<VV>Sylvia/Mini

[Padgett]

>Have you heard of the  "Mini"?
>Mechanical - Yes - Styling, No.  The transverse FWD powertrain was
>brilliant. The two-box look was sort of a squashed 30's Ford  Vicky!

Actually no. Not sure about the 1934 "Traction Avant" but the 1949 SAAB 92 
had a transverse engine with FWD and innumerable motorcycles (and a few 
earlier minicars) had used a similar design. That the original Mini was a 
brilliant design ( I still have memories of hitting all three pedals with 
one foot and lived with an MG 1100 for about a year). But the Mini was 
really a "on the shoulders of giants" car and not really a breakthrough 
other than in advertising and "box on box" styling.

Padgett