If you thought the David Brown Oselli Edition Mini was the loudest car the company would produce, think again.
The Oselli-tuned engine might emit an elevated parp from its exhaust, but for volume little really matches the sound of a stack of Marshall amplifiers at a rock concert – and David Brown’s latest special edition condenses that vibe into a Mini-shaped package.
Designed in conjunction with Marshall Amplification you could almost imagine it being wheeled on-stage by a burly roadie. Another in the Mini Remastered series, the black paint scheme with a gold mesh grille means the Mini immediately evokes the look of a Marshall cabinet.
There are gold details on the 12-inch wheels too, along with a coachline on the roof, further stripes on the side, and Marshall logos on the doors. Scattered around are hand-made enamel badges unique to the special model.
The most striking touches are probably inside though. David Brown has become known for its comprehensive Mini retrims – most taking the car well away from its humbler roots, for good or bad – and there’s more of the same this time around, with a custom dashboard with an integrated infotainment unit, squashy leather-trimmed seats and a real mix of materials.
That black and gold combo returns virtually everywhere you look, but the details are pretty neat, such as big Marshall-badged speakers in the doorcards, and knurled switches much like those on the eponymous amplifiers. Cabin audio equipment also includes dashtop-mounted tweeters and further speakers on the parcel shelf.
David Brown is the latest brand to try the old ‘audio control logos on the pedals’ touch too, though its use of play, pause and skip legends for the throttle, brake and clutch aren’t quite as clever for us as the old Renault Twingo 133’s play, stop and pause. Perhaps if ‘skip’ had been on the gearknob…
What you never got in the Twingo was a custom-fitted Marshall amp in the boot, which is something you’ll find in the David Brown Mini. A Marshall DSL1 Combo amp resides in a leather-lined enclosure in the boot, alongside an integrated Marshall ‘Emberton’ Bluetooth speaker.
Not a lot of room for… well, anything else, but given David Brown’s Mini Remastered projects frequently nudge the £100k mark, people probably aren’t using them for long-distance touring, or even the grocery run.
Mechanically you get a 1330cc A-series and a five-speed gearbox, though the more significant part of all these upgrades is that a portion of every sale will go to the Music Venue Trust, a charity helping to support independent music venues – places that have seriously struggled over the past few years of Covid-related lockdowns.
David Brown will make 60 Marshall Editions, each of which will be individually numbered both in the boot enclosure and on a plaque inside the glovebox.
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