This Side of the Pond

A convoy of 60 Minis wiggled their way through the serpentine streets of Oxford last week to mark the 60th anniversary since the first of them rolled off the assembly line. My family has a history with the iconic British motors, and I see a surprising number of them here in Wyoming, but I have yet to claim a Mini of my own.

Even so, they are my all-time favorite vehicle (unless you count my childhood bicycle, which I loved more than life itself). They are sprightly, instantly recognizable and pleasingly quirky.

My first memory of a Mini is quite specific. In this snapshot, I am eight years...