BERLIN: Talk about classic motorhomes and everyone thinks of the iconic VW campervan. Nobody has heard of the Mini Wildgoose camper and even fewer will have seen one, since only a few roadworthy examples still exist.
Whereas the iconic VW campervan stands for the carefree hippy life and California dreaming, the Mini version is a genteel tiny house on wheels ideal for a bracing break at the English seaside.
Introduced in 1963, the Wildgoose was sold to drivers determined to push the limits of efficient travel, said Mini in an affectionate look back. Many owners were retired couples with time on their hands and looking for "the carefree life."
Rumour has it that the camper was named after a Frankie Lane hit record "The Cry of the Wild Goose".
"There is no more reasonable way of seeing the country or the world in comfort than by Wildgoose," boasted the sales brochure of the day.
The Wildgoose could sleep up four adults and on-board equipment included a gas hob, kitchen sink, curtains, ample storage space and an optional electrically powered telescopic roof with generous headroom. Power came from a puny 34-horsepower engine.
"The Mini's popularity skyrocketed in the late 1960s and owners began to look for clever ways to incorporate their much-loved cars into their lives," said a Mini statement.
The fully-finished Wildgoose from the British coachbuilding firm of the same name in Surrey cost a princely 998 pounds to buy. There was also a cheaper, do-it-yourself version for Mini van drivers who wanted to adapt their existing ride.
The Wildgoose boasted economy with comfort, and was the ultimate example of Mini's creative use of space ethos. By today standards the inside was a cramped affair. The hammock-type bunk beds took some getting used to but all the essentials were on board, including a gas cooker for brewing the inevitable cup of tea.
A button on the the dashboard engaged an electric motor to raise the roof after a few turns of an auxiliary handle and once in place the Wildgoose provided standing room for adults.
Numerous plastic foam cushions were slotted into place to form a double bed on the floor before occupants could snuggle down for the night.
Speed was never an issue for the Wildgoose since the camper not only looked like a snail with a big tin shell, it moved like one too. The adverts said the camper would max out at 116kph but few drivers would have risked winding one up that far.
The top-heavy construction put paid to the Mini's legendary go-kart handling too and the engine was hard put to cope with the weight. The zero to 100kph speed was best measured with a calendar rather than a stop-watch, contemporary testers joked.
The chances of seeing a Wildgoose at your local camping site today are slim indeed since of the 60 examples built only around a dozen are believed to have survived in roadworthy condition, says Mini spokesman Andreas Lampka.
They very rarely comes up for sale and even experts say it is hard to put a price on this rarest of campervans.
