We MINI people seem to be an enthusiastic tight-knit group. How has your presence at other car clubs like BMWCCA, Britsh Car Clubs, Local Sports Car Clubs, etc.. been received? I am not near a active MINI club and am interested in attending a local "All British car" show & event. How are we perceived at these functions? A German car in British clothing? Your experiences please.

 

I looked up a local British car club close to home to me. All the requirements were, is that you have a British car. The majority of cars in the club were MG, MGB's, Spitfires, Triumphs, etc. I was the only new MINI. There was only 2 other original Minis there. Although some members were interested in gawking at my MINI, nobody was really all that intersted in talking about, asking about the new MINI or really caring about it. Some said it's not a true Brit car. Other said it wasn't a true Mini. They were more into their old style Brit-mobiles. Even on the street, as I pass some of these guys, I wave but they snub me or look at me like I'm on crack. Felt like I was out of place by being there with them. So that was the end of that, and am looking and hoping for a local MINI club to spring up. Meanwhile I hang out with a local import auto sport club.
But anywho, that may not be the response you'll get from every Brit car club out there. So just search them out for yourself and see how they are. And if you bump into some other new MINI owners, track them down and invite them with you so you're not the only one there with a MINI.
Cheers,

 

I'm in a mini car club but occasionally I hang out with some people in the VW clubs and go to their meets. Most of them are pretty cool and like the mini, a few people I talk to actually have bought a mini or are planning to get one in the future. Just because you have one type of car doesn't mean you can't hang out with another type of car club. We're all car lovers :smile:

 

I belong to both MINI & Miata clubs here in St. Louis. We're actually planning on having some mutual events. Also BMW, Jag,& VW have extended invites to both clubs. My Miata friends kid me a lot about having a MINI but they sure are interested in it when Louie shows up.

Lois

 

I've taken the MINI to the track days offered by the local chapter of the Quattro Club and got mobbed. An awful lot of instructors really wanted to offer instruction for the car. Of course, that also involved driving the car, since, you know, they need to be able to tell me how the car will react to certain conditions..

Local Quattro club meets... most of the people are curious about the car. They're generally very open-minded about different makes of cars, though.

 

I have always been welcomed by the local VW clubs here in Norcal, but then they all know me from my VWs.

 

I have been to:
BMW CCA local chapter functions- track day, car control clinic, cruises, poker run, etc. MINIs are very well accepted. We usually have anywhere from 2 to 7 MINIs at each thing.

British Car club- local chapter had a summer event- car show and invited MINIs and we had 6 or more. We were accepted since our cars are built in Oxford England and MINI heritage is from England. We also had classic minis as well.

Euro Car club- mostly VW jettas about 80+ of them in one car rally. We had 4 MINIs and they accepted us.

SCCA solo 2 races- Just went yesterday and the response was positive. My instructor (drives an STi) says he likes MINIs and how they handle even in stock form. He told me he liked the smell of leather, I have a one year old MCS with Lapis blue leather seats. We had 4 MINIs at solo 2. One won it's class.

Christmas Parade with other car groups-went well and won 3rd place for our MINI group.
Charity Fun cruise- Toys for Tots near christmas- had 11 MINIs and 100s of other cars in many groups and we were accepted.

I'd say that so far all car groups have been accepting of MINIs.

 

But minihune, the reception you received may not be that typical... I mean I've never met a mean or nasty Hawaiian! I'm sure they exist, but there aren't many of them!

 

I help organize our local British Car Day for the Jag club, and I made it a point to invite the New Mini folks as soon as they came out in 2002. Got some remarks that they were actually BMWs and not British, but I argued that they are as British as Jaguar is now that Ford owns them. We've had over 20 show up each of the last two years, and we welcome the infusion of fresh blood. We certainly don't get that many new Jags to come out. And the sticker on our new 04 MCS said content was 50% British.

 

2 of my buddy's (1 of them is Antranik on here) own MINIs and 1 of them an old Leland Cooper. We hang out often and go to the local car meet here in the valley that has everything from big-block domestics, go-fast rice like gutted Hondas with insane hp and mainstream european muscle like AMG benzes, BMW ///M cars and modded Audi's. The cars are very well recieved and we get a lot of positive feedback.

 

This is funny to me because I had a Miata that I sold to get the MINI and I was thinking about getting into a club for Miata's but Never did. I have had my Mini about two months now and I'm in a club for Mini's and on two Mini's Forums.
The Mini owners world seems very nice but I guess the MINI can make people happy.

I miss the Miata but that car gave me alot of trouble. Long story but ended up haven't to get a new engine!!!

 

Most sport compact crowd around here (civics, integras, neons) with
average age of 20year olds do not care for Mini's that much. Rather
they seem to dislike them thinking it is too trendy like the NewBeetles.

WRX, 350Z, Supra, Evo crowd seem to appreciate the Mini's more....but
these guys are usually looking at the MCS and looking to mod them like
they do their own cars. Average age is probably mid 20's to early 30's.

Not sure about the local American Muscle crowd and classics, etc.

 

Here in Tucson I get treated very well from the British Car Clubs, they make it a point to invite the MINI and Mini and MiNi clubs to participate.

There is even a Street Rod club that loves our MiNis and begs us to come to events...the classic Minis get more attention than the T-buckets, but they don't mind. And everybody loves comparing and asking questions about the New versus Classic MiNi.

We all seem to get along very well, and try to play nice.

 

I'm semi-active in the local British car clubs in my area. The MINI has been well received by the clubs, and I think many of them realize that the "future" of the clubs will revolve around cars like the new MINI and possibly the Lotus Elise than around the ever declining number of classic MG and Triumph owners (check your actuarial tables, the average age of many Triumph club members is deceased). In fact, next week-end July 18th to be specific, the British Car Club of Cincinnati is hosting its annual car show. The honored marques are the Mini and the MINI. Hope to see some of y'all there. I'll be there with Blubelle, or one of the MGs.

 

I own a 1969 deVille Convertible and the members of the Cadillac/LaSalle Club are all over my MCS when I bring it to meetings. They cannot believe the technology that is in the car.


regards,
Red

 

I took PKT RKT to my first BMWCCA Club race a few weeks back and I could not have been better received. Registration was incredibly helpful, and tech was an absolute breeze (I think the fact that the head of tech drove a Blue job might have had something to do with it)
Of course at SCCA autocrossersm all I have had is friendliness.

 

I'm president of the Import Car Club here at my local university, and my Cooper seems to sit well with all my chums. There's some good natured ribbing, but they respect my choice :smile: