Mini design boss details retro model’s survival

THE turn of the millennium spawned myriad retro-inspired models from vehicle manufacturers across the globe.

At the time, it seemed looking back was looking forward with Audi, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Mini, Toyota, Volkswagen, and others leaning on past successes to propel sales.

Fast forward a couple of decades and it appears Mini is the lone survivor of the millennium’s retro model epidemic.

Why the Morris Mini-inspired remake is the only millennial reboot to survive – and indeed thrive – so many years on is a question we couldn’t help asking Head of Mini Interior Design, Sebastian Kroes, on his recent visit to BMW’s Australian headquarters.

The charismatic Munich-based designer said he believed Mini’s ability to blend the new with the old “is the Holy Grail you’re asking for”.

“But I think it has a lot to do with the spirit of the brand, the character of the car itself, and definitely the driving pleasure the Mini offers,” he clarified.

“It is the perfect symbiosis of design and driving pleasure that makes the Mini so unique. It attracts a very different audience, because people see the cars, and they are attracted to them, and then they drive the car, and they fall in love.

“It’s also about community, in a way. Community plays a big role within the brand. Mini owners acknowledge one another, it brings a smile to their faces. It’s about standing out while also fitting in – that’s part of what makes the Mini so loveable,” he told GoAuto.

While other retro-inspired designs claimed to evoke that same sense of inclusion, almost all survived just one model refresh before buyers moved on. It seemed other OEMs were unable to sustain the old-world ‘magic’ Mini had captured.

But just how Mini pulled off the “Holy Grail” of perpetual attraction is a formula that is as much about past inspiration as it is future direction. Pleasingly, the Issigonis-inspired classic continues to provide the impetus for Mini’s design some 65 years on.

“The core beliefs of the Mini brand have remained true to the original (over the last quarter century). Even as we move into the future, they might help to make it even stronger and more important than before,” he enthused.

“We want to ensure we combine these beliefs with our focus on sustainability – and always a creative mindset. Heartbeat, daredevil, curiosity, and responsibility are core values of the Mini brand, and we are always trying to foster these points within our products.

“At the same time, it’s a little bit ‘cheeky’ to drive a Mini. It’s cool; and our customers tell us that is important.”

Indeed, Mr Kroes says customer feedback has also been a vital part of the Mini success story.

Branching out from the original hatch into convertible, panel van, wagon and even SUV body styles not only served to attract new customers to the Mini brand, but retained original buyers as they progressed through varying life stages.

“We are always listening to our customers. From a design point of view we took in consideration, for example, that the Countryman needed to be bigger. They didn’t want to let go of their Countryman, but needed a bit more space, more luggage area, a car that would fit the usability of their everyday life,” he detailed.

“But we also had to rely on our ‘gut feel’, our experience and our vision to make sure the Countryman was still a Mini and stood for everything that goes into these products. That is what keeps people so passionate about it (the Mini brand).

“Design is always a balance between hearing what the customer says and looking at the numbers … then also having your sights on innovation, future technologies, and so on, to then jump ahead as far as possible.”

As Mr Kroes detailed the intricacies of the latest Mini range and pointed to those elements inspired by the Issigonis-designed original, he remarked how the philosophy behind the 1959 original had served to inspire the Cooper, Aceman, and Countryman to meet the expectations of modern buyers.

“The classic Mini remains a major inspiration for us, but sometimes if is really difficult to make decisions that mean leaving things out,” he explained.

“An example I like to use it that it is like packing for a holiday with limited luggage space. You have to choose a pair of shoes and a jacket that will suit many occasions. You have to be brave – you really have to make a decision.

“But doing this differentiates you from others – just like it differentiates Mini from other companies. It’s making life much simpler in a way that feels relieving. The world has become so complex, and sometimes it’s good to focus on the essentials.”

Just how well Mini has managed to combine this minimalist philosophy within the compact footprint of the all-new range is a feat Alec Issigonis himself would marvel at. The latest Mini range wants for nothing, yet still delivers a. blend of style and substance, even as the brand moves toward electrification.

“When we started working on the electric hatch in particular, one of the biggest challenges was to keep the car as compact as before,” he said.

“By and large, electric cars are bigger, and as they get bigger, they also get heavier. Then you start moving toward a design that doesn’t suit the Mini at all. So, one of the biggest challenges we faced was keeping the (propotions of the) electric one as close to the combustion one.

“I think we have succeeded in doing that, and to make the driving experience as ‘Mini’ as possible … I actually think electrification and ‘Mini’ work quite well together. Just because we are a heritage-style brand doesn’t necessarily mean that you just carry on in a stereotypical way.”

Which perhaps speaks to why the likes of the Beetle and PT Cruiser are no longer with us...

With the right outlook and, arguably, the best inspiration of the ‘modern classic’ crowd the Mini brand feels as relevant to today’s customer as it did at the turn of the century – or indeed those of the late 1950s.

Let’s see if Aussie customers agree with us as the latest Mini designs begin to enter local showrooms.