERA Mini Turbo
Does NOT cover features specific to Cabriolet

Mini: haynes Great Cars Series / Author: Graham Robson / Hardback 160 pages, 250+ photos / 250x250mm / £19.99

A worthy addition to the Haynes Great Cars Series, this book chronicles the history of the legendary Mini, from humble beginnings as the brainchild of Alec Issigonis, through 41 years of production, to its rightful status as a British motoring icon. The author also devotes space to the Mini's success in motor sport, where it proved to be a formidable performer. Detailed, authoritative and highly illustrated throughout, this is the essential guide to the Mini's evolution from ubiquitous saloon, through practical, utility and upmarket variants, to the feisty Coopers.

Author: Simon Garfield
Hardback, 200 pages
Price: Was only £15.00 (rrp £16.99), now £13.50

A brand new book to celebrate 50 years of our favourite car. By meeting the people behind the Mini, Simon Garfield uncovers a fascinating story of British endeavour, ingenuity and masterful marketing. It’s an entertaining read and scattered with loads of good pictures.

Author: Tim Mundy
Hardback, 176 pages, 402 photos
270x210mm

Since its launch in 2001, the new Mini has been a spectacular sales success in all its major markets, carving out its own identity in a marketplace full of increasingly bland small hatchbacks. It is a car that still turns heads, and has inspired a burgeoning aftermarket tuning and accessory industry, leading to the availability of a wide range of both official and aftermarket tuning packages. Written in down-to-earth language, this extensively illustrated manual is a practical enthusiast's guide to realistic Mini tuning, providing advice on how to make the best of the options available variants, to the feisty Coopers.

Author: Graham Robson
Softback, 128 pages, 100+mainly b/w pages
Price: was £15.99, now £14.40 + postage

This book describes the birth, development, and rallying career of the BMC Mini-Cooper/Mini-Cooper in the 1960s, providing a compact and authoritative history of where, when and how it became so important to the sport. Includes... Full detailed history of the Mini’s rally career; complete story of concept, design and development; unrivalled coverage of people and influences behind the cars; step-by-step account of technical evolution; description of cars: why, how and when evolved; details of principal people involved; comparison with rivals; complete listing of important successes and works Minis

Author: John Dickens
Softback, 114 pages, colour throughout
Price: was £19.99, now £18.00 + postage

If you are about to undertake any sort of fibreglass work, then this book is a must. It's perfect for the beginner or more experienced enthusiast. Author John Dickens built himself a complete fibreglass monocoque chassis to replace the steel original on his Mini based GTM Coupe. We're not expecting you to do the same (!) but he starts at the beginning and takes you through various projects, from producing a flat sheet of fibreglass, to making moulds for completely new products. In between, he also deal with a variety of different fibreglass repairs, including dealing with star cracks, crazing and more serious panel damage.

With loads of clear colour pictures and a concise and easy to follow writing style, this is the best book on fibreglass we've come across. Oh, and it also happens to be edited by Minifilms very own Ian Stent, but don't let that put you off!

Author: Jon Pressnell
Hardback, 288 pages, 350 colour and b/w pictures
Price: was £30, now £27 + postage

The fruit of 20 years of research, this is the book on the Mini, produced to celebrate 50 years of the innovative small car and true British motoring icon. Acknowledged Mini expert Jon Pressnell has produced an authoritative, comprehensive and lavishly illustrated history, full of never-before-seen testimony from those involved with the car throughout its 41 years in production. A large format and lively design complete the package, making this the definitive history of the definitive small car. 

Author: Iain Ayre
Hardback, 160 pages, 200 colour illustrations
Price: £19.99 + postage - Out in January - ADVANCE ORDER ONLY

Due for release later this month, order your copy now!

Readers of Mini World magazine will recognise Iain Ayre as the magazine's Stateside contributor, so this new book is bound to contain loads of weird Minis from across the pond. This book takes a sideways look at the world of Minis by featuring 30 of the world's most extreme and unusual Mini-based cars. Coverage ranges from Belgian extrovert 'Mad Frank's' twin big-block V8-engined example to bike-engined Minis, including along the way an ice-racing car, a rear-engined Honda VTEC-powered example, a stretch limo, a hearse and a three-wheeler. The humorous text provides a description of each car, technical specs and a brief explanation of how each car was built, along with a profile of the owner/builder. 

Life Of Spice £22.50 + p&p (was £25.00)
Author: Gordon Spice
Hardback, 256 pages, 32 colour & 100 b&w illustrations
Price: Was £25.00, now £22.50 + postage

Minifilms has met Gordon Spice and will hopefully have some exciting news to bring you in the next few weeks. He's the real deal and his autobiography has lots to interest the Mini enthusiast. Gordon Spice's life and his 23-year professional driving career includes politically incorrect, wickedly witty recollections of the racing scene in Europe, Australia, USA and the Caribbean, from the sixties to the eighties. An amusing raconteur, Spice recalls the ups and downs of his dual careers in business and racing. These include creating his own car accessory empire, floating his company on the UK stock exchange, and becoming a successful race car constructor. At the same time Gordon won many national and international championships, participating in 27 24-hour races which included 14 Le Mans and winning the Spa 24 hours in Belgium. A fascinating and humorous read, with the emphasis on entertainment.