On Monday, we presented this week’s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle whence it came. No one correctly identified the shifter as an Austin 850′s four-speed stick, though one commenter came close with a guess that the shifter belongs to an Austin-Healey Sprite.
The 850 pictured here is from our June 1960 issue, and you probably know it better as the original Mini. The 850 was the first Mini iteration sold here, and measuring in at just 10 feet long, it was quite different from the American vehicular norm at the time. The transverse engine layout, space-efficient interior, and innovative suspension laid the blueprint for modern compact cars, while also returning fun driving dynamics. But it wasn’t quick: Strapped to 1610 pounds of 850, the 37-hp, 0.85-liter four-cylinder needed nearly 30 seconds to reach 60 mph.
Source: CarAndDriver
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