Does BMW own MINI?

mcarter49 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-12-2003, 04:11 PM

Last week my Marketing class did a project on MINI. My teacher has a MINI Cooper-S and for some odd reason my friends and I thought BMW actually owned/manufactured MINI...so finally to my question, is this true? (my teacher said MINI actually "teamed up" you could say, with specified BMW dealerships...and that no, BMW doesn't own MINI). I just wanna know what the deal is and if my teacher is right or wrong...

thanks!

M3ntal Kev · #2 (**permalink**) 11-12-2003, 06:37 PM

Well, there are more than a few BMW logos under the hood of the MINI so I would say yes that the MINI brand is built by BMW.

TomM · #3 (**permalink**) 11-12-2003, 06:40 PM

BMW bought Rolls Royce a while back, and with it came the MINI name plus Rover. So yes, BMW does own MINI. However, MINI is it's own company.

minicooper · #4 (**permalink**) 11-18-2003, 11:40 AM

Mini is made in the UK by the same people that made the old mini. The name 'MINI' is owned by BMW, they also own the 'MINI Image'. BMW do not own the Cooper name, that is owned by Mike Cooper.

BMW bought Rover famously for £10 becuase it was loosing thousands of pounds a day. They scrapped the mini and brough out the new mini after sales of the old mini plummeted.

Ian

CooperSRacer · #5 (**permalink**) 12-03-2003, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by minicooper
Mini is made in the UK by the same people that made the old mini. The name 'MINI' is owned by BMW, they also own the 'MINI Image'. BMW do not own the Cooper name, that is owned by Mike Cooper.

BMW bought Rover famously for £10 becuase it was loosing thousands of pounds a day. They scrapped the mini and brough out the new mini after sales of the old mini plummeted.

Ian

small correction. Rover was already developing the new MINI, but then BMW decided to take over the development.

The BMW Group owns MINI (and Rolls Royce) and sells the MINI through sibling dealers located on-site with select BMW dealers. The MINI is a truly international car in that some of its parts are premanufactured in Germany, the engine is made at a joint Chrysler/BMW venture in Brazil and the car is put together at the MINI plant in Oxford, England. Oh and I think the guy that designed the MINI worked for BMW DesignWorks USA out in Cali.

minicooper · #6 (**permalink**) 12-04-2003, 09:50 AM

Rover started to develop the car that was going to the mini replacement. Then BMW stepped in and designed the BMW from what they had.

BMW basically stole what Rover had built up along with the heratige of the old car. They were very succesful though and made a nice car out of it, but it still doesn't deserve the MINI name, for obvious reasons.

Ian