If lucas made bits that worked mini's wouldn't be mini's.

Thank god BMw bought rover or my mini would never have been made!

Dev

 

I posted in this thread last year, since then MANY more MINI's have popped up in my area, my attitude has changed, I no longer wave at the new ones after getting mostly weird looks or outright rude sneers back from them, at the grocery store I spotted a nice looking new one and went around to park next to it, I said HI !, and the woman driving it huffed off, I wanted to leave a card with some Birmingham MINI club info on it but after seeing her reaction I didn't think she would be interested, I've quit inviting the new owners around here to any of the club events, I don't like rude people no matter WHAT they drive, Manuel

 

That's too bad Manuel B but don't close yourself off from new MINI owners. I've made some great new friends in that crowd. Also, some women can react oddly when approached by a strange (strange as in unknown ) man. It happened to Hotelcalif a couple of times. Not every new MINI owner has the potential to be an enthusiast but some do.

And when I think about it, there are a few Mini owners I have found rude too. There are some in every crowd.

 

QueenB, I think that when they first arrived the people buying them knew about them from their previous versions, or just liked the looks and character of the car, but now that it's become more popular and a cult-car, I think quite a few of the rude ones were driving Excursions, Escalades and Suburbans a few months ago, then the kids got old enough to drive so mom gets a MINI because she see's some "cool" people in town driving them, but keeps the Hummer, nose in the air attitude, they are missing some fun get togethers, but snobs would be no fun to be around anyway, Manuel

 

There are a few new MINIs popping up here in Key West and I stop and talk to them or wave and such...some of them are friendly and wave back, some are too busy talking on their cell phone, others just blow by...but I keep waving and being friendly...Yesterday, one of the ones that don't acknowledge a wave, waved back...and two weeks ago, I met the President of the local autocross club in a restaraunt parking lot...he owns a pretty blue MINI S. (He was one of the non-wavers... Mom likes to say,"They didn't read the owner's manual..." I even have stickers on my rear window of people waving...slowly but surely, the non-wavers are coming around. Don't stop being friendly, it's unbecoming of a MINI owner. Mick/Blue

 

Let us know if you have an idea, Manuel. Our little club is always looking for something to do. Actually, we'll be meeting up with the Birmingham group next weekend.

If I see a MINI and they don't wave. I don't think anything negative about it. Maybe they didn't see me or what I feel is happening more and more everyday. They bought a MINI because of gas prices. Not everyone is an enthusiasts like mentioned earlier. So don't feel bad when others don't enjoy your passion towards the Mini/MINI.

I saw it in the early days of NAM(MCO). Some people were buying a MINI only to impress their friends. Now it's for economy. The true enthusiasts are here to stay while the others come and go. There is no reason to be rude to a MINI or Mini owner. Each have their likes and a real enthusiasts enjoys many cars. Not just the one they own.

 

I'm a new Mini owner and I wave, nod, acknowledge but more often than not I get the ignored or the "gas face". I have seen some really friendly people peering over from the other side of the highway in their mini's and we acknowledge. Heck I get more smiles and thumbs up from the non-mini drivers. The reality is that people at their base/core are just too angry, rude and unfriendly now-a-days...Unfortunately you see it all the time, even on online forums.

 

Its no different than any other brand. The uninformed always say stupid stuff. No different than with my old Porsche (was'nt that a VW?) and the water pumpers and my old Mustang. Until they look at the historical value and chararter of these older classics we won't get any respect - aka Rodney Dangerfield - bless his heart.

 

I love both...

This is just lkek the war Between Old VW's and New VW's. I've owned both and i've loved both.

In the VW world we have a saying "Respect your Elders" and i belive the same thing in the mini/MINI world. I respect the Older Minis as i respect the new MINIs

 

I just got back from Mini Meet West. Many more Minis than MINIs. We all seemed to get along well. It was sweet to have power . . . and I'll admit that at the base of a long freeway grade I just put the petal down and didn't see the Minis I'd been cruising until they got back to the hotel. We all seemed to get around the curves at about the same speed. We all wanted to figure out the location of the best car wash. We all admired each other's cars.