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Mini is mighty for BMW
By ROBERT FARLEY, Times Staff Writer PALM HARBOR -- Grabbing a bite at Taco Bell this week, David Tillett soon found a crowd forming around his new, liquid yellow, box-like Mini. The same thing happened in the parking lot outside work in Zephyrhills. And at the barber shop. And at a restaurant. Mike Golden, 52, of St. Petersburg grew so tired of people at stop lights asking him questions about his diminutive new car that he tinted his Mini's windows. After more than three decades, the kitschy little British car that inspired the naming of the mini skirt has returned to the U.S. market.
Ferman BMW on U.S. 19 in Palm Harbor, which has exclusive rights to the car in the Tampa Bay area, got its first shipment of Minis on March 20. "There has been a frenzy of excitement over the car," general manager Stephen B. Straske II said. The list of interested buyers stood at 350 at the start of the year and has grown every day since, said Mary Schmokel, motoring manager for Ferman Mini of Tampa Bay. The list includes Anglophiles, gear heads and those nostalgic for the Mini of their youth. About 10,000 were sold in the United States between 1960 and 1967, but the establishment of emissions standards spelled the end for sales of the original Mini in this country. Created by the British Motor Co. in 1956, the Mini's popularity soared in the 1960s when celebrities such as Peter Sellers and members of the Beatles were spotted in them. The car became the Mini Cooper in 1961 when British race car driver John Cooper retooled the car for the rally circuit. Though taken off the American market for the last 35 years, Mini sales continued in Europe. The Mini even took second place to Ford's Model T in a 1999 Global Car of the Century competition. BMW acquired the Mini brand in 1994 when it purchased Rover and Land Rover. The company re-engineered the car for the American market, making it a little bigger and adding safety features, including six standard air bags. One feature it won't have, though, is the upscale BMW label. BMW plans to limit production of the car to protect its exclusivity, selling just 20,000 in the United States this year. The automaker said it has sold more than 27,000 worldwide so far this year. Ferman, which expects to be allotted about 300 Minis this year, is one of 70 BMW dealerships in the country to land the rights to sell the Mini. In order to make its case for a franchise, Ferman hosted a Mini swap meet and rally Feb. 23, attracting 65 classic Mini owners. Don't be fooled by the looks, Schmokel said of the new Mini. It's not a "Mr. Bean putter car. It's really a fierce car." Though redesigned, the new Mini kept many of the features from its rally days: toggle switches on the dashboard; a tachometer over the steering wheel; and an oversized speedometer to the right of the steering wheel, for view by the driver and the navigator. Owners are encouraged to use the British lingo, referring to the bonnet (hood) and the boot (trunk). The car's engine is mounted sideways. And the wheels are situated right at the corners of the car, making for precise cornering. The car, manufactured in Oxford, England, handles a lot like like a go-cart, Straske said. While drivers may sometimes feel dwarfed maneuvering among giant SUVs, Straske said, "you also feel much more agile, nimble and quicker." The base model goes for just under $17,000. But good luck finding one of those, Schmokel said. The fully loaded version goes for just under $27,000. There is no waiting list per se. No deposits have been taken from those on the inquiry list. But depending on how flexible the buyer is, the wait could be anywhere from six months to 11/2 years, Schmokel said. That despite a small advertising budget that includes no television commercials. Mike Golden said the car's fuel efficiency (28 mpg in the city, 37 on the highway) was a big selling point for him. "I think for me, there is some politics behind having a small car," said Golden, who once considered buying an electric car. Golden, who once raced cars on the club circuit in Connecticut, also loves the way the Mini handles. "It's everything I want in a car," he said. "It rides better than any BMW I've ever driven." Golden's Mini is chili red with an American flag painted on top. Its unique look draws stares and starts conversations everywhere he takes it. "It was fun the first day," he said, "but it gets annoying after a while." Tillett, who has a T-shirt attesting that he was the seventh person to buy a Mini at Ferman, said "anyone who owns one has got to expect that." Tillett, 42, who has a wife and four sons, said he hasn't owned anything but a station wagon or van for the past 17 years. He said he gets a kick out of his 8-year-old son's pleas to pick him up at school in the Mini. It's been two weeks, and so far the enthusiasm hasn't worn off. "When I go out every morning and look in the garage," Tillett said. "I am so glad to see it." -- Information from the Contra Costa Times was used in this report.
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From the Times Business report
From the AP
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