The Villages - February 2020 - Cover3

Amsden is a member of a few local car clubs, including the Classic Auto Club and The Villages Mini Cooper Club. He says he gets
some lighthearted ribbing from other classic car owners over his
Mini, but he is happy to go along with it.
"I know I look funny in it," he said. "When I get out, people will
ask me, 'Did you drive this here?' And I respond, 'Well, no ma'am, we
put it in the back of this big vehicle next to me and we take it out of
the trunk.' That's always the entertainment part of it, but it's fun."
However, make no mistake - despite its smaller stature, the Mini
has earned its place as an icon of automotive history. The 1969 film
"The Italian Job" (and its modern remake) featured a Mini car chase
through a marketplace, drain pipes and up and down staircases in
Turin, Italy. The Mini also quickly became a rally racing legend, including three wins at the Monte Carlo rally in the late '60s.
For Amsden, he was instantly taken with the car when he and
his wife purchased a Mini in Orlando and then had to drive it home.
He had so much fun with the car that he gave one of the other
Minis to his son, Michael, who now loves working on the car and going to car shows with his dad.
"It transformed him into a car guy," Amsden said. "He would
take care of the oil and stuff, but he wasn't a shiner of cars. Now,
he details it, he loves to show it and he takes a lot of pride in it. It's
something that I could never have done if I hadn't given it to him."
Though the Mini may not seem quite as snazzy at first glance as
a Corvette or Camaro, the car has earned its status as a motoring
legend. The car's uniqueness is what attracted Amsden to it in the
first place, and he enjoys making appearances at car shows around
The Villages and elsewhere in Central Florida.
If you happen to see Amsden at one of those shows, strike up
a conversation (or ask him how long it took him to get there). He
will happily regale you with the history of the classic car and what it
means to him - a Mini car with a big personality.

MAGAZINE

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The Villages - February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - February 2020

Contents
The Villages - February 2020 - Cover1
The Villages - February 2020 - Contents
The Villages - February 2020 - 1
The Villages - February 2020 - 2
The Villages - February 2020 - 3
The Villages - February 2020 - 4
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The Villages - February 2020 - Cover3
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