A convoy of Mini Cooper vehicles recently paid a visit to the Imperial War Museum in a bid to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Research , it has been stated.
The Cambridge News reports that, in scenes reminiscent of the film The Italian Job, the vehicles arrived at the Duxford airstrip to take part in a rally after making the 55-mile journey from Braintree in Essex.
Mini Club UK organised the race and stated that it had been turned into a charity event after it was discovered that the mother of one of the group’s members had been aided by the cancer charity after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
According to the publication, club secretary Chris Cooper said: "The club has been going for a year and thought it would be good to arrange a social outing.
"When we heard how Macmillan had helped the family of one of our members, we decided to turn it into a fundraiser."
Another upcoming event for Mini Cooper fans is Mini United, which is a three-day event taking place at Silverstone from May 22nd.
Paul Weller is headlining the event, while there is also to be an appearance from Calvin Harris.
To mark the 50th birthday of the first Mini being produced at Plant Oxford, the same car returned to the venue today (May 8th) for a small celebration.
Some 602,817 Mini Cooper vehicles were built at the plant between 1959 and 1968 before the production of the vehicles was moved to Longbridge.
The first of these vehicles was the Mini Minor, which was finished in Old English White and wore the registration 621 AOK.
However, as well as reminiscing about the past, Frank-Peter Arndt, BMW Group member of the Board of Management for Production, took the opportunity to look to the future.
He said: "On days like today it’s also good to look to the future. Therefore, our objective is absolutely clear: We are going to continue the success story of Mini and continue to strengthen it.
"One thing is certain, Mini is a brand not only with a great tradition, but also a fantastic future."
Motorists interested in buying a Mini Cooper may wish to know that the vehicle has a fuel consumption of 52.3 miles to the gallon, while having the capabilities of reaching a top speed of 126 miles per hour.
Fans of the Mini Cooper range have been told of some interesting little-known facts that may be of interest to them.
The Guardian reports on some facts that are published in the book Mini: An Intimate Biography, providing some revealing insights about scenarios involving a vehicle from the Mini brand.
Among the facts announced are that racing driver Stirling Moss was once banned from driving for a year after being caught speeding in a Mini.
Furthermore, the apparent record for the number of people that can be crammed into a Mini is 66, while the largest ever line of Mini drivers to form a convoy is thought to be 299.
Finally, actor Kevin Spacey, famous for roles in films including American Beauty and Usual Suspects, once apparently paid $130,000 to own the last classic Mini Cooper to be built.
One of the vehicles open to motorists in the Mini Cooper range is the Mini Cooper Clubman, which has a top speed of 125 miles per hour and generates CO2 emissions of 132g/km.
Mini fans may be excited to know that a new vehicle is being added to the manufacturer’s fleet, with a Graphite edition available under selected Mini guises.
Mini Cooper supporters will be able to take advantage of a vehicle under the Graphite umbrella, while it will also be available under the Mini One guise.
Features of the Mini Cooper Graphite that may appeal to motorists include a piano black interior, dark silver metallic paint, white indicator lenses and the choice of either black or white bonnet stripes.
Orders for all vehicles in the Mini Graphite range are currently being taken at UK dealerships, with finance deals available.
It is expected that the first owners of a vehicle from the Mini Graphite range will be among those in attendance at the Mini United festival which takes place towards the end of this month.
The event is being held at Silverstone between May 22nd and 24th, with Paul Weller and Calvin Harris named as the festival’s starring acts.
Weller is also well-known for his association with acts including The Jam and The Style Council.
The latest version of the Mini Cooper is well on the way to overtaking the sales figure achieved by the original model, it has been stated.
Writing for the Sun, Ken Gibson remarked that BMW were "shrewd" to keep the Mini name when it sold Rover in 2000 and has significantly cashed in on the decision.
He indicates that the original Mini Cooper sold just over four million units in its lifetime, thanks to the positive impression it made on celebrities and royalty back in the day.
Among those to climb on board the Mini bandwagon were pop star Lulu, film star Peter Sellers and Lord Snowden, the husband of Princess Margaret.
However, sales gradually began to dwindle and eventually the car was scrapped because it failed to fit in with the needs of the modern motorist.
Mr Gibson reveals that the latest Mini Cooper passed the 1.5 million sales mark and has maintained the "classy" nature of the original car.
The new Mini Cooper gives drivers the chance to complete 52.3 miles per gallon of fuel, while generating 129g/km of carbon dioxide.
Those behind the Mini Cooper range have called on motorists to show their loyalty to Britain when they trade in their vehicles under the new scrappage scheme.
Mini UK will be taking part in the government’s scrappage scheme, meaning that motorists who scrap their vehicles that are over ten years old will be given a £2,000 discount off the cost of a participating vehicle.
And Mini has called on motorists to choose a car that is British built, such as the Mini Hatch, Mini Clubman or the all-new Mini Convertible.
Andy Hearn, Mini UK general manager, said: "With close to 150 UK dealers and manufacturing bases in Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall, I am certain that British people will recognise the importance of Mini to the UK economy, particularly as this year we are celebrating half a century of Mini in Britain."
Buyers of the Mini Cooper Hatch will benefit from a vehicle that can accelerate from zero to 62 miles per hour in 9.1 seconds and a fuel consumption of 52.3 miles to the gallon.
With the government proposing to lower urban speed limits to 20 miles per hour in some areas, this could be of benefit to cars travelling behind a Mini Cooper, according to a reviewer.
After test-driving the Mini Cooper Convertible 1.6, Giles Smith states in the Times that this will offer Mini Cooper drivers the optimum time to drop their top or put it up.
He remarks that the new roof mechanism can either be lowered or raised at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour in 15 seconds and thus could be done in these areas rather than when it is suitable to pull over and stop.
As well as the impressive roof, Mr Smith also comments that Mini has tried to enhance its appeal to men through the inclusion of a new gadget.
Mini drivers are now able to benefit from a device called the Openometer, which allows an individual to precisely know the number of miles and the amount of time the car has been driven with the roof down.
However, Mr Smith believes that although the feature is "clever and amusing", it goes against the light-hearted and free-spirited notion of what driving a convertible is meant to be like.
The Mini Cooper Convertible has a top speed of 123 miles per hour and generates 137g/km of carbon dioxide.
Motorists choosing to buy a Mini Cooper Clubman will be gaining a vehicle that has a "funky" look on the inside, according to one reviewer.
Writing for the Dumfries and Galloway Standard, Patrick James indicates that there are many strong elements to the Clubman’s interior.
He remarks that the vehicle is "deceptively spacious", as both the driver and passengers can travel in comfort with good amounts of both head and leg room.
Furthermore, he highlights that the Mini Cooper has "firm and supportive" seats, with the flick switches and other buttons giving the impressions of cars of old.
Mr James also states that those motorists who are unsure of whether BMW has succeeded in moving the Mini into the 21st century, only have to look at the sales figures.
He concludes that the "Mini has never been more popular", as buyers are realising that they are benefiting from a car that has charm and holds its value.
The Mini Cooper Clubman has a top speed of 125 miles per hour, while generating 132g/km of CO2.
As part of the 50th birthday celebrations of the Mini this year, Mini Cooper owners have been encouraged to attend an event to share stories of their life with the vehicle.
Organisers of the Dunlop Great & British Motorsport Festival are looking to find out more about the lives of Mini owners, particularly if their Mini Cooper has a name or has been involved in any interesting scenarios.
The event is to take place at the Rockingham racing circuit in Northampton over the weekend beginning on April 18th.
James Bailey, Dunlop Motorsport’s communications manager, said: "Every Mini, old or new seems to have its own character, which is why we believe that many of the cars have been given names by their owners.
"With so many Minis, there must be thousands that have been given names and we want to know, just through curiosity what people have called theirs."
He added that over the past 50 years Mini has become a part of the "nation’s heritage" and that everyone that has currently been spoken to has a story to tell about the car.
Meanwhile, Mini Cooper fans may want to plan a journey to Silverstone in May to witness Paul Weller headline the Mini United 2009 celebrations, another event to mark the car’s birthday.
An online bingo fan may not have won money when she entered a recent competition, but instead was rewarded with a new Mini Cooper worth £16,000.
Joanne Kane became the first ever winner of a car from Wink Bingo, after winning a play-off to seal the victory.
An initial game to win the prize was declared a draw after Ms Kane and another entrant both called ‘house’ on the same number.
So a play-off game between the pair was announced with both players getting to choose their own two numbers, with Ms Kane’s nine and 11 balls drawn out before those selected by her rival.
Ms Kane said: "I’ve never won anything in my life.
"It was so exciting; I screamed and screamed and screamed. The kids were screaming, the dog was going mad. I can’t explain how wonderful it felt."
Among the highlights of the Mini Cooper are that it has a top speed of 126 miles per hour and can accelerate from still to 62 miles per hour in 9.1 seconds.
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