This Moldovan Mini Cooper Is A One-Man Club
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- Join us this week as we squeeze into Sergiu Topala’s Rover Mini Cooper for a ride around Moldova. Though produced in 1994, his little British box roundly recalls the styling and engineering that made the name so famous in the 1960s, and in keeping with the more modern model year, this Mini is subjected to long road trips and anything else that one might do in a normal car, albeit one with no air-conditioning or power steering.
With years of experience working with vehicles like his Mini, Sergiu’s privy to all the tricks and issues that can crop up when purchasing a vintage enthusiast’s car. In fact, he recalls a trend in which a good lot of left-hand drive Minis from Continental Europe were scooped up, converted to right-hand drive, and then sold back to their home country in a strangely roundabout and not-quite-right type of homecoming. Some of these were even re-converted and sold outside of the UK for a second time, so when looking for one of his own, Sergiu knew it had to untouched in this regard.
The car that he eventually purchased has none of this sketchy history, and coming from the twilight decade of the original shape’s production run, it is well-suited to creating many years of new memories. Of course, even a newer Rover Mini Cooper is still going to epitomize simplicity and eschew extravagance though. That’s no issue though when it comes to those lengthy road trips, as the later, ‘90s-era Minis were geared towards even greater accessibility than the originals. Retaining the same efficient layout and cheap entry point, these later Minis were designed for longer excursions and an overall greater frequency of use over the earlier models, and so were fitted with motors that spun the odometer with ease both around town and on the open road. Herein lies the reason for Sergiu’s choice.
“I didn’t buy this car for a collection,” he says, “I got it to drive it.” Adding to this, he speaks of his Mini as if it were a good friend or family member: “It provokes you to go on various adventures.” In this case, the connection between man and Mini is a deeper than pretty paint and a pampered existence. This car is driven. Whether it be days-long, multi-thousand kilometer road trips or just local jaunts, Sergiu is giving his Mini plenty of exercise. Already the two have been all over the continent, and the pair even went as far as to make an excursion to the UK, presumably in a “This is where your grandparents were born” type of pilgrimage.
If it weren’t already very apparent in the vast amounts of time Sergiu’s spent inside the thing, the little details around the car all point definitively toward a truly cherished object. You can take his word for it, or you can see the little manifestations of his deep relationship with this Mini-it’s in the keychain trinkets and the array of stickers signaling the various clubs and events that make up the life he’s given his car. There is an evident care and respect that filters down into the small things, like making sure the keys don’t knock the paint when opening the door. You can’t fake this stuff; this is an unalloyed love for a little box of metal, and that’s Driving Tastefully.
Drive Tastefully®
Petrolicious.com
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"its and endless source of positivity" "like a family member that dares you to go on an adventure together" I'm not sure I've heard two phrases that better sum up a man's relationship with his car. I don't know how petrolicious keeps cranking out such terrific videos week after week, but I am thankful that they do.
Eric Hakanson couldn't agree more. I found that six minutes about one man, his pug and his little British car to be a curiously touching affair.
Exactly. I wonder how Petrolicious even finds such interesting and well-spoken enthusiasts - and from Moldova? Simply fantastic.
Eric Hakanson dose it have subtitles
Yes.
This channel, and I kid you not, is the best car channel in existence. Keep up the amazing work.
Romanian Petrolicious fan here! Glad to see an episode like this with a beautiful story of the man and car.
Hello fellow romanian Petrolicious passionate! Greetings from TM! :)
uncle andrew there was another romanian with a blue 2002 bmw in california so not the first. but i am glad too
Love that this isn't in English. Great video. Go Sergiu!
Beautiful... I like the fact that we are having cars from different countries, nice!
Just goes to prove we don't need Eurovision to bring Europe together because cars have been doing that for years :)
felicitări proprietarului, am fost emotionat sa vad pe canalul petrolicios un proiect de peste prut,bravo nene bravo!
Ma bucur ca proprietarul a vorbit in limba romana. Respect!
The pug is my favorite part of this video, what a magical creature
If you pause at 1:15 he looks like the happiest little dog in whole world.
Inbred dog. They actually suffer throughout their lives due to the malformed body parts. What humans have done to the dog species...
Agree ...yes they suffer immensely through every breath they take. Snorting...snuffling sounds a are pretty cute but really just a sign of an animal struggling to breath.
Awesome car! New Minis have almost nothing in common with these little pieces of art! Thanks for another awesome video!
Check project Binky on TH-cam. Others appreciate the form too, even if they want more out of it. :)
aserta okay thank you:) will check that for sure!
2001 - 2014 Mini has a lot in common with the original one. But yeah, the present generation has too much safety equipment, is easy to drive and is not that much of a "raw" experience driving it. sadly
Once you've watched them all...
You'll need the patience of a saint.....It's a mini Ice Age!
"2001 - 2014 Mini has a lot in common with the original one"... no they don't. Not even close.
my favourite video from you guys yet. This guy and his little family are truly beautiful
Non-English Petrolicious videos don't have hard subs, press the subtitles/closed caption button in the YT player to get your subs.
They do. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
All the non-English videos I've watched on this channel so far don't have subtitles that are part of the video itself.
Click on 'CC'
Not embedded into the video itself, no. But they are available through the CC button.
"Non-English Petrolicious videos don't have hard subs, press the subtitles/closed caption button in the YT player to get your subs." Exactly what I said in the original comment...
I love everything that the guy said. I was having a chat with my tutor the other day and this just sums up what we were talking about. This pure unfiltered passion we have for cars that brings us together. We need to keep this passion alive. What a beautiful video ❤
What a great video. Once again you show the soul of the car and its owner. Love MINIs
Just turned subtitles on. What a great narration. People who love cars seem to understand life! 👍🏻🇦🇺
I'm constantly blown away by how beautifully crafted these videos are. Just fantastic work.
Great characters, the Owner, the dog and the beautiful Mini. As usual: excellent video. Thanks for sharing.
Great vlog, like the different perspective shown. Dogs are like our best friends, true unconditional love 👍
What a lovely guy. A true car enthusiast. Good on you for following your dreams. Cheers from Australia.
What an absolute legend, the car owner is pretty cool too! Man and beast and a beautiful car, lovely stuff
I am glad that I own a 1967 mk1 mini. the good thing with spi/mpi is that you turn the key and just go!! no carb choke no oil no problems!!!
2:47 "Rallye Dlouhé Stráně" :D
Greetings from Czech Republic :) I love how cars like this connect people.
It is just not the cars that make this a great channel, but more the stories behind them. This is a great story.
Came for the car, got the dog as a bonus!
He had it to drive it. I love this man......
you guys know there's a closed captions button right? It's pretty accurate
He is a proper mini guy. Great video.
Oh, finally! Here it is!
Români pe aici?
sigur ca da
bereegratis clar!
Numai bine colegii !!! Asteptam un clip realizat si la noi...
с начало подумал, что на русском)
Это на румынском языке, и я рад, что клипы приходят из Восточной Европы. Может быть, мы увидим один в России. Привет из Romania.Am с помощью Google Translate :)
E in limba romana, ma bucur ca vin clipuri si din estul europei. Poate vom vedea unul si din Rusia. Salutari din Romania.Am folosit google translate :)
Bravo Sergiu și bravo Petrolicious! Sunt mândru să văd pe ai noștri aici!
foarte frumos , masina , peisajul , povestea .... felicitari
im a huge fan of mini and cant wait to own one. this video inspire me a lot and motivate me to work hard to buy myself one of this. nice video btw!
This was unexpected but greatly appreciated!!!
This is a great car story but an even more beautiful human story.
Awesome video! Really great cinematography and a great story and vibe to it! Love from the UK! ✌🏻
Super!!O istorie incredibila
Great video. He sums it up pretty well. Enjoy what you have and take adventures. That's missing from today's culture.
I got this car not for a collection, I got this car to drive it, great statement and I agree with his thoughts on that 100%
salutari dle. sergiu si mult respect . drumuri bune cu mini cooper si cu catelul. salut.
MERSI MULT !!!!!
As a 1995 Mini Cooper owner I gotta call BS here... The Mini is NOT a GT car. It's fun to drive on twisty roads and feels like a go-kart, but if you wanna do long distance travel with it, you're gonna need to take a 15 minute break every hour driving or so, or you'll lose the use of your legs lol. Video was great as usual tho!
Not really... Any car can travel, but that doesn't make it a GT. The mini's driving position is not comfortable for long periods of time, because the car is not meant to do that job. It would be like using a rally car as a grand tourer. What's with the Mille Miglia? We're talking about a 1994 Mini here...
I dunno...I used to drive 12 hours at a stint, only stopping for fuel - and never had any major problems with comfort (other than a slight headache of my own making - the curse of modifying one's engine.) Also, I'm not positive about this particular car, but they did introduce a 5-speed version towards the end of production, which would certainly help on longer drives, although changing to a taller final drive can work fairly well in a pinch with the 4-speed. :-)
So, no at as good as a Fiat 500 is what your are really saying?
It's not my criteria, it's the definition of GT... A fast, luxurious and comfortable car made for long travels. The Mini doesn't fit that description at all. I am a HUGE mini fan, in fact I own one... still doesn't make a great car for road trips. The mini was built since 1959, and the original Mille Miglia ended in 57, so no minis in that race unless it was in a different dimension :P.
I own both and both are amazing, in fact they are the coolest small cars in history in my opinion, but I wouldn't pick either for a 3500 Km trip lol
A One hell of a dream for me ❤
Love these Mini videos
Bravo Super Un om si o masina ))!
Lovely! I love this channel
Beautifull as always!
Excellent!
Just watched until 1:35 and I already know this one is a must!
Great finding Petrolicious :)
Io adoro la Mini. I love you forever
17 thumbs down....why, because you don't know how to turn on the subtitles, ignorant!
Another great video, real car people from around the world, love it!
There is no need to turn on the subtitles they are on by default. TH-cam should make them easier to read.
Big like for this video,
keep up the good work!
Those dog clothes. Ingenious and hilarious.
Edit
After watching the full video, I've noticed that most locations outside of the US are truly just you, the open road and your vehicle. You really gotta make sure you've got a full tank before you leave..I don't recall ever seeing any gas stations in the non-US videos.
❤ from 🏴 mini is very cool
Very Pretty Mini. ty
Love minis!
Make a video about the mk2 golf gti/gtd please
not many real enthusiasts left around those types of cars these days, maybe in the future
great video, love it👌❤ more like this
Felicitari, Sergiu! Guys, whoever adds the music on these videos deserves a cookie. How can I get these tracks?
I am from Kishenev! Chefach mej! :) Great Vid. big like & Subbed!
Fantastic video!
"This car will make you believe everything will be fine in your life."
Damn.
Well done
I feel like this guy needs to set up an online shop selling vinyl stickers saying "honorary Moldovan Mini club member"
I don't even own a Mini and I'd buy one.
This channel beats the crap out of Jay Leno.
My inner anorak is coming out in this video. The rear view mirror looks upside down and at 2:45, the outer window trim is missing an end cap.
hi, cool. can you tell me what arches are they ????
io amo questo video. Io amo la Mini.
Before commenting that there's no subs, press the CC button. Learn to use TH-cam. It's not hard, it's not rocket science.
alan partridges string back driving gloves nice
I was half expecting this to be in Russian. Glad it was in Romanian :)
Fantastic little car. I wish I could fit my big ass in one though lol
are the subtitles white on a very slightly less white background for anyone else?
Its cool to see subtitles but still understand what he is saying.
Uai Serioja, mari respect pentru tini șî mașîna ta. Eu nu îs mari fan Mini, da poliubomu, înțăleg pricolu. An dat di canalu ista pi iutub, maladeț mai înscurt, mai n-am scăpat o lacrimă. Moldoveni, mașîni, iutub- oari? Sî vedi că o fost filmat di băieți de la MoldovaFilm, frumos di tăt.
Why don't you guys provide subtitles?!?!
that look at 1:11...is one I know well 😍
damn!! he kinda looks like the guy from Despicable Me if you ask me.
Romaniaaa!!
YqmaTheSavior Moldova
U need to go to japan, japan has a lot of fantastic cars and make video there
Airbag on his lap. No worries
i like
Is the only screening criteria for being in a Petrolicious video that you have to wear driving gloves?
:P
Subtitles would be nice
its in the on the left of the option symbole
Mini.club.ks also one man club.
use CC for subs guys
That's a given if you drive a mini
use subtitles!
I think this guy speak from this heart, but i understand almost nothing. Do sub pls.
Алексей Васин the subs in the video options.
How about putting the title of the video in the same language that is spoken in the video, so I know I won't understand a word ahead of time.
How about you turn on the subtitles?
If I wanted to read, I'd open a book. The title is put in English to mislead and get more views. Plain and simple.
So you're both a moron and a troll. Good for you.
Poster subtle north marketing group publisher canvas earn.
What?
Greetings from Romania, Petrolicious! Great video! I would like to point out a little mistake in the tittle. It's "Moldavian Mini". "Moldovean" it what in Romanian we call people from either the republic of Moldavia or from the Moldavia region in Romania. "Moldovan is an archaic word used in Ro, with little use in the region. Keep up the work!
Alexandru Parausanu tara e numita Republica Moldova = Republic of Moldova si nu "moldavia". Au scris bine baietii
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldavians_(disambiguation) Pronuntarea e moldavians. In articolul despre Rep. Moldova observ ca scrie atat moldavia sau moldovian dar si moldovan. Nu eram la curent si cu forma moldovan. mea culpa dar moldavian suna mai placut 😂 at least to my ears
Alexandru Parausanu la urma urmei nu e mare diferenta ca si asa nu e foarte solicitat numele asta in engleza😃 doar la ocazii rare ca astea
chris 1234 aprob 😂👍🏼
Sounds like Russian mixed wit Portuguese
Pug is apathetic.
subtitles in English would have been nice considering the title and description is all in english...
there are subtitles...
I'm watching the video right and see no subtitles
Alexander Chavez if you're on your phone, click on the screen and 3 little dots will pop up, and a button that says cc will come up
you have to click the CC button ese
shut up guys.. I can TH-cam... ha kidding, thanks.
Moldova and Romania are two different countries so stop saying he is Romanian smh.
We share the same language and the same history. So of course we are happy with each other's success, no matter how small.
Learn your history. One and the same people! Before Stalin and Churchill decided to put an artificial border. Go read up on some history. Smh
Can we have more English videos please
Click on closed captions
Guy makes a living by converting cars from RHD to LHD, but buys an original LHD Mini because fuck credibility. Way to make an ad for yourself man. Also a dressed up pug? Really? That thing is a genetic freak, suffers every minute it's alive, and people still bread and own them... Eh not a fan of this one.
Yeah, way to present your country in a positive way. God job bro, I already want to visit. Duhh...
0YouCanCallMeAl0 I'm not Romanian or from Romania. Would love to know what third world backwater shit place you are from.
This channel, and I kid you not, is the best car channel in existence. Keep up the amazing work.
Great video!