By Anna Burns, Surrey Now-Leader
Nestled away in Cloverdale is the home of Nadir Ibadullah and his family.
From the front, it may look like an average family home but around back, there is something you don’t see every day – 10 classic Minis parked bumper to bumper on his back driveway.
What does he do with all of them?
“Clean them, look at them, polish them and just go for a ride because I want to drive all of them one by one.”
His love for Minis is not limited to his cars themselves. His Cloverdale home office is filled with memorabilia, from toy cars to posters and signs.
Ibadullah, who works in advertising, developed his love for these small classic cars while growing up in Pakistan. His uncle owned a 1964 Mark I Mini.
“I really liked that Mini,” he said. “When he used to visit us, I used to just sit in front of that Mini, and I used to ask him for a ride.”
With the help of his father, Ibadullah bought his uncle’s Mini, his first, when he was 15. He couldn’t legally drive at the time, but as soon as he could, he started driving, buying and selling Minis.
Finding Minis in Pakistan was not easy, and when he did they would often not be in the best of conditions. He often travelled to London, England, with his wife and young daughter to get parts.
Nadir Ibadullah owns 11 Minis, each of which have their own name. (Photo: Anna Burns/Surrey Now-Leader)
His favourite Mini he owns is the first one he purchased when he moved to Canada, a 1987 Mini Mayfair.
Finding Minis in Canada is challenging, he said.
“I always wanted a perfect Mini because I’m not that mechanical.”
He purchased a few from Ontario and one from Quebec and Alberta. The rest he was able to find in Vancouver.
Ibadullah doesn’t fix the cars himself, mainly because the engines have become more mechanical.
And he recently started taking his Minis to car shows. In May, with the help of his friends, he took 10 of his Minis to the All-British Field Meet (ABFM) car show in Vancouver. He walked away with two first-place awards.
Ibadullah is not swapping out the engines for Honda’s like many younger people are these days.
“The original engine is fast anyways. Just get that one souped up and enjoy the originality of the Mini.”
edit@surreynowleader.com
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