SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED: THE MINI CELEBRATES ITS 40TH BIRTHDAY AT SILVERSTONE

THE BIGGEST ever gathering of Minis took place at Silverstone this weekend to mark the 40th anniversary of the tiny car that became a national icon, writes Jane Hughes.

Many die-hard Mini lovers had camped out overnight in order to beat the scrum for tribute videos, body parts, badges and burgers. The thousands of Mini models ranged from ultra short two-door versions to vans. Some were decorated with balloons and painted in Union Jack colours, while a miniature blow-up car floated above a trailer.

The highlight of the day were the mini manoeuvres of stuntman Ross Swift who demonstrated how to beat an old lady to a parking space with a nifty 180 degrees on-the-spot turn to the soundtrack from 'The Italian Job" and roars of approval from the crowd. ADRIAN DENNIS