12 replies to this topic

[scrumpix]

when exactly did BMW take over at Rover ?

[some1158]

February 1994

[Anthony30]

They funded the mini mpi design I believe. Rover technology with BMW throwing money at Rover.

[some1158]

They funded the mini mpi design I believe. Rover technology with BMW throwing money at Rover.

 

That's right - it was done to keep the car in production until the 'new' Mini was ready. BMW accepted that sales would be lower as the price was higher than the SPI but it was all about repositioning the car as a fashion item rather than an economy vehicle. Jon Pressnell's book explains the thinking behind this very well.

[scrumpix]

Thanks

[rkde]

I was thinking the other day, mini is finally the rover bmw always wanted especially with the "large" range of new minis... Got to say that bmw has done what I do not believe rover would have been able too

[blackbelt1990]

I was thinking the other day, mini is finally the rover bmw always wanted especially with the "large" range of new minis... Got to say that bmw has done what I do not believe rover would have been able too

Someone wrote a piece similar to this recently. BMW have turned MINI into the range of "British" cars they originally wanted from Rover. There's money to be had from a suggested heritage which is why there has to be so many models of MINI!

Much like Fiat are now doing with the 500.

[mab01uk]

The Rover Mini MPi update funded by BMW in 1997

 

The Rover Spritual Mini Concepts

 

The New R50 Rover MINI Preview 1997 with John Cooper

Edited by mab01uk, 28 November 2015 - 09:06 PM.

[CityEPete]

February 1994

This makes both of our minis bmws and two of our previous ones too,ha

[CCX]

There's some background info on the takeover of BMW and what they funded in 'The Story' section of my site, link is in my signature. 

[peter-b]

Something I don't quite understand is BMW bought the Mini name and built a 'midi' car. It's been said that it was due to safety reasons that the car was built bigger, there's cars available that are smaller, so that can't be it.

[CityEPete]

The smaller car sector is also smaller in sales volume by a long way would be my guess? For the slightly smaller length saved occasionally in central London with cars like the iq losing useable rear seats and a boot all year round isn't viable for most people, if you do find a proper parking space what does being short achieve if the spaces are long enough for a focus etc a modern mini will fit just fine.

[mab01uk]

Something I don't quite understand is BMW bought the Mini name and built a 'midi' car. It's been said that it was due to safety reasons that the car was built bigger, there's cars available that are smaller, so that can't be it.

 

As some have already said 'Mini' is now a brand or marque for a range of small cars (by todays standards!) which BMW consider also included the Issigonis BMC 1100/1300 range so that when owners outgrow the MINI they don't have to always leave the brand as happened in the past. All rival supermini class hatches like the Fiesta, Corsa, Clio, Yaris, Audi A1, VW Polo, Fiat 500, etc have grown (many are bigger than the MINI hatch).....the current Polo is the same size as the Mk1 Golf.......small cars have grown as have people......the very small bargain basement cars of today are mostly dull but functional and built in cheap labour economy factories in India and Eastern Europe like the Nissan Micra and Fiat Panda, Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo.....they are neither performance drivers cars or aspirational cars like say a MINI or Audi A1. The original R50 MINI as designed by Rover and funded by BMW successfully created the 'prestige' superMini class of car in 2001, which 10 years later other manufacturers started copying....such as Citroen DS3, Audi A1, Alfa Mito, Vauxhall/Opel Adam, etc.

If or when MINI introduce a 'Rocketman' concept size of small MINI it will almost certainly have to be built in a low wage economy to be profitable and so will not provide British jobs......Rover realised that fact and is the major reason why they never replaced the Mini with a similar size car in 40 years and eventually launched the larger Metro as a supermini hatch drastically reducing annual Mini sales from 1980 onwards. It costs almost as much to build a basic small car as a larger car but that is not reflected in the selling price, unless like BMC you sell it as a 'loss leader' and hope your buyers stay loyal and upgrade to a larger more profitable model later.

 

Another way of adding more to the profit margin on small cars when built in a high wage country like the UK, (which BMW successfully exploited with the last of the classic MPi Mini's and the new R50 onwards MINI range) is to offer a huge range of tempting 'add on' buyer options and then build each car to customer order for a much higher price than a basic model.

Edited by mab01uk, 30 November 2015 - 12:51 PM.