I should have added to my earlier post, the parts may come from a zillion countries, but over 50% are British. Adding assembled in UK, I just consider it British. As for the next generation... ?

 

Total agreement

 

I agree!!

 

are u guys talkin' about early MINI's or all MINI's cuz it was to my understandin' that the mini car is not a BMW, not till 05 when BMW took over the group.

if u look at the guts of the motor it has a slew of crysler products on it and not all BMW components!!

 

MINI ('02-'06) is, and has always been owned and run by BMW. The Cooper is a BMW product. The engine is a BMW-Chrysler joint project, but the rest of the car is all BMW.

I'm not sure where you heard they took over in 2005? That's incorrect.

 

well i got it from a few service advisors after complainin' over noises and such they told me "this is not a BMW so its not going to run solid like a BMW"

so i looked into it and found out that there are a few chrysler components on this small wonder...
and as far as the BMW takin' over the whole project in 05 i read it in motoringfile.com thats why the new body change due to renault power plant.
it doent bother me at all but sure wish the facts about this kool car where clearer????

 

See it IS a British car!!!

Be sure to continue your research...this ain't so.

 

BMW has always owned MINI. BMW basically designed, and marketed the MINI brand. They didn't buy it once the car was develped.

The engine in the '02-'06 Cooper is a Chrysler engine built in Brazil. Next year, the car gets a BMW-PSA engine, to replace the current Chrysler engine.
Reguardless of engine, the MINI "brand" was created by BMW, they didn't buy it.

This is only relating to the current "new" MINI (all caps). The old Minis were not BMWs.

 

have to agree w/it beign a british car, those darn noises

 

 

lol, the BBC wrote that.. but thats not what a BMW spokesperson quoted.

This from BBC, same article:

"Mr Bickmann also insists that the Mini is not a small BMW."

Mr Bickmann is assembly director of BMW Group in Oxford.

Soooo... if you want a small BMW, get a 1 series.

As for the MINI driving like a BMW, that is horsesh*t. There is not a single BMW out there that drives like the MINI.

 

You need to call some BMW executives so that they can set you straight, because you definitely aren't listening to anyone here.

The MINI definitely is a brand (you probably will not ever believe this, even if the BMW execs told you so). Cooper is the Model.

You've got it all wrong, and yet refuse to receive help or enlightment from anyone.

 

Lol, first of all, if the factory is a BMW factory, then thats only because BMW own it.

The Oxford plant used to make Classic Minis. When BMW bought the Rover group, they got all the factories and what not. When they divided it up, and kept Mini, they subsequently kept the Mini factories. The oxford one was then converted to make the new car. The one they call the MINI.

I believe the owner of the factory is insignificant. The factory is in England. You have real English people putting the bits together. English Car. English Factory. English name.


TO be really honest about it, I think the MINI is a British built, German engineered car. So it's German as much as it is English.

But to say that it is NOT English is just dumb. To say it is not German might be ok though - wrong, but ok.

 

I'll have to go with world citizen, with distinct British accent.
Built in UK, with German Designwork and an engine from brazil Built through a combined effort with Chrysler., Yup world citzen.

I had a Jeep Rangler, from a company owned by the gremans and built 100% in Canada.
Welcom to the new world order.
Ever try and find a pair of shoes not made in China?
But I degress....

 

Completely agree

 

Who really cares? I don't . I've owned my MC for over 2 years now.Have put over 57K miles on it. It belongs to me now, no matter where it came from.

 

 

this reminds me... on my recent trip to the oxford plant, i was told that BMW plans to continue to increase the number of parts of the MINI that are made in England.

 

I have the same problem with my own heritage . . . and as much as I'd like to understand electricity I'm afraid I've got the Lucas gene from my mother. I'm completely in the dark as to what I may mean!

I play a lot of soccer and although I'd like to think I've got the mental dicipline of the German game, in fact, a Scot sperm or two apparently dashed over the wall . . . I'm just not at all apologetic to my opponent . . . (why doesn't he just get up?) Despite my heritage, thank God for a Sicilian wife so I don't have to eat either English or German food.

I've yet to understand the character of my Mini. Two thousand miles only so far. It has British logic to its switches and gauges . . . (naturally you expect to pull the handle twice for the door to open). It certainly drives like a BMW and not the Morris Minor which I first threw in gear (and in fact could get through all four gears before crossing the intersection). Hollywood British . . . no worries about oil dripping onto your sock from the pressure gauge fitting or complete lack of visability in the rain because, of course, an authentic British car shouldn't get wet.

The true test: I find my self drinking English stout after a drive.

 

In concept the Mini maybe British but in execution it is clearly German. And one could argue that even in conept there is a bit of German in there. Don't forget the Germans had the small car idea way before the Brits did with the Isetta and the bug.

 

If you really want some good info on the subject....chapter 2 in the well researched book The New MINI by Paternie is excellent.

I don't type fast enough to do all the quotes but the original Mini was conceived as a "defense" against the "bubble cars from Germany."
Rover had already started on the development of the new MINI when they were sold...... (interesting)... who knows how much of the Rover design was used or incorporated? There are some nice quotes (from ranking officers of the BMW corp) from Dr. Norbert Reithofer, member of the board of production and management "The MINI Cooper is a genuine Mini, not a BMW. It was a way for BMW to tap the entry level luxury market." Stephenson himself is quoted as saying " For the brand's (note the use of the word "brand") new products, our mission was to combine the emotional power of the original model with the technology of the future." (which was the reason he was hired bt Ferrari)

It really is good reading and like I said well researched

 

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