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Aug 10, 2009 - Mr. Bean To The Rescue

Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Bayerische Motoren Werke AG said it delivered 109,923 vehicles in July, 13 percent less than in the same period a year before. BMW saw a 0.3 percent increase in sales of its Mini-branded cars, whilst Rolls-Royce vehicle sales fell 56 percent.

“Over the course of the next months we will see BMW Group sales continue their gradual upward trend,” said Ian Robertson, BMW’s sales chief, in an e-mailed statement today. “I am confident we will continue to expand our market position in the premium segment for 2009 as a whole and be able to maintain our position as leading premium manufacturer.”

Now there's an optimist for you. Sales down 13% from a year ago and the MINI brand up a MINI 0.3% and he's talking about BMW continuing a "gradual upward trend".

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Nov 13, 2008 - Silent Is Cool?

BMW is going to lease 500 electric Minis in New York, New Jersey, and California beginning early next year.

Will a Mini without engine noise still be cool? According the the Green Car Advisor more than 9,000 people must think so as they are interested in leasing one - at $850 per month.

I always knew that cool came with a price tag. That must make the electric Mini really cool!

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Sep 13, 2007 - Jumping the Shark

InsideLine has a story up about their first look at the 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman.

The original Mini  was produced by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 to 2000 and since I'm old enough to remember all of that time period, the Mini was kind of an automotive icon for all that time. The first time I saw a race that involved only these little cars I was intriguiged by the idea of everyone racing with the same equipment. They may not have been the most powerful racing cars, but it seemed a truer test than who had the deepest pockets. My local Datsun/Nissan dealer even had an early 60's Mini in British racing green sitting in their showroom for a number of years.

Then in 2001 the new Mini was launched, and even though it was slightly different from the original, it still captured that Mini "feel" for me, in an updated, 21st century sort of way.  From following the discussions in the Mini Cooper group I know there are issues with parts and service availability, odd sized tires on some models that are hard to find, but in general it still looked like a car that I could enjoy for just driving around for the pleasure of driving.

With the introduction of the 2008 Clubman, I have to ask... Has Mini jumped the shark? Perhaps it's just the photos, and maybe I'd see it in a different light in person, but the Clubman loses some of the essence of Mini for me. With the added length and barn doors it gives me the impression of being a stylish version of the Honda Element, which sort of moves Mini in the direction of being more like the crowd and less standing out from the crowd. What's next? The four-door Mini with third row seating? Perhaps a Mini SUV? Surely not a Mini van?

Once the Fonz jumped that shark, things were never the same in Milwaukee. Pat Morita left Arnold's, and even though Al Molinaro was a nice guy and kept the name on the place, something was lost.

It's a tricky thing,
automotive heritage
Stale, or nostalgic?

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