MINI celebrates 50th with skirts

Revellers at the Goodwood Festival of Speed will see a rather unusual collection of Minis when the annual race meet kicks off on September 18th: the MINI 50th birthday Mini Skirt parade.

There'll be some Mini-based racing too, of course, but Goodwood organisers have seen fit to use the event to celebrate that icon of the swinging '60s - the Mini Skirt. And because Saturday September 19th is Ladies Day at the festival, a 'team of leading fashion experts' will be judging the girls wearing the best '60s attire and handing out prizes.

Back to the cars, a race dedicated to pre-1966 Mini Coopers is set to take place that will see 30 Minis vying for the St Mary's Trophy around the famous Goodwood circuit. A handful of variants including the booted Riley Elf version will take part too, and owners will be paired with celebrity racing drivers with the winner declared on the second day of the two-day race (Sunday 20th September). There'll also be a parade of classic Minis.

Mark Nichol