I'm crushed!

[Cd]

I saw a MINI just yesterday here in Austin, Texas.
The first real MINI I have seen.
I was a work at the time, but wanted to ask the girl how difficult it was to bring over to the US. Also, I always wonder how hard it is to drive on the 'wrong' side of the car.

[Arragonis]

A MINI is that BMW nonsense.

A Mini is the original design, by the original (flawed) genius created in the 1950s.

[Cd]

Yes, the MINI I saw was a proper British Mini ( in yellow ).

Most certainly not one of these monstrosities :

[Arragonis]

MINI is made here, and the original MINI was designed by Rover (aka the remnants of British Leyland - the guys who owned, MG, Triumph etc.).

When BMW decided to sell off Rover they kept the MINI design and allowed Rover to use the "Mini" name for the old car until 2000 when the new MINI would be ready for launch.

After that the old car had to be killed off.

The newer (2000 on) car is a good car, but it isn't a Mini and isn't built for the same reasons - profits not counted.

[user removed]

I actually managed to avoid an accident because the car I was driving was RHD. Sitting at a stop sign, a Ford LTD srtarted to back up into the right door of the MG my brothers father in law brought back from England. Before impact, I reached out and slapped the trunk lid with my open hand. He stopped with 6 inches to spare and jumped out of his car and thanked me for the warning. He could not see me for his trunk lid.

I apologised for the possible dent my open handed slap warning might have made. He said no problem and we parted ways.

Passing with RHD was a little more difficult.

regards
mech

[Brit]

So by US standards a Mini from 1988 is perfectly safe and legal yet one from 1997 or 1998 that is structurally the same is totally unacceptable and must be destroyed?

By that logic a 1959 MK1 is considered safer and more legal than a 2000 MK7 that has much better tyres, suspension, better seatbelts and an airbag. This is the country that produced the damn Corvair.

[Baltothewolf]

The FEDS are forcing a member over on Insightcentral to crush 1 of only 200 made black Insights. Total BS.

[user removed]

Originally Posted by Brit

So by US standards a Mini from 1988 is perfectly safe and legal yet one from 1997 or 1998 that is structurally the same is totally unacceptable and must be destroyed?

By that logic a 1959 MK1 is considered safer and more legal than a 2000 MK7 that has much better tyres, suspension, better seatbelts and an airbag. This is the country that produced the damn Corvair.

Minis would not pass 1968 US federal standards, which were farily limited but included collapsible steering columns, dual circuit brake systems, Positive crankcase ventilation, side guard beams in doors, etc. Any original Mini made after the 1968 regs came into effect would be illegal to import and sell in the US.

regards
mech

[Arragonis]

The Mini also had a load of "passes" from the EU safety people to remain in production. BMW discontinued applying for them in 2000 so the car had to stop being made and sold.

It is possible to make a new one, the bodyshell is available :