a basketwork Mini

[Micana]

Hello,
"a basketwork Mini" is how the aristocratic hero of Kyril Bonfiglioli´s "The Mortdecai Trilogy" describes his rival´s car, clearly in an ironic, derogatory way. Still, I don´t get the exact meaning of this "basketwork"; is it "old"? "battered"? "cheap"?

Thank you.

 

[RCA86]

I'm not completely sure of the context of this, but 'basketwork' is just a name for the specific practice of weaving baskets.

So you'll have seen a basket which is made of lots of different strands of flexible wood, like this http://www.guardianecostore.co.uk/images/newproducts/12583-00.jpg. I think he's probably saying that the Mini is silly, weak, poorly made.

It's a bit like saying that the car is made out of "paper" or "cardboard" or something, I think.

 

[bibliolept]

I would say, guessing, that he means to say that it doesn't look very sturdy: it is in poor condition and looks as if it might easily fall apart.