Hi Gerry,
On 1/31/2011 11:03 AM, G. Mugele wrote:
> Ahem... well Greg, you have the virtue of youth; you're not old
> enough to really have this down. However, it was not as
> straight-forward as all that.
Well, that was a fun and informative lecture, but I think you may have
prepared using the syllabus for the wrong course. ;-) . I
intentionally minimized the history of classic Minis, since that wasn't
what we were talking about. The question Clif raised was how to refer to
John's MINI. Not that I didn't expect someone to take up where I left off...
>
> The BMW Mini is related only in layout and appearance.
Such is the fate of many British car makes and models...
Acknowledging the inherent risks of quoting Wikipedia, here goes:
Minis are assembled at Plant Oxford
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_Oxford> in Cowley
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowley>, United Kingdom, where around
4,700 people are employed.^[2]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-1> Engines for
Mini cars are produced at the Hams Hall Plant nearBirmingham
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham>, United Kingdom, which has
around 800 employees.^[3]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-2> Mini
sub-assemblies and pressings such as doors are supplied by a plant in
Swindon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swindon>, United Kingdom, where
around 1,000 people are employed.^[4]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-3> Minis are
primarily developed in the United Kingdom by BMW's Development
Division.^[5] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-4>
Around 217,000 Mini's were sold worldwide in 2009.^[6]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_%28BMW%29#cite_note-5> .
I'm only half British, and the other half Armenian, and none of my
British friends would call me British, so I guess we would have to call
the MINI a car of the world.
I resisted buying or MINI (not Mini) for many years, until I drove one.
Heritage vs. current parentage aside, the JCW is an outstanding car to
drive (ask the Lotus Exiges and Elises we led recently on a GGLC drive),
and one heck of a lot safer, more comfortable and more rugged than it's
namesake from lo those many years ago.
BTW, the REME club has a mix of Minis and MINIs, and from what I've
seen, the respective owners do speak to one another (probably when a
Mini needs a tow). ;-)
Cheers,
Greg
>
> Gerry
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