Ice, Ice Babies

The classic Mini was – and still is – a master of the wintry rally stage. With the help of three different varieties and a frozen lake, we find out why

- Antony Ingram

ICE IS SLIPPERY. FAMOUSLY SO. JUST A FEW MINUTES ago I almost dislodged internal organs attempting to remain upright on a surface with the frictional properties of a greased banana skin in a bath of Teflon eels. But my hands, via leather hula-hoop and 10-inch tyres, are picking up a different message. There’s grip, and a lot of it.

Old Minis are known for their tenacity, but the secret of this particular battle-worn 1275GT is savage metal studs bursting from the tread blocks. Static they look like something a Bond villain might end up minced by, but in motion they claw through the ice like whirling crampons. On a surface you’d struggle to stand on, 650-or-so kilos of Mini can be thrown around like the road is dry.

It takes commitment to finally unstick it, geed on with typical Scandinavian understatement by owner Hans-Åke Söderqvist. He stays calm as I encourage his Mini to greater angles, brushing the brakes to get the front hooked up and the rear unstuck, and working the A-series for all it’s worth to drag the nose straight again.