Mini...dumb question

I hesitate to ask this question as it will offend someone out there who is a pureist. But, how do we classify New Minis...BMW is a German company, the old Minis were British. The same was true when the new MG-F was owned by BMW...later bought by a group who has re-named the company MG Car Company. But the question is...Pure British...which cars are pure british in Design and Manufacture ? That DOES NOT take away from the value, pride, road fun, looks, or anything else ( please mini-guys...I am not starting a war here...just wondering ). I am going to purchase a Mini as soon as the funding is avail...my wife wants one NOW. Minis are just one of the latest to be merged under dual citizenship. There have been other cars with similar pedigrees over the years ie Volkswagen owns Bugatti, Nash Metros were American cars built 100% in England, and so on.
Where and how do we homogenize the system to allow for these mergers within the British or American or Bavarian collector car categories ?

Steven, If you don't allow for foreign ownership, there aren't many british cars left. I think if the car is built in GB, with a British heritage, you could consider it a British car.

On the other hand, The MINI is a lot more like a beemer than it is like a Mini. Very nice car, and I'm glad they kept the name alive. I just wish they would have built it to compete and uphold the Mini's racing heritage.

Just my 2 cents.

I like the new MINI! But, some classic mini owners do not, and have given them derogatory monikers like BINI and BEON. Would love to have a new S to trailer my classic to the shows....

Well, well...a familiar face.

Good to "see" you BS. I agree, a new "S" would be perfect for towing the "real" Mini. I love the light blue. One of the nicest car colors I've seen in a long time.

I'm still not sure if I consider MINI a British car, despite it's place of build. People still consider the VW New Beetle a German car, and it's built in Mexico City. Part of me wishes they'd just badged it BMW 1-series and gotten it over with, part of me is glad the Mini name is still around. I'll probably look into getting one when they flood the used market in a year and a half when A.)the Miata;s paid for, and B.) the trendoid types who paid too much finally get rid of them, having taken a nice hit on the depreciation front.
-Wm.

I also like the new Mini and wish I could justify buying one.....but it's impossible for me to see it as a British car. My Miata, with it's "Lotus Elan heritage" is *just* as British as the new Mini.
At the Moss Fallfest (a Britcar only show) there were two Cobra kitcars entered(a friend of mine ownes one of them)....but if I'd come with my old Alfa, I couldn't have entered it in the show (and I'm OK with this)...is a Chevy powered, American kitcar really British?...does this seem right? While we're at it, I can acccept Deloreans, but are (Honda) Stirlings really British?
I guess we'll continue to see this type of thing as vehicles crossover in terms of manufacturing sites. Our old Honda was built in Maryland and I think our Isuzu is built in Illinois. We had a GEO built in Canada and a Renault built in Kenosha, Wis.
I guess the term is "British inspired".

Since I posed the question and have received the answers that I too had in my head...I have an idea. How about a Family Tree of each vehicle ? I am one who agrees that the real pleasure is the FUN of driving and the pride of ownership. But, I was wondering if you all felt as confused as I. Apparently you do.
Cobra Kits at an all Brit show...because the heritage/design is a great grandson of an AC Bristol ? That was pushing it beyond my acceptance.
What show would I take a Volkswagen powered MG kit car ? Or Ford Pinto powered Mercedes ? OR ???
Oh well, lets all have fun and drive them to Gallup NM.

Cheers, Steve

Family tree for a 1980 MGB
Mother 1971 MGB
Father 19-- MGA
Grandmother MG TC

Since I posed the question and have received the answers that I too had in my head...I have an idea. How about a Family Tree of each vehicle ? I am one who agrees that the real pleasure is the FUN of driving and the pride of ownership. But, I was wondering if you all felt as confused as I. Apparently you do.
Cobra Kits at an all Brit show...because the heritage/design is a great grandson of an AC Bristol ? That was pushing it beyond my acceptance.
What show would I take a Volkswagen powered MG kit car ? Or Ford Pinto powered Mercedes ? OR ???
Oh well, lets all have fun and drive them to Gallup NM.

Cheers, Steve

Family tree for a 1980 MGB
Mother 1974 MGB
Father 19-- MGA
Grandmother MG TC
Grandfather MG TD

Son MG F ?
granddaughter MG TF ?

Ex-wife and her husband
Fiberfab VW MG TC one Purple and one 4WD

Red-neck Brother-in_Law MGA with a Big
block Chevy and
Racing slicks

Do you think the new minis will start a trend toward two tone paint jobs like we saw in the 50s and 60s on new cars?

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by 66 fhc:
Do you think the new minis will start a trend toward two tone paint jobs like we saw in the 50s and 60s on new cars?<hr></blockquote>

I hope so!

I have been into minis for over 31 years and had better than 20 classic minis.I now own a new Cooper and a Cooper S.It,s not a mini but it carries alot of the great things the classic did.Fun to drive,fun to look at and draws a crowd wherever it goes.I have retired from classics.Don't have time and desire to work on them anymore but it is a great thing to see a mini meet with the mix of both cars.
Hotelcalif

I tend to think of the new Mini as a BMW 116.

BMW told the UK press in 1994 that any replacement would be as radical today as the original was in 1959. Which, plainly, it isn't.

More radical was the Spiritual concept, but that's another story.

Thing is, there are two sides to the original Mini, and it appears that in this day and age you can't reconcile them. The Mini was essentially designed as the minimum envelope needed to carry four people and their luggage. Primarily, it was an exercise in reconfiguring the mechanical components of the car and making them subservient to the needs of the people who were going to use it. That it also happened to outgrip just about anything was a bonus. It did this by virtue of its low centre of gravity, double wishbone IFS, and wide track.

The Mini 2000 design team believed that marrying the sporty side of the original car with its brilliant packaging just could not be done if the car were to meet the requirements of today's safety legislation.

In other words, you can't have it all these days. You can't build a small, light, ten foot long, four seat, crash resistant car. So they didn't try. If you can think of a way of doing it write to: BMW AG, Munich, Germany. I'd love a new Mini that truly reflected the spirit of the original.

And people don't really like minimalism these days. We want airbags, SatNav, aircon, and all the rest of it. And all that takes up space and adds weight.

The BMW car is more in the spirit of an earlier BMC car, the Morris Minor: it uses current technology to the best possible effect but it does not really break new ground.

And another thing. The BMW car was "styled" first and packaged later. In other words some bloke drew a pretty picture of what he felt the car should look like, a mock-up was made, and then the engineers had to figure out a way of getting the people and the oily bits to fit.

The original was schemed around the people who were going to use it and it evolved around this minimal package. In other words, it was developed from the inside out, and styling was never a consideration.

New Mini = style over substance. The original was the reverse of that equation.

Hmmm... Is the New Mini british? Or is the Honda Odyssey Japanese?

In these global days there are parts from all sorts of countries in the average car. That second question above... The only place in the world where the Honda Odyssey mini van is built is Alliston, Ontario, Canada. I have driven several La Grande RHD mini vans (aka Odyssey for Japan) that have been built there, as I used to work at the factory.

Back to the first question, built in Britain makes it British theoretically, although head office is in Germany. Then is the Honda Odyssey Canadian? Try telling that to a Honda owner. Also its likely that most new Civic sedans sold in North America are from that same Ontario factory, as that is their other main product produced there.

OK, so I'm going in circles here, but there is a point there somewhere... I think... The world is changing rapidly, and it is much harder to classify cars now...

I purchased one of the new minis in March. An impulse buy that I do not regret!

Is it British? I have had it in the shop for a broken clutch cable, glove box latch failure, and some odd electrical problem with the airbag sensors (twice). The maint. record alone lets me know it is a lot closer to a LBC than a BMW.

I also have two Spitfire4's (63 and 64). I am use to little problems poping up....but heck, thats have the fun!

It has already leaked a fluid on my garage floor!

Therefore, it MUST be British!

Made in Oxford. So when asked where it is from, I answer England! I have got to get a little Union Jack sticker for it.

If BMW still owned MG Rover the Mini would be considered far more a British car as it would not be sold through BMW dealers but Rover.

Although I'm not sure how it would have been sold in the States...

Oh and Hi everyone - my first post !

Hi Alex and welcome! What do you drive?

Hi aeronca65t !

Being a poor student I'm driving nothing. But you can be sure my first car will be a Mini !

The North America Automobile Show (Detroit) had a MINI with the American flag painted on the roof. Hozit drive? My neighbor has a Jeep CJ5, a Miata and a new MINI, The Miata stays in the garage, and the Jeep stays in the driveway.

I suppose someone could gut a MINI if they wanted a lighter car with fewer amenities, but it would be nice if BMW would sell a "Sport" already stripped. I am sure they make more money loading them up, though, and they appeal to a wider market that way

For me, it really sucks that the German's designed the new Mini .. there is something askew with the breeding. However, I am glad to see the new Mini and I feel they have done a great job with it, keeping the retro traits of the originals. I wish the govermnent would revitalize the British car industry which was systematicaly destroyed by the unions in the 70's/80's. The reality is, however, the British car industry is lost.