Browned Off with the Wood & Pickett by Callum etc etc...

Have Retromod Minis gone too far?

What am I furious about this week? At least it isn’t an electricity car for once.

There are films of Wood & Pickett minis and other treats here…

https://www.freecarmag.com/wood-and-pickett-by-callum-a-retromod-mini-too-far

My basic beef is why can’t they leave the Issigonis original alone. In this case it is a Wood and Pickett Mini by CALLUM. That’s a needlessly complicated collection of monickers. Thrown into the mix is Mr. David Gandy. I’ve got nothing against him, seems to like cars and rocks up when there is something retro and cool to sell. We all have to earn a living.

Wood and Pickett of course have been at this for decades, except that the company has changed hands rather a lot of times over the years and it is just a brand that people as old as me remember back in the day and even owned and drove Mini’s with W&P Bumper Bars, remember them? When they were not going bankrupt, because tarting up minis for rich reprobates was a surprisingly unreliable business model.

Anyway, Wood and Pickett and Callum have only gone and Reimagined, what never needed to be heavily tampered with in the first place. In some ways this is a Mini for modern audiences but at least they have resisted the temptation to plumb in batteries unlike some others I can mention. Actually see here when Paul Smith did a Recharged battery version courtesy of BMW and I was rather pleased with the cover.

https://www.freecarmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Free-Car-Mag-Issue-109.pdf

Anyway, the Wood and Pickett and CALLUM mini is apparently a redefinition of the classic British icon. Built on a fully restored Mk5 Sportspack body shell, it incorporates an entirely bespoke design package, drawing on both Wood and Pickett’s coach building legacy and CALLUM’s contemporary design expertise.

Externally, the car boasts unique front and rear valances, side sills and an updated rear design, not just visually distinctive, but engineered for improved aerodynamics and cooling. Yes I am cut and pasting here, ‘The bespoke Anthracite metal finish, created through a proprietary CALLUM process, gives a strikingly modern twist to the Mini’s original charm. Lighting has been completely reimagined with new front and rear housings, while original Wood & Pickett arches lend authenticity’.

Presumably there is a bit more W&P than a set of flared arches. Oh there is, ‘A newly designed dashboard, inspired by Wood and Pickett’s famed “Margrave” interiors, blends retro influence with modern precision. Sumptuous Tan Bridge of Weir leather upholstery adds a warm, luxurious tone to the cabin, honouring British craftsmanship at its finest. A unique ‘Piano’ switch pack, finely finished metal bezels, and CALLUM-trimmed bespoke seats elevate the cabin’s aesthetic and tactile experience.’

That’s all very nice, but these sort of minis ought to be ‘breathed’ on and the good news is that it has been. ‘A newly rebuilt 1310cc Stage 3 road/rally engine delivers 110 BHP, paired with a reengineered gearbox and re-tuned ECU for responsive power delivery. Highlights include a new performance cylinder head, twin-point injection, and a bespoke twin-exit exhaust system with a distinctive upswept tailpipe design.’

Not only that, ‘Handling has been fine-tuned for modern comfort and control with a road tuned suspension kit, upgraded brakes featuring vented and grooved 8.4” discs, and CALLUM designed 13” alloy wheels developed specifically for the project. Improvements to noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) ensure that luxury meets performance in every mile.

Which all very good, but I’m not happy. I appreciate the fact that each one is hand-built in the UK and offered in a ‘limited production run and that no two builds will be alike, each customer will collaborate closely with CALLUM’s design team to create a Mini that reflects their individual vision.’

That’s the point isn’t it? Stamping your mark on an old mini is something old people used to do when Car and Car Conversions was alive. It still happens today of course. But Wood & Pickett did their stuff when the original mini was a contemporary item. Now this is heritage stuff when surely it’s the BMW one which should be getting the modifications. Of course it isn’t all that simple anymore, with longer manufacturer warranties and the fact that moderns are a little harder to mess with and playing with the specs is what you do with the configurator.

My old Cooper as an example, came with a Mota Lita steering wheel which I still have, wheel spacers, that I threw in the bin, Cooper S reverse rims. There were front spots, but missing by the time I got it and I’ve added a roll cage. It’s a bit rat look at the moment because I need to fix the rusty bits on the seams this summer and I’ve put the hubcaps on the shelf for the time being.

For me, this mini makeover seems like a really easy thing to do and certainly not cheap with prices starting at £75,000. The thing is there are people sticking bike engines in old Coopers and doing all sorts of exciting things, possibly for a bit less. With the state of the classic car market, it has never been a better time to muck about with an old car. I might be wrong and I often am, but owning a Wood & Pickett mini is not exactly what anyone is aspiring to. The Callum name probably means a lot more, but then I would expect an awful lot more from Mr Callum.

I reckon he could just take the front and rear subframe then plonk something truly original on top. It’s been done to a thousand kit cars, except that not all of them were that handsome. I am sure he could come up with something very original and desirable. Nothing has roused the sports car market for years since the Lotus 7. The market may be much smaller these days when all the money is directed at the blinged Range Rovers and G-Wagens.

I’m an idealistic, dreamer, I look at the Wood and Pickett and Callum mini and I know some people like the alloys, but I don’t see anything that makes me want it. The interior is a particularly grim place to be. It just looks a bit Tupperware. Maybe in the wood veneer it’s very solid and nice to the touch, but I don’t want to touch it. Retromods are great when they are done proper, but for me this does not look, special or extreme enough. I love all old minis irrespective of how much they cost, they have a real charm and I don’t think this is very much of a charmer. Those rear lights are reimagined, but I’m not sure what makes them better than the originals.

Tell me I’m wrong by all means, let’s though go and see what is for that might just charm the pants of me and possibly you. Before we get there next week, or pretty soon, if I’m not furious about anything in particular, I will dig out a story about my mate who found a John Lennon Wood & Pickett mini. Yes the Communist musician who at least didn’t co-write Ebony and Ivory.

There are plenty of interesting minis in classified ad circulation in the UK, but it does not hurt to look abroad sometimes. I didn’t have to go far, Holland on the AutoScout app to find a 1976 Innocenti Mini 1300 for €17,900 with 15,191 km on the clock. Sold by dealer Hofman Leek, it seemed like a straight little thing for circa £20K. Easy Four Slogger and sitting on the left is such a laugh.

Indeed, for that money (£20K) you can also get yourself something that is very much the traditional highly modded mini that is a track car made road legal. Not surprisingly I found this on Race Cars Direct.

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/150321/classic-mini-race-built-20-redtop-16v

Apparently built from a new shell 10 years ago, it's only done 1100 miles since, fully caged, race fuel tank, 16 valve 2 litre red top Vauxhall engine with 5 speed box. Just had the timing belt, water pump and engine service. Massive history. This is a five Slogger all day long.

Then of course how about a real, back in the day Mini Margrave by Wood & Pickett. Another 1976 example up at £36,500

https://vandp.net/sales/2162/1976-mini-margrave-by-wood-pickett-1293cc

Vintage & Prestige Cars in Northampton have it and instead of simply cutting and pasting it all go and have a look at the advert. It’s been restored, a ton of money has been spent and when you consider that this is the original W&P that’s something of a bargain compared to what a Callum will cost you.