INTO THE RED

Having owned nine since he was seventeen-years-old, it’s fair to say that Kenny Hedges is something of a classic Mini enthusiast. However, as the adage : good things come to an end. The arrival of his son Callum signalled the need for a larger, more practical family car. And as the Millennium approached, Kenny bid goodbye to his then Mini and bought a Vauxhall Astra.

“I’m a cabinet maker by trade,” he reveals. “So I really did need something larger, not just for the family, but for work too. Also, it’s worth remembering that this was the time when classic Mini production was coming to an end. There was a lot of scaremongering. People were saying that parts would become hard to get hold of etc. This was partly why I decided to sell.”

NEW START

To be honest, Kenny thought his Mini days were over. Then fate stepped in.

“I was driving home from work; this was back in 2000,” he recalls smiling. “I don’t know why, but for some reason I took a