The current Pontiac GTO is a Hoolden Monaro. Chevy is using the same platform? I love GM, not!

 

It's amazing how many parts of the country still have not ever seen or heard of the MINI..:smile: Since they are only sold and serviced in certain states as we all know, I guess it makes sense...it's our job to get out there an educate them...

Donna
02' CR/W MCS (gone to MINI heaven - burned up)
05' Cool Blue MCSC "Ariel"
05' HB/W MCS "Gizmo"

 

So true.

Last spring, our MINI club was stopped at a rest area (there were maybe 20 of us), only 45 miles south of Portland. An older gentleman walked up to me and asked "What in the h*ll are those? I've never see anything like that before."

Even though there is a MINI dealer in both Portland and Seattle. Not everybody knows what they are, nor have they seen them.

Shoot. We bought ours in Ohio, and drove it back to Oregon, and on the way, people looked at us like we were martians in a spaceship sometimes. Especially in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.

Now, in Southern California, Portland, Seattle, Miami etc.... it seems they are everywhere.

Regarding the BMW/ MINI connection. Money, parts, R&D and engineering come from BMW. It's still a stand alone product, but it sure shares plenty with it's mama. (example: My freinds X5 has the exact same sunroof switch as our MINI. The X3 has basically the same glass moonroof. The keys and electronics are shared, and on and on and on....

It doesn't make it any less cool of a car.

 

If you can look at BMW's balance sheet you will see the Mini shows up there and that is the bottom line. Call it what you will it is owned, operated and controlled by BMW from concept to cash

 

Do you call a Rolls Royce a BMW?? .... It appears on their Balance SHeet....

 

I try and measure up the potential 'comprehension' of the persona asking who makes the car. Generally I say it's made by a company called MINI, it's an all-new design car made in England. That usually suffices. Those who keenly question further get the response that the MINI division is owned by BMW, the same way Jag is owned by Ford but are separate entities.

 

lady: nice car!
me: thanks
lady: does honda make that?
me: nope, bmw does.
lady: ooh, i like a guy with class.
me: yeah! that's right!

 

I Like My MINI Cooper! I like its DaimlerChrysler engine [from Brazil]. I like its Continental tires from the Czech Republic. I think I like its Getrag 5-speed [from Germany] even though I guess it's a Ford of Europe product.
I like its big dangly cupholder. A lot.
There are some things I'd like to change; I'll either get used to them, or change them, or work around them.

I like that MINI is a division of BMW. BMW is more than BMWs.

Regarding Montanans, we in fact ARE Martians on a spaceship. If we could only get out of this dagnabbit orbit rut!
Bought my MC in Ohio in April, drove home via Kansas City. One of these days I'll make a Travel Story. Lots of windshield pictures; mostly all that changed was the number & color of the bugs on the windshield. There's lots of Flat America. I didn't see many MINIs on the road; I think Ann Arbor MI must have the most MINIs per capita of anywhere I've been.

 

[QUOTE=mbabischkin]
Did you know that the new Chevy Monte Carlo is based on the Australian Auto Maker Holden's Monaro and is actually built in Australia in the Monaro plant? Good luck trying to convince your average American that the car is a Holden...QUOTE]

That's the Pontiac GTO you're thinking of. The Monte is still a good old American rental car.

 

I've had this one:


Q: What kind of car is that?

A: It is a MINI Cooper.

Q: Minnie Cooper? Who is she? ...and what does she have to do with the car?

A: I must admit, that was pretty funny.

 

Where I live I actually have very, very few (like no) questions about my MINI or it's origins. Maybe it's because we have a MINI showroom right in our "smallish" town...maybe because there are more and more MINIs floating about now...or because the people most interested just put their curiosity to rest and went out and bought one of their own. It could also be because, over time, word got around not to ask questions of that over-the-top crazy guy w/ the blue and white MINI....that's also quite feasible.

 

Yes to those that pointed this out, I brain farted there.. But the point still remains.

 

When I come off the highway on my 50 mile commute into the city, having just driven through a winter storm, Poco caked in snow, and stop at the gas station, on the edge of the city to fill-up, folks give me a thumbs-up. They just did the same thing, and know how hard it was to do it in their SUV, well the SUVs that did not end up in the ditch.

Not many MINIs around here, but most folks know what they are. I mostly get asked about MPG. When I tell them, they the look back at their SUV with a sad face

 

And not just the MINI either. What about Jaguar, Aston Martin and Range Rover? Then there are many boutique car companies such as;

TVR
Bristol
Caterham
Morgan
Noble

Also I understand there is a Nissan manufacturing plant there too near Newcastle.

 

Erm, the design was ROVER....

 

fueling my classic Mini at a local Racetrac gas stop...

Lady (on other side of pump)..."Is that electric?"

me (with gas nozzle in filler neck) => , uhm, no. It'd be gasoline powered.


dumber than 32 chickens.....

 

This is FUNNY!!! "Here's your sign."

 

I get nearly the same exact conversation....

 

and it seems to be based on the type of car. Like most people would say I have a BMW, or I have a Porche. But say you had a nissan or toyota, most people would say I have a maxima or I have a scion.


So basically depending on your type of car you'll either refer to it by the makers name or the type. For a Mini I'm not going to say hi I own a cooper I'm going to say hi I own a Mini.


Howard

P.S. I very rarely if ever try to bring up the fact that BMW owns Mini (besides I think that was the worst possible thing they did letting them buy them - IMHO)

 

The worst thing? lets not exagerate. If someone asks if its a Porsche It's a compliment IMHO, because it handles as well as the 911's. The boxters are in a lower level. And I love the MINI's built, BMW saved it. I also say "its a MINI", but it's impossible not to see BMW's hand, again my HO.

 

I wonder who else would have stepped up to keep it going.

I'm really glad it was not GM, Ford, or Dodge

Toyota, maybe.As long as they did not use their cookie cutter.

BMW at least had the best slogan, Ultimate Driving Machine

 

I'm also glad that BMW was the one that stepped up to the plate. The qualities that make BMW's great driving cars are the same that make the MINI such a great driving car.

 

With relatively normal people asking these questions you can just give up after a while. It's dealing with the DMV and insurance where it gets painful.
"What kind?"
"Mini"
"Who makes it?"
"Mini"
"But what is it?"
and on and on...

That was with the MINI.
Now try it with a 29 year old Mini that doesn't show up on the insurance chart and then deal again with the DMV.
It can be sort of fun if you are in a good mood.
Oh, did I mention EZ Pass? Ouch!!

 

Whats that a__________?

Yup, bye, have a nice day.

They leave happy, & you leave with extra time to white-out anything that associates BMW with Mini

 

Hard to white out your control arms (straight from the e46 3 series), rear latch release, keys, sunroof switch, motion detector cover, etc that all come from BMW.............