30 replies to this topic

[Frisco]

BMW bought Rover in 1994 and continued to make classic minis for 6 years so how do you figure they have nothing at all to do with them?
When they bought Rover they got rights to the mini name and branding with it.

I didn't say I'd be OK with it but there is nothing you can do really, they own the trademark.

[giner88]

i am a little confused, soooo is 'mini' a car brand like Ford or landrover? or is it a model like a escort or freelander. and when did this happen?

anyway i thought BMW didnt want anything to do with the mini of old thats why they changed the name to MINI

[Bungle]

both

classic wise it was a model , i.e austin, morris, rover mini

with the new mini MINI is the brand and the model is cooper,one,traveller etc

[mab01uk]

Despite BMW having nothing to do with classic Mini's at all.

The upgraded Mini MPI range with Multi Point Injection, drivers airbag, seatbelt pre-tensioners, door side impact bars and front mounted radiator with a large range of new customer options and accessories was due to BMW canceling Rovers planned scrapping of the entire Mini & Cooper range in 1997..............when BMW took over they could not believe Rover were about to scrap their most famous car and its brand heritage with no plans to replace it, BMW could see it was as valuble and well known worldwide in car terms as brands like Coca-Cola, etc.

So despite Rover's original plan to end Mini production in 1997 due to falling sales and new European safety and emmisions legislation, BMW's new investment of millions of pounds in the classic Mini and John Cooper's insistence on this last update finally got the MPI into production in 1996, extending the Mini's life by 4 more years until the launch of the New MINI in 2001 to be designed at Gaydon by Rover.........

Edited by mab01uk, 26 November 2011 - 12:27 PM.

[mab01uk]

i am a little confused, soooo is 'mini' a car brand like Ford or landrover? or is it a model like a escort or freelander. and when did this happen?

anyway i thought BMW didnt want anything to do with the mini of old thats why they changed the name to MINI

The Mini became a standalone brand/model range in 1969 under the British Leyland takeover and with the introduction of the Mk3 Mini without any Austin or Morris badges or branding.
BMW changed the name to MINI to help differentiate the classic and New model ranges, although some classic Mini bootlid badges had already used capital letters in the past. BMW did ensure that BMH was helped to set up for continuing production of quality Mini heritage parts and given all classic Mini factory production tooling as and when production finally ended under MG Rover.

Edited by mab01uk, 26 November 2011 - 12:53 PM.

[Big Sam]

That's nice of them.

Remind me what Volkswagen means again?

So much for thinking about the people.

[puggered]

Great link mab01uk, thanks for sharing

[giner88]

That's nice of them.

Remind me what Volkswagen means again?

So much for thinking about the people.

lol VW beetles make me laugh, theres a picture with hilter checking them out, i think he was one of the people who approve dmaking them,one of the biggest war mungers in human history, yet they became a hippy icon. irony. which brings my to another point anybody seen that VW advert where its starts in 1953, they leave the 40s out of VW history lol.

[mab01uk]

That's nice of them.

Remind me what Volkswagen means again?

So much for thinking about the people.

lol VW beetles make me laugh, theres a picture with hilter checking them out, i think he was one of the people who approve dmaking them,one of the biggest war mungers in human history, yet they became a hippy icon. irony. which brings my to another point anybody seen that VW advert where its starts in 1953, they leave the 40s out of VW history lol.

Video that tells the story..........




An engaging insight into the history of the VW Beetle, which reveals that the ultimate left-wing status symbol was born of the ultimate fascist mind.

Hitler dreamt up the VW as the steadfast people's car... he'd be turning in his grave if he could see it now. One of Hitler's early promises was a car everyone could afford, which would make them proud of Germany. It would go a long way, not break down and not cost much to run. The Fuhrer got in a fury as his dream became an imperfect reality. Of course not everyone could afford it and at the end of the war the manufacture fell to the invading British.

[firefox]

I hope he is and is like that for eternity

[huntface]

Th Beetle was also a good cover for building large factories which could easily turn out tanks.

I went to the Mercedes Benz museum in Stuttgart a few years ago (well worth a trip) and that was a bit sketchy about the period 1936-45.

[giner88]

it is funny how things turn out, although i think the last thing hitler would be thinking about now. prob still thinking why the hell did i invade russia. he should of consolidate d a few turns got his 5 troops for having europe then tried for somthing smaller like south america. clearly he never played the board game risk.

[Bungle]

That's nice of them.

Remind me what Volkswagen means again?

So much for thinking about the people.

lol VW beetles make me laugh, theres a picture with hilter checking them out, i think he was one of the people who approve dmaking them,one of the biggest war mungers in human history, yet they became a hippy icon. irony. which brings my to another point anybody seen that VW advert where its starts in 1953, they leave the 40s out of VW history lol.

that would of been the KdF-Wagen, it was a British major to thank for the production of the VW type 1, later called the beetle

[giner88]

negative the

That's nice of them.

Remind me what Volkswagen means again?

So much for thinking about the people.

lol VW beetles make me laugh, theres a picture with hilter checking them out, i think he was one of the people who approve dmaking them,one of the biggest war mungers in human history, yet they became a hippy icon. irony. which brings my to another point anybody seen that VW advert where its starts in 1953, they leave the 40s out of VW history lol.

that would of been the KdF-Wagen, it was a British major to thank for the production of the VW type 1, later called the beetle

http://www.hobbyeasy...234/ITA6426.jpg

correct me if i'm wrong but that is a beetle?

[firefox]

KDF wagen, thats why Monty won the North Africa Campaign they took the wrong bloody car
 1937%20KDF-Wagen%20proto%20replica-a1.jpg   118.08K   2 downloads

Edited by firefox, 27 November 2011 - 02:32 PM.