Doors out for the summer feeling

60 years ago the British Motor Corporation launched a hand-made variant of its record-breaking Mini Cooper: the Beach Mini. Only about 15 units were produced. Manufacturer Mini Mengers is celebrating the 60th birthday of this icon with a small series of the fun machine. By Sigrid Riewe-Scholz

The Mengers Beach Mini, which the specialists also produce entirely by hand, differs from the original only by subtle optimisations of the car body and technology. The beach car became and still is an eye-catcher by removing the doors and B-pillar. Thanks to their 30 years of experience in the conversion of classic Minis into convertibles, the Oldenburg-based company managed to ensure that the body remains torsion-resistant and hardly weighs more than a conventional Mini.

The airy original beach mobile was given a summery flair by wicker front seats and a wicker rear bench. Mengers uses a mixture of leather covers and Lloyd Loom fabric for this. The twisted paper yarn with a metal core is rare to find nowadays but was very popular in furniture making six decades ago. The open entry of the original Beach Mini is angular and framed with an aluminium trim on the inside. The current version has a more filigree and rounded entry. The decorative trim was omitted, which clearly contributes to the typical stylish appearance of the Mini.

The Mengers Beach Mini is equipped with a 1000cc A-series engine producing 42hp instead of a regular 850cc engine delivering 34hp. For those who are in a big hurry to get to the next beach there are many different engine options to up to 100hp. Besides, a fully synchronised transmission with a shorter gear ratio provides more driving dynamics. 

If you want to call a Mengers Beach Mini your own you have to bring along a basic Mini or commission the Mini specialists to find a suitable vehicle for the conversion. Since each Mini made by Mengers is unique, clients can choose to customize their Minis in almost any way imaginable. This includes body design, drive concept and surface materials as well as chassis, infotainment or colours. A fully electric Mengers Beach Mini is also conceivable.

It is not known how many of the 15 original Beach Minis still exist today. However, the ones remaining sell at record prices. A smoky grey model, for example, was sold by auction for about EUR 226,000 in 2019. The price of a Mengers Beach Mini is likely to be lower; the exact prices are available upon contacting the company directly.