Back in '02, at the dawn of MINI in the US I had stickers on my 02 MINI & 71 Mini



'02 = "My other car is a Mini"
'71 = "My other car is a MINI"

Since most classic owners differentiate cars by capitalization...

 

My husband would love to bastardize a classic by swapping a B-16 Honda motor in it. It seems to be the best of both worlds. Mini styling and handling with Honda reliability. To each his own I guess.

 

I'm with you on that one!! But as you said, the increased interest seems to increased the value of the classics. I am having trouble finding a cheap vintage Mini to make into a project car, possibly a weekend racer.

 

Love 'em both !

 

Sounds like the guy just has a bad 'tude. Most of the people I know who have old British cars (Minis included) really like or own a MINI.

For a lot of us, our vintage British cars (I have a '57 MGA) are not practical daily transportation. The MINI gives us a "British" daily driver at a price that won't break the bank.

 

Love those dynamic duo pictures pbraun! Here's one of Casper and BO.

 

It just seems like a bunch of misplaced redneck angst and hate to me.

 

for novices, BO = British Open (a model, not an aroma! )

 

Thanks. I was wondering if the car had acquired a stench like Jerry's Saab did on Seinfeld.

 

LOL, yes, it's the model but it's also his name....pronounce it like Beau. He lives with good friends in Gainesville GA now and Celeste the purple Mini in the sig lives with us. She has cloth interior with a celestial theme.
Gotta name 'em all.

 

So right hand drive or left today? Top down or just windows down?
Is there a bad choice here? I think not!

 

I was at sebring last year at the 12 hour race and I was standing around a few guys at one of the turns and one gentleman started talking about his mini. I'm new to the whole mini thing, classic or otherwise, and while telling him that I was about to order a mini, I asked him if his mini was an "S" - he looked at me, and then started talking to a pal of his next to him (completely within earshot of me) about how he is tired of people asking if his mini is an S as they always assume its a new generation car. He then launches into something about there being 800 or so S's of his model - passively directed at me of course.

I told him "you don't have to be such an a*& about it, you could take the opportunity to educate me on your car" - needless to say, he didn't take the opportunity. Most people have a genuine enthusiasm for these cars, and are willing to talk about the classic mini's to people who are obviously quite new at the appreciation. Others, like this guy, don't.

 

--Wow people like that suck! I for one own a new Mini and I want a classic one oneday. Garage space permitting. Mini snobs are the people that would be fun to spank on the racetrack.

--pyratio

 

You know, here in AZ we were forced to start our own MiNi club as the President of the long standing club here made a statement at one of the club's meetings something to the effect of, "I don't understand why we let these NEW MINI owners in the club". This type of attitude is best ignored.

A few of us decided it was time for a change from this type of attitude and started the Dynamic MiNi Collective and are happy with the new club. Our membership comprises both NEW & Classic. Everyone gets along and enjoy getting together with their MiNis.

Remember, those Classic owners that do not accept the New MINI are in the minority. Just ignore them and go on having fun with your MINI.

 

I've been lurking on this thread for a few days, hearing various accounts of prejudice and enlightenment. Think I'll leave you all with a little story, that of MG. In 1980 the MG factory at Abingdon on Thames closed, bringing to an end some fifty years of MG sports car production. To give a very abbreviated history, during the 1980s British Leyland rebadged a number of their fwd econoboxes, added dual carbs and called them MGs. But just after BMW purchased BL/Rover in the early 1990s, they returned to the manufacture of sports cars with the MGF. Lucky for me, I was living in Belgium at the time and active in the MG Car Club of Antwerp. I remember the "new MGers" being those with MGFs joining what was at that time a real group of anoraks (English term equivalent to, hmmm, well like that type of curmudgeon that dispises progress). These guys were barely accepting the envelope bodied MGA (that was forty years old at that time!) as a "true" MG. Well, all eventually found out that what makes MGs special really isn't the cars, it's the cameraderie of the owners. Soon we were all best friends, the newcomers as well as the oldtimers. Sadly, MG ceased production in April '05. At this time it looks like there will never be another MG sports car.

Moral of the story: It's the people, not the cars that really matters.

 

Bravo, Donna! I entirely agree and I think it is time for organizers to be brutal with those that don't want to play nice.

Put me down for several of the new batch of stickers -- with our getting a replacement for KERMEE, I am going to need some, plus I aways like to have spares to hand out.

Cheers,

Paul

 

I have the Bi-minual stickers available again. Send me a PM or email if you are interested in one.

 

Grown men playing with silly little cars ought not to make fun of other grown men playing with silly little cars.

Just my $.02

As for stickers I think I want to see a universal "NO" (ring with red diagonal line through it) with LUCAS in the middle.

I also think "100% LUCAS free" would be a riot.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in good nature we all ought to make fun, but for real, we are at car events to have FUN, those that are there to harass others expect me to **** you off to the point that you want to leave. And likely be thanked by those you were bothering.

The Mini deserves all the respect it has earned for these many years. Some of that is in the form of the MINI existing. I have to say I am 90% likely to have only Minis soon, but that does not mean I dislike the MINI, just that I prefer the Mini. BEWARE MINI owners, you may well also fall in love with the classic and not want to turn back.

 

I think if I can make it look goood on my S I wamt the sticker "My other car is a Classic Mini but today I wanted to get there" and on the classic, "My other car is a MINI Cooper S but today I am in a hurry."

 

We've had several classic Minis as well as an early '02 MCS. I'm actually kicking around the idea of getting another MINI as long as I can have it served somewhere other than the dealership (that's why we got rid of our '02). As far as the capitalization, blame BMW / MINI. That's not a "classic mini owner" thing - but it does make it easy to differentiate between the cars.

I don't understand why people just don't leave eachother alone. I mean...if you want to own a new one...fine. Who cares! They get so worked up about it and spend so much time being angry.

The new MINI is a fun car, but it's certainly not "Mini". From what I can remember, it's a foot wider, 2 feet longer, 8 inches higher, and weighs twice as much as my '66 Cooper S. It's a friggin Lincoln Town Car. It's a fun hatchback though, and that's what it's all about.

 

That's the thing, it is not a Mini, but it is a cool fun car that by comparison to modern cars is Mini-like.

But hell, why have a hissie over it when the mere arrival of the MINI has boosted the sales, prices, and demand for Minis and their parts.

Frankly I'd almost always rather be driving my Mini, but a Mini **** giving me crap for my MINI, or harassing a MINI owner in earshot of me is sure to get an ear full.

That said the MINI owners who are afraid of Minis don't know what they are missing. I say it that way as the Mini IS an investment that takes allot of work and won't always work when you need it, though on the whole mine has been tough where it counts, even with it's flaws. I love my Mini, and hope more MINI owners come to own Minis as well.

 

I don't understand this guy, I mean does he know that MINI employs many of his countrymen...If he would read some history, the German and English connection of automobiles goes way back to the early days of the Austin , which if I remember correctly was also produced by BMW in the form of the DIXI..(this is early 1920's I think). What a hater this guy is....
I love them both, and I hope to have a classic one day when I have a garage to store it in....
Just my 2 cents

 

I have a MINI. The classic Mini owner's I have met have been gracious and interesting. I've sensed no hostility.

My interest in the new MINI is based on my interest in the classic. Never had one but did have a high school buddy who would drive his under trucks (also a friend with a Packard . . . which didn't capture my imagination) My particular vehicle need was not to have a hobby restoration project but a daily commuter which would be fun. Because of the fun I've attended a MINI/Mini event or two and would be an easy sell if a Mini meowed at my screen door. If it actually had cat fur it would help to convince my wife to let it in.

I've always had a bad VW habit . . . but was fortunate enough to be able to pass that on to one of my sons. His 82 Cabriolet is a constant reminder of exactly what older peoples cars bring into one's life . . . but a car a simple as a dutch bicycle . . . now that couldn't bring anything but joy, eh?

While I think about these things I motor along, my MINI's electronics thinking much more quickly and effectively, in carefree comfort.

 

After a few years of working a '93 Passat and a '97 BMW M3, I have started to believe that Lucas engineers never retire... they cross the Channel to work for Bosch...

 

Doh!