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Motorshow 2000
The MINI makes its UK public debut today at the British International Motor Show ahead of its summer 2001 on-sale date. Six MINI COOPERS are displayed on the MINI stand, set to carry this legendary motoring name into the 21st Century. MINI continues a great British success story and will be built in Oxford, the icon’s original home. The state-of-the-art plant will secure 2500 jobs and once full production is achieved in 2003, over 100,000 MINI’s will leave the factory annually, with one in five expected to go to UK homes. Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East and Chief Secretary to the Treasury backed the new MINI at today’s show: "The arrival of the MINI is great news for Oxford and for Britain. It means jobs for 2500 people in the Oxford area and a huge boost for the British employees of all MINI’s parts suppliers in the UK, as production volumes will be 10 times that of the old Mini. It’s also great news for car owners of course, and I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel myself."
Ten days prior to the Motor Show, committee members of over 40 Mini Owners’ clubs attended a preview event in Oxford. They were encouraged to air their views on the new MINI to the team behind the car’s introduction, including Managing Director of the Oxford Plant, Dr Herbert Diess and MINI’s General Manager in the UK, Trevor Houghton-Berry. Mini owners from as far as Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England gave new MINI a resounding thumbs-up. Dave Hollis, Chairman of the British Mini Club said, "My feelings are that it is a lovely car and will be a great success. It looks absolutely brilliant, and no matter what colour it’s in, it will be absolutely stunning. One of the great things about it, is that there’s still an obvious Britishness to it." Roger Wall from the Mini Cooper Register stated, "I think it’s absolutely fantastic, I’ve had my order placed since the first glimpses of the car were released." Other famous Mini names present at the reveal in Oxford included Jack Daniels, right-hand man to Mini’s ‘Father’, Sir Alec Issigonis, Mini racing legends Stuart Turner and Paddy Hopkirk, and Mike Cooper, Group Managing Director of John Cooper Garages. Cooper is the name most commonly associated with Mini, and Mike, who remains heavily involved in the MINI programme said of the new design: "What I really like about the car is that it has retained all the essential ingredients. With a wheel at each corner it is genuinely exciting to drive and people will be amazed about the level of handling. I’m really passionate about the MINI and think the designer, Frank Stephenson, has done a fantastic job. My father, John, is also really chuffed with the end product." MINI was designed principally in the UK offices of the
BMW Group under the control of Chief Designer, Frank Stephenson. Taking
distinct design cues from the classic Mini, Stephenson and his team
have married the heritage and emotion of the great car with the features
that will hopefully lead to the next chapter of an icon’s history. Houghton-Berry,
MINI UK’s General Manager summed up Stephenson’s creation and explained
the feeling in the new MINI team: "We all know what the old Mini means
to the British public. It is brilliant fun, utterly individual and brimming
over with character. If the new MINI can retain some of the same qualities,
whilst moving the car forward into the 21st Century, then I feel the
team and I will have done something special." If you wish to contact us either : PHONE 0121 444
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