Yes, the title says it - today (23 March) is officially the 50th birthday of the Australian Mini, the Morris 850.

In most major daily newspapers on 23 March 1961 a small ad was run - effectively a birth notice in the centre of an (almost) otherwise empty page:



Here is a close up of the ad:




Happy Birthday Mini - have some cake!

Cheers,
Watto.

Would imagine that was a very clever and effective marketing ploy in the day.

Happy birthday Mini !!

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Cheers, Kim
**purple '68 deluxe!**


***FINALLY wearing number plates----yeaaaaaah baby! ***

Happy Birthday 850
HIPHIP cough cough splutter splutter HOORAYYYY

greys technically 50 in 2014.

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Dog Food! Most kids like it more than Broccoli.

I wonder what they mean by 10 years development? 1951 was when the Austin A30 was released, so presumably they were seeing the Mini as a development of it.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

Probably just a little bit of marketing hyperbole.

Cheers,
Watto.

I so want a newspaper from 23 March 1961. that page specifically

Maybe oneday i'll find one.

Happy birthday the mighty mini

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Check here: http://www.paperworld.com.au/indexsearch.php

Expect to pay $120 - $130 though, so you would want to check that the specific paper has the ad in it - most but not all major daily papers had it. You could search the state archives and if you find what you want then order a copy from paper world.

Or wait until you find one in a second-hand shop.

Cheers,
Watto.

Yeah i have seen that site watto but wasnt real keen on paying $120 for a newspaper that i want 1 page from

I will keep an eye out at second hand shops me thinks.

Brenton

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That's what I thought, but then I thought I'd mention it anyway.

Cheers,
Watto.

She's still spritely for an old duck..

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Gee that brings back a forgotten memory. I had that page and several mini test drive reports taped on the inside doors of my wardrobe at home. It was there for years.

I got conscripted in 1968, did two years in the army including 12 months in Vietnam and came home to be discharged in 1970. My mother decided to clean up my bedroom and spruce it up. She ditch the old wardrobe and that included the paraphenalia taped to the inside doors.

Otherwise i would have that birth of the mini page to this day.

Mike

Happy Birthday Morris 850!

Sorry about being a day late!

Would the state library or similar copy the page from a newspaper if we asked?

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Saxon Green 850: http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=62641
Nightfire Red 850: http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=66555