The original Clubman was launched in 1969 and probably wasn't a highlight of the Mini's development. Styled by Roy Haynes, it got an uglier face and indicators borrowed from an Austin Maxi. Quite why BMW should have resurrected this badge seems odd, but at the time, they had difficulty securing the rights to the Traveller and Countryman names, but this latter day Clubman is a far smarter piece of kit than the original. Arriving in dealerships in November 2007, the Clubman was initially offered in three guises, Cooper ,Cooper D turbodiesel, and turbocharged Cooper S. The entry-level 1.4-litre MINI One Clubman arrived in March 2009 with the ripsnorting 208bhp Cooper S JCW edition arriving at the end of 2009.
In 2010, the MINI One Clubman swapped its 1.4-litre lump for a cleaner 1.6-litre engine, while power output for the Cooper rose from 119 to 122bhp and the Cooper S model stepped up from 175 to 184bhp. Summer 2010 saw a raft of design changes. At the front, a new bumper with a lower air intake served not only to update the car's look but also to improve pedestrian protection courtesy of larger deformation zones. Revised fog lamps were fitted while the typical round MINI headlights got new light elements, with optional Xenon lamps featuring Adaptive headlights as an option. The indicator featured a distinctive design of concentric circles sitting within the redesigned side gill housings. At the rear, a revised bumper assembly was fitted as well as LED tail and brake lights. Integrated reversing and rear fog lamps were housed in the rear bumper.
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