306 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

There are so many comments that are either wrong or I disagree with here its hard to know where to start but here goes on just a few points:

Up until 10 years ago you would frequently see BRAND NEW classic Minis and Coopers entered in the concours at shows just driven from the showroom, as was the case in the previous 30/40 years for those of us old enough to remember. Some of the Mk1/2 Mini diehards complained occasionally but not many others!! Some other classic car owners shunned classic Minis at shows for the same reason saying it was not a true classic car as it was still on sale brand new!
The Mk1 MINI is now 10 years old and is judged in a completely seperate class so whats the problem, the owners are not harming anyone. If you go to a VW Golf show you will see concours classes for everything from the oldest Mk1 to the latest Golf Mk6.

The Rover Mini Cooper was slagged off at shows for years in the 1990's as not a real Mini Cooper or plastic imitation, the Mini Cooper Register nearly split as a club and had to have a vote on whether to accept it into the club at the time. Many left in protest when it was accepted..............where are they now? There are more important things in life like the people and owners, enthusiasts which make up the community, like others have said I have met good and bad on both sides of the Mini/MINI world but would not generalise about all the other owners because of one of them as some have suggested in this thread.

The Mini Cooper Show at Beaulieu is my clubs show (The MCR), the club and show welcomes ALL Minis/MINIs and the show is run and planned by 2 or 3 members who are all New MINI owners and enthusiasts who also own classic Minis. The show depends more each year for these New MINI owners and members to turn up and pay on the gate to make it financially viable in the future.
The same with all the BMC shows also organised by a New MINI enthusiast.

All the MINI clubs and forums I know of and belong to welcome classic Mini owners without reservation. Considering the atitude of some classic owners over the last 10 years it is not surprising some are reluctant to come over and chat at shows. We never know what to expect.........I have an advantage in breaking through the initial hostility as I often know more about classic Minis than many of the classic owners at shows having played with them for 40 odd years but of course not every new MINI owner does!

Anti BMW is constantly brought up as an excuse. Would it be different if Rover launched the New MINI? How many actually know that Rover engineers and John and Mike Cooper were deeply involved in the design or that Rover had little interest in prolonging or promoting the classic Mini until BMW came along and told them how valuable and iconic it was to just let die. All those classic Mini's from 1996-2000 only exist due to BMW at the end of the day...........

Is-9aI7utFQ

Edited by mab01uk, 07 September 2010 - 07:47 PM.

[cagy]

Rover had little interest in prolonging or promoting the classic Mini until BMW came along and told them how valuable and iconic it was to just let die. All those classic Mini's from 1996-2000 only exist due to BMW at the end of the day...........

Is-9aI7utFQ

This is also why some BMW dealers used the classic mini to promote the scrappage scheme?? They really must want to save such an iconic car....

The thing with Golf's is that they are still made by the same company and they haven't been stretched, blown up and deformed to be the complete opposite of what they were supposed to be when they first came out. I couldn't call the MINI small and imho it isn't a pretty thing to look at. It isn't a classic car and therefore shouldn't be at classic car shows.

[dave585]

Rover had little interest in prolonging or promoting the classic Mini until BMW came along and told them how valuable and iconic it was to just let die. All those classic Mini's from 1996-2000 only exist due to BMW at the end of the day...........

Is-9aI7utFQ

This is also why some BMW dealers used the classic mini to promote the scrappage scheme?? They really must want to save such an iconic car....

The thing with Golf's is that they are still made by the same company and they haven't been stretched, blown up and deformed to be the complete opposite of what they were supposed to be when they first came out. I couldn't call the MINI small and imho it isn't a pretty thing to look at. It isn't a classic car and therefore shouldn't be at classic car shows.

Only one dealer did this and after complaints and was removed. MINI uk also issued an sorry. So another small story twisted and made bigger. Sytner in Oldbury saved a Paul Smith mini that some one had traded in and now has pride of place at the front of the showroom but I suppose this is never mentioned.

[cagy]

All it takes is a little thing to change someones opinion on something forever, and it's always the little things that make a difference. I don't think the gap between both groups will ever be bridged because the 2 cars are too different, one has heritage and one tries to have heritage, it'll never work.

Edited by cagy, 07 September 2010 - 09:01 PM.

[Nelson92]

All it takes is a little think to change someones opinion on something forever, and it's always the little things that make a difference. I don't think the gap between both groups will ever be bridged because the 2 cars are too different, one has heritage and one tries to have heritage, it'll never work.

well said.

[the.stroker]

Guys , just an observation.

TMF for the most part is made up of classic mini owners , so with this in mind dont be suprised if people get exited and express their views on the new mini .
I along with other moderators have been keeping tabs on this topic for most of the day , it nice to see a healthy debate from both sides of the camp , and up to this point we have had no need to close or modify any posts within this thread as we have had to on so many similar topics in the past, it would be nice to keep it that way.

[cagy]

There is nothing wrong with a healthy debate as you have just said and there is also no need to be abusive to get you point accross, we are all adults on here and we should all debate like adults and stay respectful to each other, even if the cars get a bit of a beating (not literally mind lol)

[minidream94]

Well all i can say is BMW MINI's are well ummmmmmmmmmmm rubbish. as said previously in this thread, weve alreadly lost roller and bentley to euroean companies who have, imo lost the iconic name that these 2 makes had, just like BMW have done to the mini :@. Also take a look at the new proposed country man. its HUGE, with 4wd, how cn they call this a mini. The mini was far from HUGE and never had 4wd or anything.

[xBR4DLEY]

Mab01uk The thing I find funny and abit weird at the same time , I was looking at MINI2 one time , no idea why , just was and I remember there was a thread that you posted about the WRC , probably the same as you posted on here and NOT ONE person had replied , it had been on there for quite a while aswell and this show how uninterested they are. We buy classic minis because we like them , are enthusiastic about them , want to fix them etc and people just buy MINIs for the same reason they would buy a normal car , I mean I like it as car , I'd love to have a go in a JCW but there just nothing like the original and BMW probably know that , they only bought the name for an easy selling point and an already wide fanbase.

[Nelson92]

http://www.urbandict.....20mini cooper

sort of sums it up. also pretty funny.

[minidream94]

like xbradley said, all they braught the mini name for was because of the huge fan base and the iconic image of the car. Its like me buying sony out and then inventing the new ps4, but instead of making it better, i make it rubbish. people wouldnt know know that its not as good as the previous console and it would just be a normal console to them

Edited by minidream94, 07 September 2010 - 09:22 PM.

[xBR4DLEY]

The thing I find funny is how BMW expect the MINI to be as successful as the original and I tell you right now , that will NEVER happen. It is a new car , its only 10 years old but there wont be many more years left out of it , like Ford they've built the Fiesta for 30ish years but now the cars are boring and no one wants them - this will happen with the MINI , it doesnt have anything good about it like the classic , it was not the first mass production car with FWD , or good on fuel , it is just an ordinary car. The thing is people are still buying minis and its quite funny how 51 years after the launch and we are still here talking about them. There is nothing interesting about the MINI and there are no good stories to tell like when everyone used to buy them for £50 like we used to. Little kids also know what the classic mini is , which is quite funny considering you hardly ever see them and the MINI its just an ordinary car.

[EatSleepJDM]

I don't like the idea of Classic's and BMW's mixing together for some reason. I think it's better if they stayed apart.

[xBR4DLEY]

The thing I didnt like aswell was when they had adverts out using the original mini , that ******* me off quite abit to be honest and its funny how all the MINIs drive round with the 50th anniversary sticker they got from IMM 2009 and I think its weird how BMW brought out the Camden , Park Lane , Mayfair etc for the 50th year considering they've only owned the name for like 15 years

[Nelson92]

and its scary to see a mayfair with any sort of options installed