Re: What is a mini?

["R. Tonge" <rptonge@u.washington.edu>]

The mini is now made by Rover which was bought by BMW last year so I
suppose its made by BMW now ??????. Anyway, the rumours about the new mini
are true - hope its as good as the original, I've had 2 (a 1000cc and a
1275GT made upto and beyond cooper spec) and they are a blast. BTW, saw an
orange one in the University Village in Seattle 2 weeks ago - the first
one i have seen in the US (I'm English)

Rob
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On Wed, 14 Aug 1996, Mike Arman wrote:

> What is a mini?
>
> Yeah, I know this isn't Audi content, but most of us Audi drivers are at
> least a little interested in other things going on in the automotive
> universe . . .
>
> Built by Austin, starting in 1959. Design by Alex Issogonis (sp?), car was 4
> seats, transverse 875cc four, itty bitty 10" wheels, and an air/oil
> suspension. It was just under ten feet long!
>
> Well, hotrodders being hotrodders everywhere, after a while the lowly mini
> came out as the 1275cc Mini-Cooper which was street-legal - but only just.
> In 1965, I worked for an importer of race cars (Lola, Brabham, etc.) and we
> got a full race 1275cc Cooper delivered to a dock in NYC - and I had to
> drive it back to the dealership in Paramus NJ out Route 4. I screwed in the
> spark plugs (removed for some unknown reason for the shipping), poured in
> some gas, hung a spare plate on the back and lit the fuse. That itty-bitty
> green box lit out of there like the warp drive scene in Star Wars - open
> exhaust and all! (I used to think fast cars were fast. Now I think flying an
> F-4 with the afterburner lit is fast. I can't wait to see what my definition
> of fast will be in another 30 years!) After a trip thru the local McDonalds
> (1,000,000 sold!) to impress the (other) teenagers, I innocently delivered
> the car. It was sold in about an hour, and two days later, the new owner
> called us to say he had thoroughly wrecked it and was salvaging what he
> could. "How do you unbolt the rear anti-sway bar?" was his question.
>
> BMW (who?) now owns Austin/BMC/MG/whoever, and there are rumors of a new
> BMW-designed mini - so far only for the Euro market.
>
> End of non-Audi content!
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Mike Arman
>
>