Mini

Note: This contest is now closed! So, our November contest? Well, think about this. We all have those stories, those used-to-haves or near misses. We all can tell tales of “the one that got away.” Sometimes they are cars that would now be worth wheel-barrows full of money. Sometimes they are cars that saw us through tough times or good times or were just near and dear to our hearts. There are cars that we had that we had to let go of due to growing families, or career changes, or simple changes in fortunes. There are other cars that we almost bought but that slipped through our fingers or were snatched from our grasp. I used to have a yellow Triumph TR250. Sure it needed work, but it was solid and fun. But this was 1987 when I was […]

Entrance costs – $25/vehicle (Route book cost & donation see below)  & $15 per person for BBQ Saturday night Entrants receive – basic Route Book & event Decal Start/Finish – Mission Springs Restaurant & Pub, Mission, B.C. 2 days <950 kilometres on southern B.C. Roads Overnight – Lake Country Inn, $75 plus taxes – Entrants book & pay Entrants provide own meals, fuel & extras Lunch at Quilchena Hotel on Saturday – they will be ready at 1 p.m. BBQ with VMC Member Ron & Janet Lockwood, Saturday To Book a Room – contact Lake Country Inn, mention ‘VMC Drive’ Email:  [email protected]   or  Phone: 1-250-766-4928 PLEASE confirm ENTRY by September 15th for numbers of Route Books and for Lunch & BBQ NOTE:  Event will contribute to Cardiac Care program at Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, B.C.

This year we chose a new location, Kingsport/Blountville, Tennessee as the base for our 3 day driving adventure. It’s located near some amazing mountains and rivers setting the scene for some breathtaking drives through Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. As with all of our CMU events, we like to drive, and that’s what we’ll be doing. We will have drives each of the three days with plenty of stops and things to see. Add in the nighttime activities, and you have the most amazing classic Mini event in North America! But wait, there’s more! This event will have a Hawaiian theme entitled Kalaiwa Wikiwiki Mauka, meaning, driving quickly towards the mountains. While we won’t have the Hawaiian beaches, we will have mountains, water, and a lot of tacky tourist in full Hawaiian dress. If you were at the Hippie […]

The reinvention of the MINI brand continues apace with the launch of the all-new MINI Convertible. With major refinements against its predecessor, the car features a striking new design and significant enhancements to make open-topped MINI motoring even more dynamic, stylish and practical.

OK, I will admit it, I love Minis. I love old ones and new ones and large ones and small ones and … well, you get the picture. Something about the A-series engine, the transverse drivetrain, and the squat looks just appeal to me. Yes I drive a Vanden Plas Princess 1100, but in truth, all forms of the ADO16 are just large Minis. Yes, I said it. And I mean it. Anyway, our video this week is titled “Owning A Classic Mini”. Just below the clip you will see the information about the young man who made the video and why. I think it is a wonderful effort and just goes to show the kind of devotion these cars inspire.   Here is a short look into what it’s like to own a Classic Mini. Before I brought the […]

Another new chapter has opened in the regeneration of the MINI model family, with the launch of the new MINI Clubman. Following the success of the re-energised MINI 3-door Hatch and the successful launch of the MINI 5-door Hatch, the new model offers customers a premium vehicle featuring the highest level of ride refinement ever seen in a MINI. The car’s much-loved signature design feature – its split rear doors – are retained, while accessibility and everyday usability are further enhanced thanks to four full-sized side doors. The resulting car is a powerful fusion of sleek lines, innovative touches and first-rate materials with generous space for five occupants, excellent luggage capacity and classic MINI driving characteristics. With a more mature and sophisticated design, the new MINI Clubman’s dimensions are larger than those of the previous generation MINI Clubman. It’s also […]

MINI USA introduced Thursday the newest addition to its iconic product line, the new MINI Convertible. As the first open top MINI powered by BMW Group engines and architecture, the new MINI Convertible is a premium four-seater soft-top convertible that is both practical and customizable for unlimited open-air motoring fun. Like all other MINI models in the product portfolio, the new MINI Convertible is made for individualization, setting the new standard in the premium convertible market. It offers a choice of 11 exterior color options, including the new Caribbean Aqua, which harkens back to the classic MINI color palette, ideal for the fun-loving enthusiast, and Melting Silver, recently introduced on the new MINI Clubman, a cool and modern finish perfect for the open air thrill seeker.

Contrary to what some people may think or say – the British car manufacturing industry is in pretty good shape. Every 20 seconds, a brand new vehicle rolls off the production line somewhere in Britain. Last year, Britain built more cars than France, and one single plant, Nissan Sunderland, made more cars than the whole of the Italian car industry put together. Meanwhile, seven out of 10 Formula 1 teams are based in Britain, including Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Lotus, Williams, Force India and Manor (Marussia). And the UK doesn’t just make cars, they also build engines – one in three Fords sold globally in 2014 had their engine built in either Bridgend or Dagenham. Building Cars Live is a new two-part documentary that takes viewers into the fascinating world of the car manufacturing industry, with presenters James May, Kate […]

Ferman MINI of Tampa Bay and The Tampa Bay Austin Healey Club are sponsoring the 26th Annual All British Car Show and Autojumble. This event is being held on Saturday October 25 on Main Street in downtown Safety Harbor, FL, rain or shine. The All British Car Show is the biggest car show on the west coast of Florida dedicated to British cars and motorbikes. The event opens at 8:00 AM with all cars in position by 10:00. Awards will be presented at 2:30. The Beatles Tribute “Nowhere Band” will be in the bandstand, there is a silent auction, car accessory vendors, event regalia, and plenty of food and shopping in downtown Safety Harbor to make this a fun day for the family. This event is a fund raiser for Special Olympics Pinellas County, a very worthwhile cause for children […]

Voting is hotting up in a new global poll by Classic & Sports Car magazine to find the best British car of all time, with the much-loved Jaguar E-type taking a narrow lead with just a few weeks to go until the poll closes. Once referred to as the most beautiful car ever by Enzo Ferrari, the E-type is just edging out its nearest rival, the Mini Cooper S, but with polls at www.classicandsportscarshow.com open until 1st August, there’s every chance that lead could change hands.

Mini Meet West 2015 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Abbotsford ‘The City in the Country’ is located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver and in the heart of the Fraser Valley. Mini Meet West is an annual gathering of Mini enthusiasts and owners of both the Classic and New MINI. Participants come from all over Canada, the USA, Mexico and as far away as Europe. Last year’s event included approximately 180 registrants & participants. With MMW2015 being held in the city of Abbotsford, June 29 through July 2, 2015, the hosts are expecting to attract over 200 registrants this year.   This event is open to all Minis, classic and modern. Check out the webpage at www.minimeetwest.com

Classic Minis United is going back to Cherokee, NC for the base of their 3 day driving adventure. This 56th of their gatherings will be held April 15 through 18, 2015. Cherokee is located at the south entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and at the beginning of the Blue Ridge Parkway. As with all of CMU’s events, they like to drive, and that’s what they’ll be doing. The club will have drives each of the three days with plenty of stops and things to see. In addition to all the usual Mini and automotive stuff, “The Mini Hippie Film Festival” will be shown during the Hippie party Friday night! Even if you can’t make it to the event, you have a chance to show off your short film and win some cash. The film festival is sponsored […]

A bit surprising considering the competition maybe, but Autocar magazine readers voted the classic Mini ahead of McLaren F1, Jaguar E-type and the Range Rover. And there is nary an MG, Triumph or Austin Healey to be found on the list. The poll also named Norfolk-based Lotus as the most popular British manufacturer, with seven of its models making the 100 best British cars list. Autocar brand editor Chas Hallett said: “It comes as little surprise that the original Mini has topped the list of all-time British greats. “It’s such an iconic vehicle and represents a lot more than the British car industry; the Mini is associated with Great Britain around the world and, in many ways, it was ahead of its time.” He went on: “Everyone loved and still loves an original Mini. It ensured a fabulous drive every time, […]

The all-new 2015 MINI Countryman has made an appearance ahead of its official debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show. The newest version of MINI’s Countryman will sport its traditional four-door styling with a large tailgate, seating for five and optional all-wheel drive. Following in the footsteps of the new MINI Cooper, the Countryman’s styling has been freshened for a new generation and will be launching this July. The Countryman will be available in a variety models including the performance-oriented John Cooper Works variant. There will also be the Cooper and Cooper S versions with ALL4 all-wheel drive available as an option. Finally, the company will offer the MINI One, Cooper SD and Cooper D Countryman with optional ALL4. The base model will be powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 121 hp while the S and JCW models […]

Unfortunately we can’t get hold of one on this side of the pond, but elsewhere in the world the MG3 continues to rack up the good press. Let’s see – it is sporty, it is inexpensive, it has the MG bloodline, and it is hip. What more could you want? As this review from New Zealand states, “The chiseled wedge-profiled shape even has details along its rear panels that reflect the angles of the famous octagon badge, though the designers are to be congratulated for not slavishly putting that shape all over the car. “Sitting on standard 16 inch alloy rims, along with subtle dark grey sills, front splitter and vestigial hatch spoiler and covered in electric blue paint that seems wet it’s so glossy, the wee 3 looks a treat. “Up front its lazy-v shaped smile sucks on the […]

It may seem like only yesterday when Mini entered the US to sell its cars, but it’s been 11 years since the car maker began selling its vehicles in the states. In that time frame, Mini has sold 500,000 of its cars in the US, marking a new milestone for the British car manufacturer, which is owned by BMW. Mini has increased its US sales from 24,590 units in 2002, to 66,123 units last year. The Mini Cooper has easily been one of the company’s most popular vehicles, but they also have a small selection of variations of the popular car, including the Hardtop, Clubman, Convertible, Countryman, Coupe, Roadster, and Paceman. As for Mini dealership around the US, there are currently 116 locations spilled out over the states, but the car maker plans for a total of around 130 locations […]

Mini’s Oxford assembly plant is the third-oldest mass-production car facility in the world, and this month it celebrates its 100-year anniversary. As one might expect, the plant has a storied history and a long tally of cars produced. So far, the plant has manufactured more than 2.25 million Minis, including the original Mini that rolled off the line from 1959 to 1969 (another plant in the UK continued production until 2000). In 2001, the Oxford plant began production of the modern Mini Cooper, a project spearheaded by the brand’s new parent company BMW. For centuries, Oxford has enjoyed international appeal as having one of the world’s best known and highly regarded universities, and draws thousands of visitors from around the globe every year. But many people don’t know that Oxford also has a technical and industrial history: 100 years ago – in […]

MINI has won the 2013 Dakar Rally, a gruelling off-road rally raid race held this year over a 5,300-mile route between Lima, Peru and Santiago, Chile. Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver / navigator Jean-Paul Cottret drove the winning MINI Countryman-based ‘ALL4 Racing’ competition vehicle run by the X-raid Team, with the French pairing retaining their 2012 crown. Their overall time of 38 hours 32 minutes and 39 seconds secured a 42 minute 22 second lead over their next closest competitors, cementing the British marque’s victory. Senior Vice President MINI Brand Management, Dr Kay Segler: “This is a magnificent triumph and I would like to offer our congratulations on behalf of MINI not only to Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret, but also to Sven Quandt’s entire X-raid Team. “The victory of the MINI ALL4 Racing last year was without doubt a surprise […]