[Nobbc] More than you want to know about Minis

[Greg Tatarian]

  Hey, not so fast there on the trigger, Clif.  ;-)  Before you lump us 
MINI owners in with the BMW or Porsche clubs, here's what I just posted 
to Gerry:


Minis are assembled at Plant Oxford 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_Oxford> in Cowley 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowley>, United Kingdom, where around 
4,700 people are employed.^[2] 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-1> Engines for 
Mini cars are produced at the Hams Hall Plant nearBirmingham 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham>, United Kingdom, which has 
around 800 employees.^[3] 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-2> Mini 
sub-assemblies and pressings such as doors are supplied by a plant in 
Swindon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swindon>, United Kingdom, where 
around 1,000 people are employed.^[4] 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-3> Minis are 
primarily developed in the United Kingdom by BMW's Development 
Division.^[5] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-4> 
Around 217,000 Mini's were sold worldwide in 2009.^[6] 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-5>




RE: the designer of the MINI, no that wasn't John Cooper. He was a race 
car developer who was, among many other accomplishments, asked to make a 
beast out of the diminutive Mini back in the day. Nowadays, it's all 
about branding, and who has the $$ to buy that brand and capitalize on 
it. Think Jaguar, Mini, and sadly, even the Lotus F1 teams. Much to be 
said about this sad subject.

I'll give rides to anyone in the MINI JCW - you won't really care what 
it's called after that.

Cheers,
Greg





On 1/31/2011 12:08 PM, Clif & Deborah Williamson wrote:
> Thanks Gerry.
> But what I get from this is that the BMW Mini is not British at all.  
> Except for a few part here and there and a similar exterior design, it 
> is pretty much "GERMAN".  I think almost all manufacturers of cars buy 
> parts made in other countries, but I don't think because a Toyota or 
> any of it's parts are made in the USA, that it is an American car.  
> Nor a VW made in Mexico, is a Mexican car.  In fact it would seem that 
> the only thing that truly has British heritage on the Mini is the name 
> "Mini", as your description below would attest.  I don't know if 
> Cooper was the designer of the BMW Mini, but even that would not 
> change if it was British or not, since Pininfarina was the designer of 
> many non Italian cars that are not considered Italian including the 
> Jaguar, and Rolls-Royce.
> Please, don't get me wrong.  I love the Mini, British, or German.  I 
> had an occasion back in 1970 to be hitch hiking in Sweden and was 
> picked up by a Swed driving a Dodge Charger.  After a few miles of 
> back country roads a Mini came up behind and past us.  Well this Swed 
> was not going to be outdone by a little cracker box so off we went.  
> And after about 5 miles of twisting Swedish roads he gave up.  I was 
> so pumped up by the adrenaline rush caused by the chase I was shaking 
> when he dropped my off in the middle of no where. At that point I 
> realized, that "might does not make right" and fell crazy in love with 
> the Mini.
> Clif
> 74 JH