Mini, Sad News and Remembrances In This Months Letter From Europe

By Andrew Frankl
European Bureau Chief
The Auto Channel

This past March has been just awful!I wish I could say something particularly cheerful.

But let me start with the good news which is not  much of a shock-the 2015 Lexus SUV is excellent. No surprise there. The company is aware of their somewhat dowdy image which they are working hard to get rid of. I have yet to drive their new hot cars, as far I am concerned there is a great deal to be for reliability which Lexus have  by the bucketful.

I was particularly impressed by the relatively short list of extras, these days 10 thousand dollars for extras is  petty cash silly as it may seem. Take Mini’s otherwise very fine 2015 Cooper. Base price 19 grand, total-33!

I have been driving Minis since 1959 and love the car. Even met Sir Alec Issigonis who designed it. An amazing man. And of course there is the lasting memory of Paddy Hopkirk winning the Monte Carlo Rally in a bright red  Mini with headlamps the size of a watermelon. This latest Mini is chock full of gizmos and some people might like them because according to old friend and ex-Mini boss Andrew Cutler they’ve sold nearly 60 thousand of them in 2014. Certainly the  Mini store in Core Madera is doing roaring business, may its close proximity to the Apple store might have something to do with it .

Talking of Minis we’ve just lost a great friend who loved Minis. Sheila, my children’s Godmother and her husband Maurice (See Maurice Passes ) would race down to Monaco for the Grand Prix year after year just stopping for fuel. Jonny Maurice and Sweetie -as they were known- also gave tremendous picnics before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Their most memorable moment goes back to the day when they were both living in Bombay. This was during the bad old days of colonialism with non-stop parties. On one such unforgettable occasion Maurice was sailing across the parquet floor on a rather fancy box full of ice. He himself was already full of Sapphire and not surprisingly knocked over a young lady who happened to be standing in the way.  

“I suppose getting married is not necessarily out of the question” he said  no doubt assuming that he was being funny..Well, after this somewhat unusual intro  they were happily married for over 40 years. Now we’ve lost both of them. Loving, caring, fun. At least they are together again. 

While on this sad topic I must mention a lady we’ve also lost and without whom I would not be there today. I am referring to Miss Joan Marshall of the University of London. One day she was doing her everyday work, next day-or two- a bunch of unshaven, badly dressed 18 year old Hungarians descended on her. I am talking about the aftermath of the Hungarian uprising of 1956. As we came from various Hungarian universities Miss Marshall was asked to care of us. She found a building - 41 Tavistock Square - and filled it to the rafters with Hungarian students.

Having found out what we were doing back in Budapest-medicine, engineering, and so on she contacted her colleagues and helped us to Oxford, Cambridge, London School of Economics and-in my case Sheffield. She became like a second Mum to us . We all adored her and in her own quiet way she appreciated it. After a great deal of cajoling the Hungarian Government gave her a medal (well deserved) to show its appreciation.

She saw several of her “Hungarian children” in later years and was pleased to learn that we did not let her down.

Dear Miss Marshall, you were one of a kind.  If anyone deserves to rest in peace-it is you. 

Last but not least I would like to say good-bye to my Mother-in-Law Paula. We lost her last week at the age of 104. Razor sharp to the end, she was truly amazing. Lived through WW1, WW2, the Russians, the Revolution, new life in Canada, America.  Until now.

Her sense of humor, her cakes, her jokes , unforgettable. She saw her children, grand children, great grand children and even her grand daughter’s wedding at age 102. Piri mama-thank you. It was quite a ride. I am glad to have been part of it.

That's it for now, see you next month with hopefully a more upbeat and positive column.