Tag Archives: production

Felican Naskotagonn! MINI gratulas Esperanto en la 125 datreveno.

Posted on by

MINI would like to congratulate Esperanto on its 125th birthday. Known to people around the world, this international language is used in just about every corner of the world.

Both the British premium small car – whose ancestor first entered production in 1959 – and Esperanto can look back on a long and eventful history and both enjoy a broad fanbase spread across the most diverse cultural boundaries.

The invention and dissemination of the artificially constructed tongue Esperanto can be traced back to ophthalmologist and language expert Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof. In 1887 he published a document – under the pseudonym Doktoro Esperanto (“Doctor Hopeful”) – in Warsaw in which he formulated the early strands of a language that could be understood internationally and used universally.

125 years later Esperanto is spoken on every continent, setting the seal on an international success story very much in the mould of the MINI brand.

Ludwik Zamenhof was born the son of a language teacher in the Polish city of Bialystok, then part of Russia, in 1859. Driven by his vision of a neutral language that would be easy to learn, have clear and straightforward grammar and promote understanding between peoples, he created Esperanto.

The new language brought together elements of Romance, Germanic and Slav languages, and it was not long before the first Esperanto associations had sprung up in various European countries.

The political landscape of the 20th century presented one obstacle after another to the spread of the new language. Yet Esperanto was still encountering steadily increasing popularity across the continents as a vehicle of international understanding.

Like the MINI, which today is represented in over 100 markets around the world, Esperanto has also developed into an international phenomenon, and the invented language is now spoken in more than 100 countries. Radio stations in China, Canada, Korea, Australia and elsewhere regularly broadcast in Esperanto, and it enjoys considerable popularity on the internet too; search engine Google, internet telephone provider Skype, online reference site Wikipedia and the browser Firefox are all now conversant with Esperanto.

Over the decades the language has built up an ever-expanding community of fans and users as varied and cosmopolitan as the international MINI Community.

Despite its long history, Esperanto remains forever young and has kept pace with the times. The language continues to develop in response to the growing requirements of globalisation and modern life, and has proved adept at tweaking its expanding vocabulary to fresh circumstances and challenges. In short, Esperanto is a model of both tradition and innovation – just like the MINI.

MINI and Esperanto therefore have much in common. Both are cosmopolitan, and both span continents and generations. Their roots may lie in Europe, but they are very much at home all around the world. And so MINI, in its best Esperanto, would like to wish its linguistic counterpart “Felican Naskotagonn!” (Happy Birthday!) and all the best for the next 125 years!

PS Minis Invites You To The Tulip Rallye

Posted on by

The MG Car Club NW Centre (MGCCNWC) in the Puget Sound area puts on this fun gimmick drive every year in the beautiful Skagit Valley. They get hundreds of participants ever year. I’ve seen as many as 80 MINIs/Minis at one point. It seems to vary each year with the price of fuel and the flower production. Still, the drive is super fun!

For the last 30 years, the MG Car Club Northwest Centre has hosted the Tulip Rallye, an automobile tour of the Skagit Valley region of Western Washington State. This year on April 21st, 2012, the rallye starts in the Mount Vernon area, but you never know where it may take you from there. Through colorful tulip fields, windy country roads or scenic shoreline drives, it’s everything you need for a beautiful daytime tour of the region.

We have designed this event so that each car club, with a minimum of five cars entered, will be eligible for a first place prize to be awarded to the top performer within their club. Individuals not associated with a particular car club will compete in the “open” category.

The Tulip Rallye is intended to be a fun event. It’s not a time/speed/distance event, but a light hearted gimmick rallye with trivia questions written into the tour guide. It’s fun for the whole family. Some clubs now make this rallye their April driving event.

There are restaurants along the tour route, but they are often very crowded, so we recommend that you pack a picnic lunch to eat along the way.

We look forward to your club’s participation in the 31st Annual Tulip Rallye.

Here is the REGISTRATION FORM.

Thank you and please feel free to contact me with any questions.

David Ellis
Event Coordinator
MG Car Club NorthWest Centre
1521 Eagle Ridge Drive S., Renton, WA 98055
425-277-1086
tuliprallye@aol.com

CARMINA CAMPUS for MINI.

Posted on by

Limited-edition designer bags from Ilaria Venturini Fendi made of up-cycled materials from the MINI Roadster car production.

Munich. MINI presents a specially designed limited edition of CARMINA CAMPUS bags that will be presented at an exclusive preview event at 10 Corso Como, during Milan Fashion Week. In the true spirit of CARMINA CAMPUS’ philosophy, which is based on employing only re-used or reclaimed materials to make fashion accessories, the bags are made of colour samples and material offcuts left over from the production of the new MINI Roadster.
Anders Warming and Illaria Venturini Fendi.

First a MINI, then a bag.
Under the style-assured guidance of Ilaria Venturini Fendi, elements from prototypes of the new MINI Roadster were combined with discarded colour samples and other materials to create fashion designer bags made by Italian craftsmen. This capsule collections comprises week-end and city bags for women and men. The wide-ranging materials from the MINI Roadster provided an extensive source of inspiration. In some styles, the soft yet robust seat leather formed the outer shell of the bag, while the canvas from the soft-top was often decorated by a mosaic of small metal plates coming from the colour samples of the car body painting. Sunvisors hide make up mirrors while from the car interiors, handles become a special detail in a tiny proportioned bag. Reclaiming unused materials, defective or no longer fit for their intended purpose, or searching for stocks of end-of-lines and vintage materials that may change their function in the design of a new object, has been Ilaria Venturini Fendi’s creative approach from CARMINA CAMPUS’ start. This perspective on materials is being increasingly shared beyond the fashion world, and MINI is embracing the practice that now goes by the name of “up-cycling”.

The new MINI Roadster.
“For many years now, the BMW Group has been working with creative people from all manner of fields,” says Anders Warming, Head of MINI Design. “We are delighted to have found in Ilaria Venturini Fendi a designer who devotes her artistic powers above all to considerations of sustainability and up-cycling. For us these are key issues of the future which we are now addressing through this collaboration in customary MINI fashion”.
The CARMINA CAMPUS label.
The youngest daughter of Anna Fendi, and once herself Creative Accessories Director of the Fendissime young line as well as shoe designer for the legendary fashion house, Ilaria Venturini Fendi retired from the company some years ago to run an organic farm in Northern Rome. In 2006 she launched CARMINA CAMPUS, a label that specialises in making furniture, jewellery and bags from re- used and up-cycled materials – to the highest standards of design. “I’m very
?happy about this collaboration,” says Venturini Fendi. “It shows just how aware MINI is of the motor industry’s impact on the environment and that it is working towards change. For big brands like MINI in particular, up-cycling is an important issue. After all, this is where you will always get scrap material that is generally described as waste, but in fact can become part of a high-quality object.”
The exclusive CARMINA CAMPUS for MINI collection will be available at 10 Corso Como in Milan.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron welcomes two millionth (new) MINI milestone

Posted on by

[Source: BMW UK, 8/31/2011, Oxford]

Today, 10 years after the BMW group’s takeover of Rover and resumed production at the former Mini Oxford plant, the two millionth modern-style MINI was driven off the production line at Plant Oxford by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Of the two million, more than 1.5 million MINIs have been exported to customers in more than 90 countries around the world from Australia to Venezuela.

Frank-Peter Arndt, BMW AG board member responsible for production, was present to celebrate this latest major milestone for Plant Oxford and the continuing success of the MINI brand.

He said: “Production of the two millionth MINI comes on the back of strong demand worldwide. Our recent announcement of an additional £500 million investment in our UK MINI production facilities demonstrates the important role that Oxford plays in our global production network. The most essential factors in the success of MINI are the skills, passion and dedication of our associates.”

During the visit, Mr Arndt updated the Prime Minister on preparations at the plant to produce the next generation MINI including new production facilities currently under construction. This latest investment decision helps to ensure the long term future of the Oxford plant and jobs at its pressings plant in Swindon and its engine plant at Hams Hall near Birmingham. It also takes the company’s total investment across all its UK operations to more than £1.5 billion since 2000.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “It’s a real privilege to drive this true British icon off the production line today. The 2 millionth MINI to be made here in Oxford is a fantastic symbol of the UK’s strength in the global automotive industry and a great British manufacturing success story.

In the period between 1959 and 2000, when the classic Mini was produced here (then called the Cowley plant), more than 5.3 million Minis were sold worldwide.

“BMW’s continued investment in its UK operations, together with its export success – selling to over 90 countries worldwide – is contributing to a real renaissance for the UK car industry and a brilliant example of the sustainable, balanced growth we are determined to achieve. MINI is not just a symbol of our industrial past, but also the great industrial future we want to build.”

The two millionth MINI is a MINI Convertible specially painted in White Silver metallic with a blue denim roof. The specification boasts a selection of bespoke interior and exterior options including special alloy wheels, a distinctive leather steering wheel and lounge leather upholstery. This historic car is the prize on offer in a global Facebook campaign called ‘Two Million MINIs – Two Million Faces’ which involves photographs of the faces of two million MINI fans being collected and built to create a dedicated Facebook ‘wall’. The winner will be chosen at random after the campaign closes on 30 September.

Dr Juergen Hedrich, managing director for MINI Plant Oxford, said: “It’s a really great milestone for Plant Oxford and everyone who works here. Oxford has been the heart of MINI production for the last 10 years and all our associates are proud and excited to be contributing to the continuing success of this iconic brand.”

Producing 216,302 vehicles in 2010, MINI was the third-largest vehicle manufacturer in the UK, accounting for 17 per cent of national automotive production. The plant currently produces four MINI models – Hatchback, Convertible, Clubman and the new MINI Coupé. A fifth model, the Roadster, will join the line-up at the end of this year.

Since MINI went (back) into production in 2001, developments at Plant Oxford have reflected MINI’s growing success. In 2001 some 2,400 associates worked in single shift operations to build up to 300 cars a day. Today around 3,700 associates work five days a week on two shifts to produce as many as 900 MINIs per day. During the same period maximum production capacity at the plant has risen from 100,000 to over 200,000 units per year. In the medium term the plant has an annual capacity of 260,000 units.

Marvellous MINI facts

- The top five export markets for MINI in 2010 were the US, Germany, France, China and Italy.

- 2 million MINIs placed bumper to bumper would reach 4,626.7 miles or 7446 kilometres which is enough to stretch from Oxford to the Grand Canyon, and go round the entire circumference of (the once-planet) Pluto.

- Stacked on top of each other, 2 million MINIs would be 318 times the height of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, and 3,398 times higher than one of the world’s tallest buildings, Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

- Of the two million MINIs which have been built at Oxford you’ll struggle to find two the same. With 14 body colours, 4 hard top roof colours, 3 convertible roof options, bonnet stripes and several wheel and interior trims, MINI twins are statistically rare.

- A MINI is born every 68 seconds.

- Each and every MINI consists of around 2,100 components. A total of 500 different robots and 3,700 associates join forces to create each MINI, with 4,000 spot welds required to build each bodyshell. Every robot works to a tolerance of 0.05 millimetre – that’s half the width of a human hair.

- The most popular MINI colour is Pepper White, followed by Midnight Black then Chili Red.

Imagine that, driving a MINI the same shade as household appliances just doesn’t seem to work for owners. Well, I guess if it did, they would be driving Toyota Camry’s, Ford Taurus or some other boring sedan worthy of such coloring.

Speaking of coloring, here’s some pictures of that 2 mil MINI to drool over:

The all-new MINI Coupé rolls off the line in Oxford

Posted on by

Source: BMW Press Release, Oxford, United Kingdom – July 8, 2011

Celebrations were under way today at Plant Oxford as the first MINI Coupé rolled off the production line. Andrew Smith MP and Oxford City and County councillors joined plant managing director, Jürgen Hedrich, and members of the plant’s project team to welcome the new model.

The Coupé is the fourth member of the five-strong MINI family to be manufactured at Plant Oxford and will be built on the same production lines as the Hatchback, Clubman and Convertible. A two-seater Roadster will complete the line-up early next year.

Jürgen Hedrich said: “The car has a unique and strong design but still retains MINI’s exciting and distinctive go-kart feel.

“The aim with the MINI Coupé is to give its new owners the most thrilling MINI driving experience possible. Every aspect of the car – from the engines and chassis set up to the weight distribution and aerodynamics – is focused on delivering the optimum dynamic performance”

The Coupé is MINI’s first two-seater, since BMW Group developed the new MINI at Oxford, and has already seen strong interest and a healthy order bank developing.

Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East, said: “This is a great day for the Oxford plant. To see yet another model join the line-up shows just how strong demand is for MINI in the 90 markets around the world where MINIs are sold.

“This new model, along with BMW Group’s recently-announced £500m investment into UK manufacturing, demonstrates the company’s commitment to a long-term future for Plant Oxford.”

The Coupé will see a range of new features, including the sport stripes on the body work, and increased boot space. The unique spoiler is housed in the bootlid and reduces lift at the rear axle to improve aerodynamic balance and road grip. As with all MINIs, a wide range of accessories and personalisation choices will be available.

The MINI John Cooper Works Coupé has the fastest acceleration and top speed of any Oxford-produced MINI to date.

And while the orders for Coupé are stacking up, customers will have to wait until 1 October to take delivery of their cars.

Miniology producers Rob “Califzeph” and Chris “StarLord” (or is his rally name Udødelig now?) were there onsite to drive the first car off the line and join the release party, but.. I WISH! This is just a photoshopped pic, don’t get all excited..! We’re sure MINI UK will send us a proper invite next time :)