26 replies to this topic

[THE ANORAK]

The se7en is not an le, its the last of the standard porduction models

[Mini-Sarah]

Thanks! Makes sense now, I was wondering about the mini seen too as have seen a few of them about. Don't worry I'm not going to be buying it just for the pretty seats!cheers guys!
X

[THE ANORAK]

No problem. Something for us geeks to get fired up about on a sunday morning.

[Ethel]

Mini 1000's will have been a huge slice of all Mini production in the 70's.

 

Interesting point about the factory options. It wasn't an entirely new concept, dealerships used to fit and swap out the goodies before that. The Mini was the pioneer yet again as even a passenger side door mirror would have been a special order. Sunroofs, electric windows and central locking were on offer along with a variety of radios & supplementary lighting. I reckon almost as many 1100 Special wheels were sold to existing Mini owners as were fitted at the factory.

[mab01uk]

This might help.....

 

 

It has been said that BMC started the idea for 'Limited Editions'  with the 1960/61 Morris Minor 1,000,000 in a special lilac colour and with unique trim and badging.

http://www.minormill...uk/Welcome.html

VW followed in the 1970's and the idea really took off in the 1980's with frequent Mini special and limited editions consisting of a paint job, graphics and 'jazzier' interior trim, a couple of extra equipment options sold under an exotic name. Alec Issigonis had no time for such marketing tactics but had little influence in the later years of Mini production and falling sales of the Mini in general to its competitors mean't this was a way of boosting sales and publicity without spending too much money or making costly major design changes......up to a third of annual Mini sales during the late eighties was taken up by special editions according to the Chris Rees Mini book. Typically the buyers were women aged between 20 and 35. They were also a way of testing customer reaction to changes that later went into regular production.

 

Rowan Atkinson once wrote in Car magazine in 1991 that special edition Mini's were "merely applications of make-up to what was perceived as a tired old face, when in fact the Mini has elegant, classical features that are ruined by crude face paint. Mini *******-Ups, the lot of them."

 

It should also be noted that even today BMW still uses 'Special Limited Editions' in its marketing of the New MINI, especially to boost sales of models about to be replaced.

 

Back in 1967 I remember towards the end of Ford Anglia production a limited edition of 500 were made in this Gold paintwork before the launch of the new Mk1 Ford Escort.

http://www.carandcla....uk/car/C118745

Edited by mab01uk, 08 May 2016 - 09:11 AM.

[Itsaminithing]

Right. Lets get the truth...
over 50% of minis were NOT limited edition, thats rubish.

 

True.... what i meant to write was 50% of ROVER Mini's produced were limited editions (it was typed on hot sweaty sleepless night).

Came across this quote years ago by one of the Mini Guru's (prob for Minimag or MiniWorld) Might have been Calver but i couldn't swear to it.

 

So much bile & venom for such a minor error!

 

At least everyone agrees with me that the Balmoral was a 1995 SPI 'Limited Edition' & that the MPI's are NOT Balmorals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ethel]

Mab,

 

To be fair to Austin Rover, their "Specials" were a lot better looking than than what many an owner had inflicted on their Min in the name of personalisation over the years.

 

We should be grateful there wasn't a rag-rollered model with fake leaded windows!

[some1158]

The se7en is not an le, its the last of the standard porduction models

 

The brochure is ambiguous on this - it calls it one of 'three unique absolutely fabulous limited editions' and so I'd always assumed it was an LE like the earlier limited runs. But the brochure also refers to the Cooper and Cooper Sport in the same way, so I think you are right. And there is no indication of the numbers to be produced. I suppose they were 'limited' if only because the car was about to be discontinued!

Edited by some1158, 08 May 2016 - 09:57 AM.

[THE ANORAK]

So much bile & venom for such a minor error!

really ?? and theres me trying to be nice

 

yeah, apparently the records don't class the seven the cooper and the cooper sport as limited editions, even though the numbers are limited.

 

also could never understand why some are called limited editions and some special editions ?????

Edited by THE ANORAK, 08 May 2016 - 10:47 AM.

[MaxAndPaddy]

 

So much bile & venom for such a minor error!

really ?? and theres me trying to be nice

 

yeah, apparently the records don't class the seven the cooper and the cooper sport as limited editions, even though the numbers are limited.

 

also could never understand why some are called limited editions and some special editions ?????

 

 

Strictly speaking the special editions are a specific customised / marketable version and the amount available would depend on how may were ordered although there probably would be a certain production run, limited editions were only intended to be a small fixed amount and when they were gone, they were gone, as they say.

 

However I don't think anyone bothered to tell the Rover marketing department, so I wouldn't worry about it 

[CityEPete]

I've managed to own 6 minis and non of them LEs! The oldest a 1980 too.

[CityEPete]

I really like the late se7en and I like the Balmoral seats, happy hunting.