Fitting a modern audio system into a classic car isn’t always straightforward. Fitting one into a classic Mini is another matter entirely.
There aren’t even any original speaker locations at the front, leaving Callum Designs and Audison UK distributor Four Car Audio with the slightly awkward task of finding somewhere for the sound to come from without ruining the look of the car.
The Mini in question is a reworking by Callum, the Warwick-based design and engineering company founded by celebrated automotive designer Ian Callum CBE, on behalf of renowned coachbuilders Wood & Pickett. It’s based on a MkV Sportspack Mini, but almost everything has been fettled, redesigned or replaced, including the 1,310cc Stage 3 road/rally-spec engine. Rather important when you’re trying to listen to music.
The initial solution was deliberately discreet. Audison Voce AV 3.0 mid-range drivers were installed in custom pods in the front footwells, while the brand’s Prima AP 1 tweeters were fitted into the front door cards. A pair of Prima APX 6.5 two-way coaxials handled things from the rear parcel shelf.
A pair of Audison Prima AP 690 6x9 speakers found their way beneath the rear bench seat for added bass, along with an Audison Forza AF C8.14 bit DSP amplifier, which allowed the system to be tuned for the unusual speaker positions, using time and phase alignment to pull the various outputs into a more coherent stereo image. Concentrating the 6x9s on the lower frequencies also takes some of the workload away from the smaller drivers.
According to Four Car Audio, it all works rather well. The front-mounted 3in mid-range drivers produce a detailed high-mid presentation, while the additional 6x9s provide considerably more low-end weight. The resulting soundstage extends beyond the physical boundaries of the Mini, while the rear speakers add a more immersive element to the cabin. A small, subtle touchscreen unit sits flush in the dash, streaming music from any nearby device.
And your own version of this Mini is available to buy, with more info on the Wood & Pickett website. As evidenced by the many photos, model and classic-car enthusiast David Gandy is just one of the proud owners so far, with his musical tastes extending to Motown, soul, Hall & Oates and, thanks to his daughters, a healthy dose of K-pop and the Trolls soundtrack. Quite the range for a Mini.
The interesting thing here isn’t necessarily that someone has put an expensive Audison system into a classic car. It’s the way the installation demonstrates that small cars don’t have to mean small sound.
The combination of compact drivers, carefully positioned enclosures and DSP tuning provides a useful blueprint for anyone contemplating an audio upgrade in a classic – or simply a vehicle where the manufacturer forgot to leave convenient holes for speakers.
And if it works in a Mini, there are plenty of other small cabins that suddenly look a lot more promising.
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