306 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

mab01uk, just out of interest, do you stick up for us on the MINI sites? in the same way you do the MINI owners on here?

to be honest whatever MINI owners say about the MINI, it isnt going to change any of our views on them, so imho its waste of breath! the MINI isnt a Mini, it never has been or ever will be, mainly down to BMWs doing, yeah i respect people for haivng a passion for them, the same way people have a passion for VW's! there are all different reasons for why people have a passion for different types of cars, but i cant see any of the reasons for being passionate about a MINI being the same as a Mini!

Lol........I was thinking it but didnt like to say it.....must be getting too old for confrontation

i didnt mean it to be confrontational at all lol, it was a genuine question, as i have been made aware of threads on other forums "bashing" Minis and Mini owners! i respect him for doing it, and putting his views and what research he has done into the matter onto the forum!

Absolutely yes I would stick up for the the classic Mini amd its owners on the MINI sites, I am a classic Mini owner myself and have been since 1974 when I passed my test but to be honest I can't remember many occasions when that has been necessary. Post pictures of a nice Mini in the classic section of TotalMini or ask a question on classics and there are usually lots of complements and efforts made to answer or direct the owner to TMF or similar if no one else can help. Most MINI 'enthusiast' owners I have contact with also love classic Minis, even those that have never owned one, some get upset and can't understand the unprovoked hostility from some classic owners but on the whole just live with it or ignore what will hopefully eventually become a diehard minority, just like the anti-Rover Cooper campaign some of us remember back in the 1990's.

All 3 of my brothers have been Mini enthusiasts since the 1960's and we were all involved in Mini 7 & Miglia racing over many years including one winning the M7 championship and almost the Miglia........ My other brother and I both restore classic Minis today as a hobby, 2 of his recent projects are due to appear in Miniworld soon and a Van and an early internal petrol tank Countryman are now awaiting total restoration. He also has a new MINI like me a Cooper S which he loves driving, we both also have sons who have worked and saved to own and modify their own early MINI One's but also love the classics but can't practically own them as long distance working daily drivers.......

I guess as I remember the Mini in the 1960's and 70's I don't really have the same problem with all the non-enthusiast owners also driving the current MINI because I can remember that was also the case for the classic Mini back then. eg. No other classic Mini waved at my classics because they were so common on the road, not all were owned by enthusiasts as most are now.........except those recent Mini owners who put theirs into the government scrappage scheme of course!

Edited by mab01uk, 10 September 2010 - 07:26 PM.

[dave585]

 36111_409949950818_615505818_4762987_6367913_n.jpg   79.19K   15 downloads

[EatSleepJDM]

No thanks, from me

Edited by EatSleepJDM, 10 September 2010 - 09:19 PM.

[danie garry]

did a bit of "research" the last couple of days, any time i passed a MINI i flashed and waved and after bout 150 miles of main road driving i must of passed about twenty odd MINI's and not 1 of them waved back! so i'v come to the conclusion that MINI drivers dont know that they're driving a car that is wearing the same badge as mine. the 1's i passed must have very little thought about their car. they just have a MINI just the same as some1 else has a toyota yaris or similar, just as a car, nothing else. they might take pride in the car, ie clean it and keep it tidy as with any modern car. mini drivers have alot more to do with their car (prob something to do with most of them being badly built from the beginning, something that cant be denied!) therefore getting more "connected" to the car(most of my knuckles are prob behind my engine!)
so basically most MINI owners have the car to serve the purpose of a car and the minority(from what i can guess) of them want a part of the history of the classic mini but either dont have the skills or the money to keep a classic mini on the road........use mini drivers are just mad!!

think i make sense???!!

[EatSleepJDM]

did a bit of "research" the last couple of days, any time i passed a MINI i flashed and waved and after bout 150 miles of main road driving i must of passed about twenty odd MINI's and not 1 of them waved back! so i'v come to the conclusion that MINI drivers dont know that they're driving a car that is wearing the same badge as mine. the 1's i passed must have very little thought about their car. they just have a MINI just the same as some1 else has a toyota yaris or similar, just as a car, nothing else. they might take pride in the car, ie clean it and keep it tidy as with any modern car. mini drivers have alot more to do with their car (prob something to do with most of them being badly built from the beginning, something that cant be denied!) therefore getting more "connected" to the car(most of my knuckles are prob behind my engine!)
so basically most MINI owners have the car to serve the purpose of a car and the minority(from what i can guess) of them want a part of the history of the classic mini but either dont have the skills or the money to keep a classic mini on the road........use mini drivers are just mad!!

think i make sense???!!

I know what you mean!

[The_Mistro]

did a bit of "research" the last couple of days, any time i passed a MINI i flashed and waved and after bout 150 miles of main road driving i must of passed about twenty odd MINI's and not 1 of them waved back! so i'v come to the conclusion that MINI drivers dont know that they're driving a car that is wearing the same badge as mine. the 1's i passed must have very little thought about their car. they just have a MINI just the same as some1 else has a toyota yaris or similar, just as a car, nothing else. they might take pride in the car, ie clean it and keep it tidy as with any modern car. mini drivers have alot more to do with their car (prob something to do with most of them being badly built from the beginning, something that cant be denied!) therefore getting more "connected" to the car(most of my knuckles are prob behind my engine!)
so basically most MINI owners have the car to serve the purpose of a car and the minority(from what i can guess) of them want a part of the history of the classic mini but either dont have the skills or the money to keep a classic mini on the road........use mini drivers are just mad!!

think i make sense???!!

but you "LOVE BMW MINIS" lol

[danie garry]

but you "LOVE BMW MINIS" lol

i think they're an eyesore but for some reason the argument seems to be against the drivers and not the car!

[The_Mistro]

but you "LOVE BMW MINIS" lol

i think they're an eyesore but for some reason the argument seems to be against the drivers and not the car!

you have noticed whats written below your dp yeah?

[danie garry]

but you "LOVE BMW MINIS" lol

i think they're an eyesore but for some reason the argument seems to be against the drivers and not the car!

you have noticed whats written below your dp yeah?

yea, that's bungle's work because of my anti-bini (not anti-bini drivers) sig's

[mab01uk]

did a bit of "research" the last couple of days, any time i passed a MINI i flashed and waved and after bout 150 miles of main road driving i must of passed about twenty odd MINI's and not 1 of them waved back! so i'v come to the conclusion that MINI drivers dont know that they're driving a car that is wearing the same badge as mine. the 1's i passed must have very little thought about their car. they just have a MINI just the same as some1 else has a toyota yaris or similar, just as a car, nothing else. they might take pride in the car, ie clean it and keep it tidy as with any modern car. mini drivers have alot more to do with their car (prob something to do with most of them being badly built from the beginning, something that cant be denied!) therefore getting more "connected" to the car(most of my knuckles are prob behind my engine!)
so basically most MINI owners have the car to serve the purpose of a car and the minority(from what i can guess) of them want a part of the history of the classic mini but either dont have the skills or the money to keep a classic mini on the road........use mini drivers are just mad!!

think i make sense???!!

Repeated from previous post:
Quote:
"I guess as I remember the Mini in the 1960's and 70's I don't really have the same problem with all the non-enthusiast owners also driving the current MINI because I can remember that was also the case for the classic Mini back then. eg. No other classic Mini waved at my classics because they were so common on the road, not all were owned by enthusiasts as most are now.........except those recent Mini owners who put theirs into the government scrappage scheme of course!"

ie. If a car is a sales success like the MINI is now or the classic Mini was in the past, (1.5 million sold by mid 2009) then clearly only a fraction of that number are likely to be 'enthusiast' owners and realise why you are flashing or waving, most are going to think you are warning them of something or wondering why you are trying to attract their attention..............

Edited by mab01uk, 10 September 2010 - 10:31 PM.

[clovus]

Mab01uk,

Thanks for taking the time to post such interesting information. I can understand now why some feel so slighted by BMW. Still, when the MINI was released it created a lot of interest in the original car by people outside the 'enthusiast' subset. That has to be a good thing.

lol @ Dannie. I think I have a few bits of skin around my diff housing too...

[danie garry]

Repeated from previous post:
Quote:
"I guess as I remember the Mini in the 1960's and 70's I don't really have the same problem with all the non-enthusiast owners also driving the current MINI because I can remember that was also the case for the classic Mini back then. eg. No other classic Mini waved at my classics because they were so common on the road, not all were owned by enthusiasts as most are now.........except those recent Mini owners who put theirs into the government scrappage scheme of course!"

ie. If a car is a sales success like the MINI is now or the classic Mini was in the past, (1.5 million sold by mid 2009) then clearly only a fraction of that number are likely to be 'enthusiast' owners and realise why you are flashing or waving, most are going to think you are warning them of something or wondering why you are trying to attract their attention..............

true, was worth a try tho!!

[joe90gt]

I really don't think the majority of people who own BMW's really give a monkeys about the mini - and you wouldn't really expect them to either, I'll thumbs up anyone driving a mini whatever I'm driving but I just couldn't do that to a BMW, it would make me feel all dirty ..............

[samsfern]

its a bit like asking the vw world to tie in with nissan, it just aint right.

[olds_kool_lews]

did the new shape beetle get this kind of stick from the classic shape beetle enthusiasts?