It’s been exactly two years since I took delivery of my prized Mini Cooper S, and that’s as good an excuse as any to introduce her now. I took this photo that day, shortly after we rode up in the glass elevator to a strange departure lounge area (classy touch) and the dealer presented her to me.

She’s a limited edition Park Lane, and amongst various features has some unique to the edition: seven spoke wheels, a colour combination of Royal Grey and silver roof, a streamlined roof spoiler and some rather swanky banded leather seats.

Mini described this edition as ‘a VIP lounge on wheels’ and for me this makes her the spiritual successor of my first car, an Austin-Morris Vanden Plas Princess 1300 (see below). My elder brother and sister drove that car before me and I passed my driving test in it. It too had leather seats, but also had a walnut dash and picnic trays in the back of the driver and passenger seats.

These pictures were taken in around 1994.

I always intended to buy a future classic and one day give her to my kids, but I worried when I bought her about whether I would somehow regret it later. Now I don’t think I’ll ever regret it – I still get a buzz whenever I’m about to drive her. The kids might be waiting a long time for her.