10 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

"A Chinese automotive company has put forward documents showing a new compact battery-powered car - and it looks identical to the Mini's original design penned by Alec Issigonis in the late 1950s.
It wouldn't be the first time a Chinese company has pulled a copy-and-paste job on a existing model - and gotten away with it after complaints were raised by the manufacturers of the original knocked-off car.
BMW - Mini's parent company - is reportedly priming itself to respond to the patent, with a spokesperson saying it is 'examining legal action' to protect the famous car design."
https://www.thisismo...assic-Mini.html

"The leaked patents come after BMW earlier this year launched its own official 'Recharged' electric conversion service for the classic Minis.
For an undisclosed fee, the Cowley factory - which is where the current BMW-Mini is built - will replace the original car's four-cylinder A-series engine with a powertrain of a 121bhp electric motor and battery. As a result it will accelerate to 62mph in 9 seconds and have a range of 99 miles.
While many will call it sacrilege, in stripping out the original car's motor, Mini says it will number and store the engine and removed parts, so that cars can be returned to their internal combustion originality if requested at a later date."
https://www.thisismo...ginal-cars.html

 

[stuart bowes]

well that's just blatant theft

 

I'll be honest though I don't really have any sympathy for BMW, who put on their website 'these are our classic cars, look:' and have a page full of old mini designs.  we'll they're not really 'yours' are they.  you bought the badge but you don't own the history..  what's next, you gonna start making reproduction spitfires?

 

and when I try and use a mini in gran turismo I have to put up with the fact it has a German flag for country of origin which really boils my p1ss 

 

but anyway.  better things to spend life thinking about I suppose

Edited by stuart bowes, 26 May 2022 - 10:37 AM.

[beardylondon]

Good point Stuart, if Jaguar Land Rover had bought Fiat and they started making modern Fiat 500s, I’m sure the Italians would be p1ssed off too!

[stuart bowes]

just to clarify though I have driven a few binis and they were enjoyable especially the S ... in itself there's nothing wrong with it, it's a good car (and we'd be shocked if it wasn't, being a BM product)

 

I do think sometimes perhaps it should have been called the Maxi.  apart from then it would sound like something girls keep in their handbags..

 

it's just the whole thing about original minis being a british icon that gets me.  it's ours leave it alone lol

Edited by stuart bowes, 27 May 2022 - 02:31 PM.

[mab01uk]

Good point Stuart, if Jaguar Land Rover had bought Fiat and they started making modern Fiat 500s, I’m sure the Italians would be p1ssed off too!

 

Most car companies are now just brands bought, owned and run by big companies based in other countries that have nothing at all to do with any of the original vehicles.

At least most MINI's are still manufactured in the UK on one of the original factory sites of Cowley in Oxford where classic Minis were once built. The modern Fiat 500 is manufactured in Poland and Mexico, not in Italy......

 

Land Rover, along with Jaguar Cars, was bought by Tata Motors of India from Ford in 2008.....

 

"PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have all merged to create Stellantis, bringing together 14 vehicle brands across the globe. With the completion of a merger that has been in the works for more than a year, Stellantis becomes the fourth-biggest automaker in the world by volume and third-biggest by revenue. Now under the Stellantis umbrella are Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Lancia, and Maserati—thanks to FCA—as well as Citroën, DS, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall, thanks to PSA...."

https://www.caranddr...ome-stellantis/

Edited by mab01uk, 26 May 2022 - 10:36 PM.

[stuart bowes]

I'm not too bothered about where the new ones are made, that's all fair enough, obviously a manufacturer (or larger conglomerate ownership) would be stupid not to build them wherever it's most economically viable .. same with the Fiat, make them at the north pole if you like it doesn't really affect anything 

 

the insult, for me, is the idea of the original mini being of German origin

 

which, if you play Gran Turismo like I say, is the way it's presented.  or, if you look on BM's website (https://www.bmwgroup...sicht-mini.html) is the impression you get

 

"Discover our historic models"

Eurgh

just no

 

it really is just a minor annoyance I know, I'm not trying to start some big thing about it or anything.  but it's an annoyance none the less

 

so, back to the original point, if china now nicks it and says 'this is our car that we made' ... good luck to them lol

Edited by stuart bowes, 27 May 2022 - 02:29 PM.

[Lowestoftmodder]

In a way I kind of hope they get away with it.. would be a cheap as chips attractive way to own a classic electrified mini.
Likely very difficult to import but not impossible.
Looks better than the jaguar cross micra mashups
If we still produced the classic mini in a genuine commercial sense then I would be enraged but in this case I’m kind of ok seeing new classic style minis being produced.
I’m torn on this one

Edited by Lowestoftmodder, 12 June 2022 - 09:50 AM.

[bpirie1000]

Does the rust come pre installed like a bmc car?

[DomCr250]

I'm not too bothered about where the new ones are made, that's all fair enough, obviously a manufacturer (or larger conglomerate ownership) would be stupid not to build them wherever it's most economically viable .. same with the Fiat, make them at the north pole if you like it doesn't really affect anything 

 

the insult, for me, is the idea of the original mini being of German origin

 

which, if you play Gran Turismo like I say, is the way it's presented.  or, if you look on BM's website (https://www.bmwgroup...sicht-mini.html) is the impression you get

 

"Discover our historic models"

Eurgh

just no

 

it really is just a minor annoyance I know, I'm not trying to start some big thing about it or anything.  but it's an annoyance none the less

 

so, back to the original point, if china now nicks it and says 'this is our car that we made' ... good luck to them lol

But they purchased the Rover group and kept all the best bits ... so in one way it's still valid, if a little tenuous and cheeky yo say it originated in Germany.

 

Otherwise Rover, BL ... could not claim the mini design was theirs as it did to originate for their company just the company they merged with in the 60's, 70's and 80's.

Edited by DomCr250, 12 June 2022 - 11:56 AM.

[BEN99W]

Its strange to me that the chinese would even bother patenting something, as they clearly do not respect patent laws. There are lots of cars made in china that are obvious rip offs of designs from other manufacturers. So why should they expect anyone to honour any patents they come up with.

[greenwheels]

 

 

Otherwise Rover, BL ... could not claim the mini design was theirs as it did to originate for their company just the company they merged with in the 60's, 70's and 80's.

 

But they did make it.