The MINI Book Of Motoring
Chapter and verse for motorists of every age.

On a brisk autumn day in the fine year 1964 A.D. in the parking lot of Costner-Eagleton Motors in Maryville, Tennessee, my family and I packed ourselves into Ford’s latest and greatest creation: the Mustang. We were there for a test drive, and while that was significant enough, little did I know that my path as a motorist for the next 40 years would be decided that day.

While Dad sat behind the wheel and Mom checked out the glovebox, my two brothers and I squirmed in the back seat of Detroit’s new sporty car. When it came to cars, my father knew what he liked, and what he liked were cars that had what I would come to understand later as character.

Dad drove the Mustang around the block and returned to the dealer where he thanked the salesman and proceeded with family in tow to dealership #2 in our quest for the only new car my father would ever buy. At Van Slyke VW in Knoxville, Dad stood on more familiar ground; he had happily owned a ‘59 Beetle a few years previously. In those days, a trip to the VW dealer represented, like the Beetle itself, a small act of rebellion for millions of Americans who had grown tired of Harley Earle’s gospel of yearly model change and more is better.

At the VW dealer, Dad picked out a blue ‘65 Beetle and we repeated the scenario enacted earlier that day in the Mustang. Except this time, upon returning to the dealer, Dad chose an automotive future that lay in the direction of Wolfsburg instead of Detroit.

The VW represented a known quantity for my father, but more importantly, the Beetle was simply more fun to drive than a lowly Falcon masquerading as a sporty car. Not only was the VW from exotic Germany, where craftsmanship came standard, but it offered true motoring vs. just another ride.

Dad was in the vanguard of drivers who found the joy of motoring in the most unlikely of places. I think he was looking for a bit more honesty in the whole experience of driving, and chose a machine that, while humble, contributed in its own unique way to making each drive an event to be enjoyed instead of transport to be endured.

Forty years later, the Beetle phenomenon is happening all over again in the U.S., except now instead of VW’s New Beetle, the car of choice is a product of Munich engineering combined with a quirky retro English design.

Enter the Mini.

With U.S. sales of 3000 a month and rising in its debut year, the Mini's success is heartening in the face of parent group BMW’s current ('02) sales slump, keeping total sales of BMW product this year even with the same period in ‘01. One can find some important clues to the Mini's success in The Book Of Motoring, Mini's nifty little booklet that captures the spirit of the car’s appeal to drivers of all ages.

“What is motoring?” the Book asks. “How is motoring different from driving? Physically, they’re the same process. You apply gas, let off the clutch and steer by turning the wheel. The difference is in the mind of the operator. Just because you drive, doesn’t mean you motor. When you drive, you go from A to B. When you motor, you go from A to Z. It’s all about living. Nobody can tell you when you’re motoring. You just know.”

With that introduction, the nice folks at Mini/BMW proceed to define the kind of driver that the Mini was built for.

“Take a new turn. When motoring in a MINI, it’s important to occasionally take a left when you’re supposed to go right. In this way you can avoid ruts. A rut cannot be seen but it can be felt. If you feel like you’ve taken the same path so many times before that there should be a groove worn into the street, you’re in a rut. Take a left immediately.”

In the same way my dad took a left some 40 years ago with a new VW, a lot of people are making a significant change in their lives by taking home a Mini. In pursuing a passion for making motoring fun again, they may also learn to be a bit more human.

“Most drivers hate congested areas. They avoid them whenever possible. Now, while motorers love open roads more than the next person, they don’t exactly consider traffic jams to be an asphalt sea of torture and despair. They’re proud when their emotions aren’t poisoned by the tension and frustration in the air around them. They know you can still motor whether you’re going six or sixty. If someone changes into your lane, it doesn’t mean you’re weak. It’s just another guest at the party in lane three. Be the person who lets people in. True, you’ll reach your destination about four or five car lengths later but it will make for a stress-free trip.”

A nice message for motorists in need of grace in an age of road rage.

“Remember that first day you got your license? That was some good motoring.”

I remember. My first day was behind the wheel of Dad's ‘65 Beetle a few years after we brought it home. My formative driving years were spent turning a skinny white German plastic steering wheel and liberally shifting a tall skinny rod between the front seats in an effort to stay on the power curve of a 1.2 liter air-cooled engine. A constant challenge, but with constant reward when done well. I was being fashioned into the motorist I am today.

“Note: while one can easily motor by oneself, the company of others often adds to the experience. And when friends are unavailable, remember, dogs love to motor.”

The Book Of Motoring has many more such delightful gems of motoring philosophy, free for the asking. Do yourself a favor and get a copy from the folks at Mini.

Here now is a closing word from The Book for the spunky car that is bringing the U.S. a brave new world of affordable and fun motoring, courtesy of our friends at BMW. Thanks, guys.

“If you’re going to motor, motor in a strange and wonderful alchemy of steel, aluminum, graphite, dreams and sweat. Motor in something built by designers who used paper and pencil instead of computers. By designers who listened to their hearts, not focus groups. Motor in a machine that’s more than a pretty face. The MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S are small but offer the kind of substance you’d find in cars costing three times as much. Read on and soon you’ll understand why MINIs are truly in a class of one.” -Rick Sparks

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