37 replies to this topic

[leilau]

its nice to see someone like me..my cars from the moon i think...i still havent worked out all this mark bla bla stuff..mines a 91 1275 cooper..but when i brought it the bloke told me that it was one of the last before it turned to injection..i gave up so its just my mini thats all i no

[TWICEmonkey]

kier mate dan was arguing that it wasn't in the brochure though

HAHA GARY! (and Dan) Syholl has proved it WAS an option, I knew it. I'd heard that it was an option, but the guy who told me (ex-Rover mechanic) couldn't explain why no-one went for it...lookin at the price tag I can see why...and the fact that it seems like only some dealerships offered it.

So it seems the 5 speed was and wasnt an option depending on dealership. You'd have thought you'd get the same options from all dealers its not like they work for the same company is it?

No they don't, hence why they have different names their own names. For example, A dealership company near me (called Pinewood) had an MG-Rover dealership (before it all went poopy), but they also have a Toyota dealership and a Nissan dealership.

They work in conjunction with the manufacturers (obviously), but they don't have to offer everything that's available if they don't want to. Think about it. Getting a gearbox made by one company, fitted by a separate company onto a car that then has to be sent to them may be more hassle than they're willing to deal with

[syholl]

So it seems the 5 speed was and wasnt an option depending on dealership. You'd have thought you'd get the same options from all dealers its not like they work for the same company is it?

They couldn't even get the prices the same. I remember seeing an advert in the back of Miniworld for another Rover dealership that were offering Minis cheaper than the one i bought. When i questioned this with Dutton Forshaw i got all the extras free of charge, to try and stop me from ordering elsewhere. (chequered roof, wavy grille, alloy handles and aston filler cap)

[mini-gti]

perhaps the dealer that syholl got his mini from offered the option, it could have been dealer specific

gaz

kieran you mupet read through the posts before you try and take the high ground, and think your proving me wrong

your just repeating my point

dan said it wasn't in the brochures that he had, he mentioned this earlier on in the topic

gaz

[Sprocket]

But then the 5 speed box, on that order form, is not in the 'Options' list, Its in the 'Other items' list.

Runs for cover of underground bunker.

Any way, going back to point. The car being discussed did not have the 5 speed box fitted when it was made, deffinately after, if it is actualy a 5 speed. 5 speeds were only becoming available around 92, thinking that it was either KAD or JKD that developed them first, then Minispares and Minisport.

[Dan]

Ok, this is starting to get wierd.

Firstly, sorry if I've upset you Syhol. Not intended. It is obvious that you did buy your car with it's box and I never doubted you did but that doesn't change the fact that it was not a Rover option. Rover dealers were required to offer all the Rover options, they didn't print different brochures for different dealerships. Larger dealerships however did offer some dealer fit options from aftermarket manufacturers that were not from the Rover list. It seems that Duttons offered the JCG packs as you have also paid for the engine upgrade pack which is a JCG option and not a Rover one. The Mini was never type-approved with the 5 speed so it could never have been fitted on the line, it was dealer fit. The brochures you had, these were the square orange ones right? Or was the 5 speed listed on a seperate list to the main brochure? My local dealer was SMC who sold more twin point Minis than any other dealer (including JCG) according to their own claims, I have seen no proof of this though. They never offered the 5 speed. Neither did any other dealership I went to. I'm not trying to start an argument, it's just that I'm sure of what I'm saying.

[TWICEmonkey]

kieran you mupet read through the posts before you try and take the high ground, and think your proving me wrong

your just repeating my point

:'( Calm down Gary, breath...I was just kiddin(!)

I didn't mean it in a mean way, just an excited "HAHA, I found it!" kinda way...Or syholl found it, should I say, but ya get what I mean. I didn't mean it in a "HAHA, you're wrong!" kinda way...

EDIT: though reading it back to myself I can understand that it comes across like that and for that, I'm sorry

[syholl]

Ok, this is starting to get wierd.

Firstly, sorry if I've upset you Syhol. Not intended. It is obvious that you did buy your car with it's box and I never doubted you did but that doesn't change the fact that it was not a Rover option. Rover dealers were required to offer all the Rover options, they didn't print different brochures for different dealerships. Larger dealerships however did offer some dealer fit options from aftermarket manufacturers that were not from the Rover list. It seems that Duttons offered the JCG packs as you have also paid for the engine upgrade pack which is a JCG option and not a Rover one. The Mini was never type-approved with the 5 speed so it could never have been fitted on the line, it was dealer fit. The brochures you had, these were the square orange ones right? Or was the 5 speed listed on a seperate list to the main brochure? My local dealer was SMC who sold more twin point Minis than any other dealer (including JCG) according to their own claims, I have seen no proof of this though. They never offered the 5 speed. Neither did any other dealership I went to. I'm not trying to start an argument, it's just that I'm sure of what I'm saying.

No, you haven't upset me, i'm enjoying a civilised debate. I guess there is a large grey area surrounding the Rover options though. I had a number of different brochures, the orange one you mentioned was one of them, there was also a lilac coloured one to go with it, and a red one as well if i remember correctly. Then there was the one with the 5 speed gearbox in it, this also contained the S conversion along with other very expensive things like electric windows, central locking and those stupidly expensive electric seats that JCG offered. These were offered to me by Rover, but as you say, they were not fitted on the production line. They were fitted by John Cooper Garages and covered by the original Rover warranty, but they were still an option that was available to me from the dealership.

The dealerships did vary wildly though, i used to be the deputy General Manager at a Hotel in Bolton in the mid 90s. In 1996 Rover held a conference at my hotel which was purely to discuss the 1996 onwards Mini, and how they were going to brand the new cars at the Rover dealerships. All the local representatives were there, as well as Peter McKiernan, who was in charge of Mini sales for Rover. I took great interest in this as i had a mini at the time, and had been trying to buy a new Mini from Lex Rover in Bolton, with little success. I had recently asked for some information on the Mini and i was told that there was no available information, in fact they couldn't even tell me how much a new Mini cost, and suggested i go and speak to the guys in the next office along who dealt with second hand cars as they could probably get me a nearly new one. Needless to say i wasn't very impressed with this, but i gave them my details and the bloke said they would contact me if any cars became available.

It was a few months later that they came to my Hotel for the conference, and i got talking to Peter Mckiernan, who was driving a red Sportspack (I'd never seen one before!!). I told him about my own experience, and he asked me to come into the meeting and tell the other delegates. The salesman i had spoken to at the dealership was there and he obviously recognised me, as he ducked his head down and avoided looking at me.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, Peter asked me to come over to Blackpool where i could choose whatever Mini i liked, which resulted in me spending £14,000 with them.

Maybe it wasn't an official Rover option, who knows...? But i was offered it by Rover...