The Story of 1320MINI: From Small Workshop to MINI Specialists
Back in May 2004, Paul Webster and Martin Hynes set out with a simple goal: to create a business that serviced, repaired, and sold small cars, especially for first-time buyers. What began in a small workshop in Duck’s Cross, Bedfordshire, has grown into something much bigger. Four years ago, we moved to our current home near Great Staughton, Cambridgeshire—on a 5-acre site just 10 minutes from the A1.
Finding Our Focus: The MINI
Over the years, our work naturally refined itself toward one car that captured both our passion and our customers’ loyalty: the BMW MINI. Today, 1320MINI is all about keeping MINIs on the road, from everyday servicing and repairs to serious tuning and performance upgrades.
We pride ourselves on offering a cost-effective alternative to main dealers, with highly skilled staff and the flexibility to source both OEM and recycled parts depending on what’s best for each customer.
Where the Name 1320 Comes From
The name “1320” reflects one of Paul’s biggest passions—drag racing. There are 1,320 feet in a quarter mile, the distance most drag races are fought over. Paul first raced big American V8s, but the spirit of drag racing soon made its way into MINI culture at 1320.
Our own fire-damaged 2002 MINI One—nicknamed Old Red—was rebuilt in 2005 and went on to become the quickest and fastest street MINI in Europe, all while still handling school run duty. That success, alongside countless customer builds, helped cement our reputation in MINI tuning and motorsport.
Expertise Built on Experience
Through years of tuning, racing, and working with customers, we’ve built up a massive degree of knowledge. Whether it’s engine, transmission, suspension, or brakes, we’ll help you understand exactly what you’ll get for your money. Some of the performance parts we use are bespoke to us—developed through strong relationships with key designers and suppliers in the MINI scene—and only available directly through 1320.
And for those chasing more than just road fun, we also prepare and maintain track cars for customers who race their MINIs competitively.
Rolling Road Development
One of the unique advantages at 1320MINI is our on-site 4-wheel drive rolling road. Every tuned car gets a before-and-after run to prove real performance gains, while the rolling road also helps diagnose faults in a controlled environment. We even hire it out to clubs and enthusiasts who want to test their own cars.
Spending Wisely, Driving Better
If there’s one message we’ve carried since the beginning, it’s this: it’s not about how much you spend, but how you spend it. We’ve seen plenty of MINI owners come to us after disappointing experiences elsewhere. That’s why our advice is always open, honest, and focused on making sure every pound you spend gets the best result possible.
From a small Bedfordshire workshop to becoming MINI specialists with decades of experience, 1320MINI has always stayed true to that philosophy.