The Mini is on its last hurrah,like the 2cv and Beetle before it numbers will fall dramatically in the next 10 years,happily there are enough enthusiests to keep a good number going albeit as hobby cars.
I'm not convinced, the numbers of classic minis on the UK's roads was always much larger than the numbers of Beetles & 2CV's in the first place. Plus the British public never had the same love affair with the Beetle and the 2CV, not least because they weren't great British icons that the general public had the same affection for.
But probably the biggest difference is how the internet has transformed the ownership of popular classics like the classic mini in recent years. Ten or so years ago, when Beetle numbers were plummeting, keeping a classic mini alive involved being in a local mini club and either living near one of the specialist classic mini parts suppliers, or spending the summer months trailing around shows to buy parts from trade stands and auto jumble stands. These days, thanks to on line retailing, Ebay, and internet forums like TMF, you can get all the parts and advice you could ever need without actually leaving your front room. Meaning that owning, restoring and keeping a popular classic like the Beetle, 2 CV or classic mini alive is a whole lot easier, so I really don't see classic mini numbers dwindling anywhere near as fast other cars have in the past.
