We’ve had this book for a while and read it pretty quickly, so apologies to Rob for the late review.  This book is the latest instalment in the Mini/MINI story from Rob Golding, who has been writing about the Mini since his 1979 book entitled simply “Mini”.

In simple terms, MINI: 50 Years is one of the best Mini books we’ve ever had the pleasure to read.  It’s a fantastic mix of new and old, of story telling and fact.  Even if you’re not the most ardent of MINI anoraks you’ll find something to enjoy as Rob takes not only a technical and statistical approach to his books, but also gives a fascinating insight into the people behind the scenes, both from MINI/BMW and from the wider MINI scene worldwide.

There are possibly more complete encyclopaedia of MINI knowledge out there, and if you’re looking for advice on buying, selling, restoring or modifying your MINI then there is also probably better options, but if you want a really good yarn about the MINI (and Mini, although this book is aimed primarily at the “new MINI”) then you cant get much more complete, and more enjoyable to read and look at than Golding’s latest publication.

The book has a clever hardback design and is well illustrated with many interesting Mini and MINI photos.  Perfect for those who know little about the Mini and its history as well as those who are just hungry for MINI stories, this is book that no serious MINI fan should be without.

For those who like to buy online, here’s a link to Amazon (and Amazon UK).  So why not treat yourself (or the one you love, hey, it’s almost Christmas you know!).