We recently spent a little over a week in Paris, France. We spent the first few days within the city limits to cover the press days of the Paris Motor Show, and we then took a couple of days to test cars for work in the surrounding areas – departments like Yvelines (78), Oise (60), … Continue reading
Category Archives: Mini
Ran When Parked visits Japan
Work recently took us to Japan, the land of Wasabi Cars, Japanese Nostalgic Car and, of course, Tomica models. Having never been to Japan before, we decided to take a couple of well-deserved days off in order to do some sight-seeing in and around Tokyo. Domestic automakers indisputably rule the market in rural areas of … Continue reading
Lego and BMW reveal 1,077-part Mini Cooper
Lego and MINI parent company BMW have teamed up to introduce a Mini Cooper crafted out of 1,077 Lego bricks. Finished in British Racing Green, the Lego Mini Cooper is inspired by the limited-edition model that was built from July 1997 to August of 1998 in order to celebrate the car’s 40th anniversary. The Lego … Continue reading
The third annual Velaux Rétro car show
The town of Velaux, France, held its third annual car show last weekend. It was one of the first car local shows of the year which is risky because in April the weather can change for the worse with very little notice, as those who visited the much larger Avignon show found out. However, the … Continue reading
Topical advertising: Old vs. new
Automakers commonly bring historic models from their own collection to media events in an attempt to create a link between the past and the present. Sometimes the connection between the two cars on display is evident, sometimes it’s a little more heavy-handed. A photographer generally shoots the old car next to the new one but … Continue reading
The 2014 Monte-Carlo Historique rally
The 17th annual Monte-Carlo Historique rally kicked off a little over a week ago and ended yesterday when a Belgian team at the wheel of an orange 1978 Opel Kadett GTE won the event. This year, the participants left from six European cities (Barcelona, Glasgow, Monte-Carlo, Oslo, Reims and Stockholm) and the common stages took … Continue reading
50 years ago: Mini takes home first Monte-Carlo victory
BMW’s MINI division is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its very first Monte-Carlo victory. The milestone occurred on January 21st, 1964, when Patrick “Paddy” Hopkirk and co-pilot Henry Liddon drove a Mini Cooper S wearing number 37 across the finish line in the Principality of Monaco. Continue reading
Topical advertising: In the city
Spine-chilling traffic, potholes, pedestrians, buses and numerous lights are just some of the nuisances generally associated with crowded cities. We even have a theory that driving in big cities is comparable to how a dog ages: Every mile driven in a city puts seven miles’ worth of wear and tear on a car. That being … Continue reading
Color-coded advertising: Red
The early Range Rover we wrote about yesterday got us thinking about red cars. While red is typically associated with high-value, high-speed models from the likes of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini, it is a bold color that transcends market segments and works well on many types of cars regardless of style or size. The … Continue reading
BMW fully restores barn-find 1959 Austin Seven
BMW’s MINI division has completed the Herculean task of fully restoring a 1959 Austin Seven in its VDL Nedcar, Netherlands, factory. Continue reading