Thx for sharing. That has to be one of my favorite movies. The MINI's just says look at me I'm COOL!

 

Yeah... I wonder how many times members of this forum have collectively watched that movie. I account for either 6 or 7 times myself. Lost count.

I read once how many MINIs they used in making that movie. It was astounding... in the 20's or 30's if memory serves me.

I've wanted a MINI with a JCW body kit since I realized why those MINIs looked so awesome about the second time I saw the move. Finally getting one.

 

Every time I see it on TV no matter where in the movie it is I have to finish watching it.

 

Of course... the last 45 minutes, or so, are the best part !

 

I am going out for the day. Going for a ride through the foothills of No. CA.( Gold country ) Will work on my story tomorrow morning

 

If your story ends up being you found one in a dumpster, I'm going to be severely disappointed, trashman !

 

We got our MINI on Memorial Day last year.

My wife wanted to replace her twenty year old car with a MINI so we went to the dealership to check them out.

We test drove a coupe and then my wife and ten year old son saw our Clubman and wanted to test drive it. So the saleman gave us the key and $10 to top off the tank and said bring it back when you're done.

We took it up Mt. Tamalpais and around the Tiburon Peninsula and by the time we got back to the dealelrship the car was a part of our family.

I signed the papers and it's been our go to car for a year and we could not be happier with our choice!

 

Thx for sharing. One ride is all it takes.

 

i have always wanted a mini...but i live in china and commute to California to see my family and work. One day i had to go to the DMV to renew my drivers license. i took a taxi and the driver waited for me to get the deed done and take me back to the hotel. On the way back i asked him to drive by the mini dealer in torrance and take a look and he was ok with this. when we pulled up on the lot, there she stood, a british racing green JCW hardtop....all i could think was how fantastic it looked and when we drove it, it was amazing. the taxi driver was grinning as much a i was. this was probably the most impulsive thing i have ever done. my kids were so amazed that i would do this and of course they like driving it as much as i do....

Flash forward to 2013....i always like the look of the clubman and the hardtop is getting too cramped for my trips home and i really want to do some roadtrips when i am back in the USA, so i decided to order a 2013 JCW clubman, british racing green of course. so i obsessed over this order and i think drove my agent crazy with all the requests, but you know ordering it is half the fun, the waiting is agonizing but the day it arrived, i flew in to LA from Shanghai and the first thing i had to do was pick up the new car...it is amazing, so amazing, i decided to drive to Kansas City for my daughters graduation from graduate school, it was the most fun road trip i have ever had...

the mini cooper is such an amazing car, and i want to buy one to drive in China...but wow the markup is so high because of the taxes, so who knows perhaps i can find a good used one....

 

No dumpster story, but my love for these car was back in 1968 when a surf buddy of mine pulled up to beach with a classic mini S. It had 4 boards on top more boards then car. We called it THE PORSCHE EATER ! Some 30 years later my friend Rick bought a new 2003 MCS, that's when I started looking for my car. 10 years later I found a 2005 R53 that I made mine. Every time I drive this car I can not stop smiling!!!!!!!!

 

Because we were just talking about it yesterday, Program Alert: 2003 remake of The Italian Job is coming on in a few minutes on AMC network.

 

I have that on DVD and watched it two weeks ago. I have no idea what put me in the mood to watch it. :-D

Sent from my iPhone using NAMotoring

 

Maybe driving your MINI ? Looking at your MINI ? Just THINKING about your MINI ??

 

Lots of newbies, care to add your story?

 

I love my Countryman, but the day I got it was a big disappointment. My MA is just a putz. He was in a hurry to get home and I was kind of fed up with him and decided reading through the manual to figure out the options was a better deal for me anyway. So I drove her home with virtually nothing in the computer configured the way I wanted it and figured it out over the first weekend.

I also wanted the stripes on the day I purchased her but both the MA and dealer seemed uninterested in doing it after emails and phone calls to schedule an appointment to design the stripes went unanswered. I still don't have them. It is harder than I thought to find someone in SoCal to do them. I know a really good place in San Diego to do them, but that is a ways from my house. I have a line on one person in Huntington Beach that I'll call tomorrow. If he can't, then I'll just make a day of going to SD to get it done.

So, sadly, my first day wasn't that awesome. Each day has gotten progressively better.

 

For Me it was by lucky chance, I've always wanted a mini my uncle had a car he was going to sell asked if i wanted it.. I said no not really.
and we were chatting he then mentioned a friend of the family had a JCW 2009 he MIght sell.. *he wheels and deals cars a lot*
Anyway my eye's lit up like christmas trees, I told my uncle "Get him too sell me that car"

About a week went by I got a call, my uncle said he agreed gave me the figures asked if I wanted to proceed "Yes!!!" I quickly said.
now knowing the car was mine I waited... keep in mind I only new the car was Jcw and taken good care off and had low miles, never saw the car but like I said being we know this guy I was not too worried.

So then my uncle was like I have to take a trip you'll have to wait for about a week or two, if felt like a life time, finally the day came I flew over too pick the car up and got to see it my first time at the airport when I got picked up.
I instantly feel in love with Bella and hope to have her for many many years too come.
my drive home from Ca too Az was just a amazing way too start off with a car on the open road especially a mini I feel very blessed to have gotten this car and I still smile every time I find a excuse to drive her

 

I've generally had smaller hatchbacks for most of my cars with a few exceptions. I had a Chevy HHR that was lowered that was really a pretty decent car for me, but I hated the interior for how dirty it always looked.
I decided on a change and wanted a VW GTI/Golf but when I went to the dealership they were horrible. Their attitude really turned me off.
At this point I was with my brother who was driving and he went through the Honda dealership next door, yuck..it was then that I noticed for the first time in 8 years living here, that there was a MINI dealership on the other side of that one.
Now I had always dug the style of Mini but had never been in one before, my bro says "let go check them out", I'm like " I don't think I can afford one" knowing BMW bought them years before, we went to the lot.
As we cruised through I was telling him I really liked the look of the clubmans for my needs but their new selection was kinda pricey and didn't have the options I was looking for. So we walked to the other side where they keep the used cars and there it was, 2011 clubbie S PW w/black stripes and wheels and the options I wanted.
I drove it..but I was playing it cool. So the sales guy and I shoot the chit for a few and I'm goin to be sly and leave and think about it.
As we're driving away my bro says "If you like it, get it". I'm saying "Really?Today?
I'm kinda slow on bigger decisions and change..
But we drove my HHR back and it was over quick and painless. I stare at it every time I walk by it. I have a permagrin while driving it, I wish I had more places to go, lol.
Reading these forums has scared the hell out of me as far as breakdown/expenses are concerned but it all goes away once I push the start button.
I've just made my first payment, Now I'm going to change the stripes...motor on!

 

I enjoyed all your stories, thx for sharing.

 

One week before I brought my Mini home, I didn't really know the first thing about Minis; they weren't even on my radar, though I always thought they were cool. I'd been trolling Craigslist for a while to find a used car. Wanted something small with good fuel economy. Fast was preferable (of course ), but not essential.

When I saw the ad for the Mini that I ended up buying (see sig for details), I swooped on it! I'd been close on a couple other great deals -- had just missed out on a 2003 Audi A4 1.8T Avant Quattro (I love station wagons too! ) a few weeks earlier -- and called the seller of the Mini right when I saw it, which was about 10 minutes after the ad was posted.

The next day I went to check it out; brought along a buddy who is an expert in BMWs of that era, and had a computer scanner. After being impressed with the look over, test drive, and owner's story, I bought it. I'd worked hard and saved my money, and I paid cash, making the deal all the sweeter. I have not been disappointed in the month and a half I've owned my Mini. Have put almost 2,000 (s)miles on her already.