27 replies to this topic

[Deev]

I spotted the following on the Mini's Wiki article a couple of months ago, and meant to ask you guys about it but kinda forgot. I've just noticed it again though and spotted that the date in question has now passed - but I can't find anything on the MG site or via a cursory Googling, so does anyone know anything else about this, or is it just a normal Wikipedia "fact"?

Quote:

MG Motors UK

The new MG Motor Company owns the rights to the old Mini but is not allowed to sell the model under the Mini brand but can sell it under the Morris or Austin brand and can call the model either Morris Mini or Austin Mini. It will need to have had a major redesign to gain its certificate of road-worthiness. The MG chairman will make an announcement on the 8th August 2009 whether or not the car will be built.[citation needed]

[miniman.matt]

well, was any announcment made? . . .

[Eatsleepdrink]

Wasnt MG just in the news for going bust?

[Deev]

Wasnt MG just in the news for going bust?

That was regarding the "original" MG Rover collapse - the "new" MG is still going.

[Ethel]

Considering it was BMW that broke up MG Rover to keep the Mini i find it hard to believe they'd have have put themselves in that position. Anybody can make proper Minis as as any protection of the design will only have lasted about 20 years. BMW have claim to the poncy marketing stuff so you couldn't call it a Mini.

Been a while since we had the Mini's shape is a trademark "discussion"

[Bec]

I've removed the personal mobile numbers from here - please keep them to PM instead of hijaking a thread unless you want your number appearing as lusty Louise in telephone boxes up and down the UK

[oli8925]

gotta love that lusty Louise

i dont see how they can keep producing the classic mini in this day and age. we know all the safety laws can be passed with a classic mini with great modification, someone made an '07 mini didnt they? using mostly new parts. but the expense of that build, to get the collapsable steering rack etc etc etc mustve been very very high, and hence for a car company tp make them, they would need to be sold at a very high price. unless ive just got the wrong end of the stick with regards to that part of the OP

[Ethel]

They won't be going in to mass production for the 1st world market without some serious reengineering. A few hundred here 'n there isn't impossible.

[Aria Aradhea]

Who's got the rights to the Mini body jig, too? is it Heritage? Surely for a new MG Mini (or probably an MG Seven?) to arrive, they have to acquire the body jigs and panels from the current owner to resume production?

[redhotmini]

it could be done the same way as caterhams and other 'kit cars' are sold - low volume cars which you can build yourself, or get the manfacturer to build for a fee. it bypasses a lot of the stricter regulations for type approval which would apply to a mainstream, mass produced car. (which is how the wood and pickett mini 50's were done, though each one was registered and SVA'd independently by wood and pickett)

Edited by redhotmini, 13 August 2009 - 06:24 PM.

[Ethel]

Who's got the rights to the Mini body jig, too? is it Heritage? Surely for a new MG Mini (or probably an MG Seven?) to arrive, they have to acquire the body jigs and panels from the current owner to resume production?

There are no rights, any registered designs or patents from before about 1990 will have lapsed, but producing new tooling wouldn't be cheap. Who knows what's still kicking about from one of the far flung Mini production lines.

[garrett3]

This would be great but it seems a lil too fairytale to be a future possibility?

[Mattl]

Sounds like BS to me, cant see B*W leaving that door open.

[Dan]

It's garbage. All rights to the Mini design, all Mini model names, the body shape and other intellectual property is owned by BMW and leased to BMH who then licence it all on to the market under strict regulation. Patents have a limited lifespan in all circumstances but design rights and copyright do not when held by a company, there is a list of the Mini related property owned by BMW in our FAQ section. All of these rights are still in place thoeretically, they may be judged to have lapsed by the court simply because Rover failed to protect them for many years but it would be very expensive to prove. There are very many threads about this subject already, let's not have too many more.

[Mini_Magic]

If this story were true, which it isn't, then I think it would look something like this.



I wish the new Mini looked like that, just to *yellow human water* classic Mini owners off even more.

Edited by Mini_Magic, 13 August 2009 - 11:11 PM.