You could say I’ve had my share of exposure to BMW’s Mini Cooper.
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| PROUD OWNER: Don MacMillan with his 1966 Mini Cooper |
A few years ago, before the relaunch of the small box-like cars in the States, my father bought a 1966 Mini. My entire family was on hand when the cream-colored, diminutive car arrived from England by way of Florida. The flatbed truck, stacked with several other Minis, couldn’t round the corner in our neighborhood, so we had to drive down the street to pick it up. My mother quickly dubbed it “the clown car” and we got many quizzical stares from neighbors as the truck driver—who was easily twice the size of the smallest car on U.S. roads—helped my ecstatic father unload his new toy. (I sometimes suspect such moments rank higher than his offsprings’ births.)
Today, no one gawks at the tiny cars, which are ubiquitous on the highways. BMW’s aggressive grassroots marketing push has made consumers well aware of the Mini, which was only ever sold here between 1960 and 1967. Since its reintroduction to U.S. markets in March 2002, new models have been selling quicker than dealers can ship them from overseas. Needless to say, my father was thrilled when my brother’s girlfriend recently purchased a 2003 royal blue Mini with a white roof.
And all Mini fanatics know of the 1969 film The Italian Job. As the best-selling car in England, it’s no surprise the true star of the British movie is not Michael Caine, but the three Mini Coopers that bounce down stairs, creep up building sides and speed through drainage tunnels in a famous high-speed gold-heist scene. My father rented the movie just for that clip—and we were all obliged to watch. (We also endured Charlie’s Angels to see the one-minute footage of a Donzi speedboat, another of my father’s playthings.)
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| Mini owners get a peek at The Italian Job |
So I certainly owed my father a call a few weeks ago when I was driving through Ridgefield, CT, and passed a parking lot lined with 20 brightly colored new Minis, and saw several more rounding the corner. The drivers were on their way to an exclusive advance screening of The Italian Job remake from Paramount Pictures. Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg and Donald Sutherland headline the latest version.
Seventy-eight screenings were hosted by dealers throughout the country. Participants and their guests received posters, key chains and other Italian Job/Mini collateral materials. “It was a ‘make owning fun program,’” says Kerri Martin, director of marketing communications at BMW in Woodcliff Cliffs, NJ. And while waiting for their vehicles to make it stateside, buyers received “unauthorized owners’ manuals” and could track their Mini at miniusa.com as it was manufactured in the U.K. Owners can also hang out at the Mini lounge at miniusa.com to swap stories on various chat boards. Don’t even think of trying to visit the lounge if you’re not an owner—VIN numbers are required.
In May, Mini hosted a drive-in at the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood. Owners saw a sneak preview of the film. Mini also had a drive-on role in Austin Powers in Goldmember last year per a personal request from Mike Myers. Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Miami, handles ads and promos for the brand.
Naturally, my father immediately revved up his vintage Mini and drove over to the theater to mingle with the new Mini parents. I still find it amusing that my dad—a man who still calls jeans “dungarees”—was actually on the cutting edge of a new car trend. Maybe he is cool?
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