So would you consider a MINI to now be a British car (Mini Cooper heritage, built in GB) or a German car (designed and manufactured under the BMW badge) ?

 

I would say it's German but what do I know. lol
Just my point of view.

 

I myself still think of the MINI as a British car. Even though BMW has done alot with the car its heart will always be British.

Cheers

 

I consider it British......but if pressed of course I'd have to say a little of both. I don't know what would have happened to the Mini if BMW had not intervened. Thank goodness they did...we owe them a debt of gratitude. The fact that 1) Mini heritage is overwhelming British in nature; 2) that BMW took great (almost insane) pains to see that the car continued to be built in England and; 3) the car is still wildly popular in the England, people who truly know their Minis, nudges the whole question towards the UK-ness of the MINI, if only slightly.

 

British, with a German grandfather, two English grandmothers, and one Brazilian grandfather (the engine). Travels under a European Union passport.

 

The sad thing is that it took Germans to bring the British heritage back.

 

LOL yes what he said! I am so mired in my own family's genealogy right now ...

It IS fascinating but what a lot of work!

Topic rescue: My MCS is a B r i t i s h car!

Tatt

 

The parts are German, but the heritage is British.

It's like a person with German genes being raised in a British family: culturally British with German ancestry.

 

The new MINI is unique. It's not all German and it's not all British. I refer to it as Berman. Sounds better than Gitish. That's also why when BRG was made available, they had to make a compromise between what the Germans wanted and what the British wanted. That's why BRG on the new MINI is actually Bavarian Racing Green.

 

British. It might have German engineering, but the concept is true British. I agree that we owe the Germans for bringing the Mini into the new melinium, but the car is British as British gets.

 

Mostly German. I don't buy into the heritage thing because I don't think our cars share anything with the originals but the name.

 

i think mine is British... haven't flipped it over yet so not sure.

 

The factory is British, the engineering and money are German, and the parts come from all over the world. There was an article in a National Geographic last winter that tells of how and where the parts come from to build a MINI.

I think of it as a World car

 

You had my idea......... Britman or Gertish.

I think of it as a German car the way I think of the Nissans, Mercedes, BMWs, Toyotas, Hondas etc built in places like Ohio, Alabama, South Carolina etc as Japaneese, German etc. not American. No doubt Frank Stephenson Moroccan born, high school in Madrid, college in Pasedena and trained at Ford, GM in the US and Europe before moving to BMW (last I heard he was with Ferrari) did an amazingly fine job of bringing this "world" car to be accepted as the heir to the all British "Mini" legacy while sourcing and engine designed in Detroit and built in Brazil.....freakin magic!

That this car does as many things well as it does is amazing and wonderful. Everyone loves to look at it, once you've driven it it is hard not to grin.....but the lecture is over..I'm preaching to not only the choir but my fellow Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Bishops etc.

 

Brazilian! :smile:

 

I like to think of it as a British car. It's British by heritage, styling and manufacture. It's German by engineering and capital ownership. A British car with German reliability is the perfect combination, imo. It, like every other car made today, has parts from all over the world. When I'm driving it, I feel like I'm in a British sports car. Most of the outside world thinks it's an economy car. All I know is that with the top down, Harley drivers give me the thumbs up when they pass by. :-)

 

ahHAHAHA too funny

I think my MINI looks really British but drives very German, and right now I'm extremely happy with the combination

 

Secretly, I'm glad the MINI is a hybrid of engineering and design. If the British produced the car exclusivly, they may have installed Lucas ignition and electrical componants.

Lucas, the prince of darkness.


Sometimes I think BMW over engineered these babies. But for the price they ship the car, we get an awesome value.

 

He is a Brit, that went to school in Germany and now works in USA... like duh.

(And while at school in Germany he learned to speak and cook Brazilian lol)

 

As soon as it starts leaving an oil puddle on the driveway I'll consider it British

 

Yep, I like to think of it as British, although it isn't really. Thank goodness no Lucas "darktronics" BUT to think that the '07 is going to have the infamous "I-drive" when Nav is ordered is enough to give me pause. Certainly no sane Brit would ever put such a disaster in their car by choice. Let's just hope Bangle is no where around.

 

Hilarious but... If it was "true Bavarian Racing Green" the stock MCS would ship with 250 horses!

I admit I spit out my coffee LOL when I read that! If you do DO flip it, take a minute to rub its tummy OK?

Don't let this get around but I'm a National Geo. subscriber (and I thought that article was really neat!) My MINI was only a few weeks old when that issue was mailed.

It's a gorgeous Fall day in Chicago and I'm feeling MINI gravity pulling me out the door for beer, detailing and pleasant contemplation aka watching the leaves turn...

Peace,
Tatt

 

British spirit, German engineering

 

I think of it as British. It is my second Brit vehicle: I ride a Triumph Sprint RS.

I seem to be drawn to them, but for various reasons. Several years ago I almost bought a Land Rover Discovery, and my wife just loves Jaguars.

Anyway:

What do you consider the Honda Accord. It is built in the US. Aren't they design them here too? Along with the Pilot? I think of them as Japanese.

The article in National Geographic is in the February '05 issue...very interesting.

 

The accord is a unique example. The american-market accord is 100% american because it's designed, built and sold for the US market. The accord for the rest of the world is what we call the Acura TSX.