<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> Steve said: In the UK at the time, buyers were much more brand-loyal, something that is still evident in some parts of the USA, and if a particular model was different, there were not enough free-thinkers (for want of a better term) around to make it a success. The Mini was the exception because (a) it was a bargain, every one being sold at a loss and (b) it became trendy...suddenly it was the accessory that everyone who was anyone (or who thought that they were) had to have one.
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Right and wrong at the same time... putting the U.K. aside, the last Mini "officially" sold in the United States was 1967, by which time only the Cooper or Cooper S was offered, while the Mini was sold continually from 1959 to 1980 up here in Canada.
I'm not sure if it was merely lack of sales or other legislative reasons that Mini sales in the States stopped that year, but my understanding is that Mini sales in North America (save the 1970's Mini 1000 model up in Canada) were fairly low.
Probably 99% of all classic Mini's in the States have been brought in from either Canada or elsewhere, there are very few LHD 1960's Mini's (ie. ones sold new in North America) left anywhere on the continent.
However sales of the Mini 1000 in Canada throughout the 1970's were very strong, and that shows in the number of them still left up here.