Mini mission, big rewards
Ben Leathwick had a mental picture of his ideal Mini, but the final result has gone beyond what he originally conceived, thanks to some good old-fashioned determination and the help of new friends and other Mini fans.
Like many people in their teens, Ben liked cars, but also like others of his generation he wasn’t in a burning hurry to get out on the open road himself. I bet most New Zealand Classic Car readers, as 15-year-olds, couldn’t wait to get down to the driver testing office to sit the test and then get behind the wheel. In Ben’s case, he was 19 before he acquired his restricted licence, and a passion for cars doesn’t run in the family, so it’s all the more encouraging to see him find the energy and commitment to take on and complete a car restoration.
“I just loved my one when I drove it. It was like a road-legal go-kart,”
“I guess I never had the confidence earlier. I had my restricted licence until I was 24,” says Ben, now 26. “We still have my first car, a Mitsubishi,
