A recent journey on the motorway the other day brought one of the cutest little automotive features to my attention: the rear windscreen wipers (!) on the Mini Clubman.
The Mini Clubman is a kind of car that no one really pays attention to. They trundle around the world not really causing a scene, not mildly offensive as such, but not particularly bold either. Whilst the first generation was a definite oddball and the second generation a little more sane, both cars feature a set of split rear doors. These ‘barndoors’ are designed to make loading the car easier when herding children/dogs/cats. They also help to make the Mini Clubman a half-decent hearse at the drop of a hat.
What these split doors do require is split windscreen wipers. This may be one of the most adorable little designs in modern motoring. The wipers on each screen are tiny little things. They look just like the headlight wipers fitted to older Saabs and Volvos, and are about the same size too.
All I can think, however, is the design nightmare this must’ve caused for Mini/BMW engineers. A split rear window means the heater elements in both screens must work independently and each little wiper needs its on baby wiper motor. What also amuses me is the length of the rear wipers – as the Clubman has much wider than tall rear windows – which leaves a huge unswept area on the outer edges of both rear screens, meaning the practicality of the rear wipers is also quite limited, much like the whole Clubman.
Anyway, keep an eye out for a Clubman the next time you are on road!
Kerbside 