Mini specials celebrate 50 years

MINI last night announced two commemorative models – the Mini 50 Mayfair and Mini 50 Camden – to mark the 50th anniversary of the original game-changing Mini on August 26.

The announcement, which came just 10 minutes before the international unveiling of Citroen’s new and conceptually similar DS3 luxury small car, is the latest celebration in a long list of automotive milestones this year.

Audi, Suzuki and Morgan have marked their centenaries, while Bentley turned 90 and, in a public relations battle that developed in recent weeks over who designed the most significant safety technology, we’re reminded that Volvo released the three-point lap/sash seatbelt 50 years ago on August 13 and Mercedes-Benz presented its wedge-pin door lock and ESP stability control systems 50 and 15 years ago respectively.

Mini’s two special-edition 50th anniversary models mark five decades since the British Motor Corporation (BMC) unveiled its revolutionary Morris Mini-Minor compact car.The Mini 50 Mayfair and Mini 50 Camden have both been confirmed for sale in Australia from November.

Both Mini 50 treatments are available across the three-door Cooper hatchback range (but not the five-door Clubman or two-door Cabrio line-up, which will be bolstered in September by the cracking JCW Cabrio), with the standard Cooper Camden opening the batting at $36,100 – $5000 more than the standard Cooper.

The Mini 50 Cooper D Camden hatch commands the same premium at $38,750, while the Cooper S Camden is priced at $43,900. Similarly, the Mini 50 Cooper Mayfair’s price of $37,000 is up by $5900, as is the Cooper D Mayfair at $39,650 and the Cooper S Mayfair ($44,800).

Mini says both models are named after distinguished London boroughs, with the Mayfair boasting “sublime exclusivity” and the Camden taking after “the home of a trendy and culturally versatile urban lifestyle”.

Harking back to the 1982 Mini model of the same name, the Mini 50 Mayfair aims to combine “supreme comfort and an extravagant look” via the exclusive option of Hot Chocolate metallic paint with a white roof, plus unique 17-inch 12-spoke alloy wheels. The Mayfair can also be had with white wheels and Pepper White or Midnight Black paint.

Other exclusive Mayfair additions include bonnet stripes in light-brown Toffee metallic with white pin-striping, grille-mounted driving lights, custom brown-to-black painted wing mirrors, a ‘Mayfair’ logo next to the side repeater lens and a Mini 50 grille badge.

The Mini 50 Mayfair also offers standard front sports seats, a Toffee/black-coloured sports leather steering wheel, plush ‘Leather Lounge’ seat trim in Toffee/Carbon Black and green-stitched gearshift and handbrake surround with 50th birthday badge.

Xenon headlights with washers are standard on the top-shelf Coopers S Mayfair and optional on the Cooper and Cooper D.

The Mini 50 Camden, meantime, is “highlighted by its technical clarity and sporting character” thanks to a silver, white and black exterior theme comprising exclusive White Silver metallic paint with a white roof. Midnight Black metallic or Horizon Blue metallic hues are also on offer.

Like the Mayfair, the Camden comes with unique 17-inch alloys (this time with contrasting silver inner surfaces and matt polished outers), but adds unique three-dimensional silver stripes on its bonnet shoulders, silver-to-white painted wing mirrors and black-tinted headlight lenses – Xenons for the Cooper S.

A black-in-black Union Jack logo is this time housed within the Camden’s side indicator lens, while inside there are ‘Camden’ and ‘Mini 50’ door entry logos, contrasting Carbon Black and Tech White cloth/leather-clad sports seats and white-stitched leather steering wheel cladding.

In addition to the Mayfair’s standard equipment list, the Camden also features a new Harman Kardon HiFi system with high performance digital amplifier and speakers, plus the exclusive fitment of a new ‘Mission Control’ in-car entertainment system, which applies different dialogues for vehicle functions including climate-control, trip computer and warning signals.

There are no changes to the 128kW twin-scroll turbocharged direct-injection 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine fitted to the Cooper S, the 88kW naturally-aspirated version in the Cooper, or the 80kW turbo-diesel in the Cooper D. All vehicles continue to return fuel consumption of 7.0L/100km or less, with the D officially returning 3.9L/100km to maintain its title as Australia’s most fuel-efficient diesel.

Ironically, while the DS3's 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine is shared with BMW's Mini Cooper D, the Mini's 1.6 turbo-petrol engine was developed by BMW and is also used in the DS3.

“The new 50th anniversary models are a welcome addition to the Mini portfolio here in Australia,” said national Mini manager Justin Hocevar. “Not only do they celebrate a significant milestone for one of the world’s most iconic brands, they provide customers with unprecedented value.

“In true Mini style, the product offering of the anniversary models is truly unique and is yet another competitive advantage we bring to the Australian market,” said Mr Hocevar in announcing the Mini 50 models for Australia, just minutes before the global reveal of the Mini’s most serious new rival, the Citroen DS3.

BMW’s born-again Mini family has been a smash-hit globally, and continues to attract a strong following in Australia, where sales are just under 15 per cent down so far in 2009 – less than the car industry’s overall sales decline this year.

2009 Mini 50 pricing:
Cooper Mayfair	$37,000
Cooper D Mayfair	$39,650
Cooper S Mayfair	$44,800
Cooper Camden	$36,100
Cooper D Camden	$38,750
Cooper S Camden	$43,900