Few cars have undergone as many successful revisions and revivals as the Mini Cooper. The original version was introduced in 1961 by the British Motor Corporation. Though Mini convertible cars would not become popular for another three decades, the car was praised for its innovative design. How influential was the Mini Cooper? In 1999, it was voted the second most important car of the century behind the Ford Model T. Today, the Mini Copper is one of the most popular and distinctive cars on the road. Of course, it is no longer made by the British Motor Corporation. German car giant BMW unexpectedly purchased the rights to produce the Mini in 2001. The new models feature many of the now famous design innovations such as the traverse-mounted engine and the front-wheel drive. Not surprisingly, the company has improved the engineering as well as the fuel efficiency. (more...)
The wildly successful UK scrappage scheme officially ended in March. What does this mean for consumers? Well, for one thing it means that new cars and trucks will be two thousand pounds pricier than they were before. We also know that automakers have increased their prices due to the weakness of the pound. It is only a matter of time before the dealerships do the same. Not surprisingly, industry insiders are predicting a rough road ahead for the new car market. Fortunately for consumers there are still used cars to consider. In fact, the market for secondhand cars has been on the rise even without the aid of a government program. According to the latest report, the market was up by six percent in 2009. Why do consumers prefer used cars? The first and most obvious reason is that they are cheaper cars. This is due to the fact that new vehicles depreciate at an alarming rate. On average, they lose about half of their value in the first three years of ownership. Perhaps that is why used cars outsell them 3-to-1. (more...)
Founded in 1944, Kia Motors is South Korea's oldest car company. It is also one of the few automakers from Asia that you may not have heard of. That is because it took decades for Kia to introduce its cars in foreign markets. In fact, Kia did not start selling in North America until 1992. A year later, they started shipping cars to Europe.
Because they were fuel-efficient, economical vehicles, the first Kias were a big hit in Europe. Their inaugural offering was the Kia Pride, which was an affordable mini-car. It quite sold well for almost a decade before it was discontinued in 2001. By the mid-90s, Kia had defined its European sales strategy. They would offer fuel-efficient minis and sedans that competed directly with models from Ford and Vauxhall. Since they could not match the brands in advertising, they had to compete on the basis of price. On average, their cars were two thousand pounds cheaper than the top models from Ford and Vauxhall. How about a used Kia? (more...)
The original Mini was produced by the British Motor Corporation in 1959. Its innovative space-saving design provided more room for passengers than the average subcompact. The car would go on to sell more than five million units over forty years.
Shortly after the British Motor Corporation went out of business, world famous luxury carmaker BMW contacted them. They wanted to know if they could buy the rights to the Mini and produce their own version of the classic car. The company said yes. Now, even for an automaker with the experience of BMW, remaking and redefining a classic car can be a daunting task. Fortunately, the company did it the right way. Instead of producing another expensive luxury vehicle, they stayed true to the spirit of the original and made a cheap BMW Mini. (more...)
Originally manufactured by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, the Mini became one of the most popular and influential vehicles in history. With its innovative design features, the Mini laid the blueprint for all subcompacts that were to follow. Not to mention the fact that it sold an impressive five million units in its forty years of production. Just a few months after the British Motor Corporation closed its doors in 1999, they were approached by renowned luxury carmaker BMW. The company had an interesting proposal. They wanted to design their own version of the classic car and offer it to consumers at an affordable price. Since the Mini had always been a demotic vehicle, this was important to both companies. But redefining a classic can be a daunting prospect, even for an automaker as experienced as BMW. It took six full years for the company to develop the first generation of new Minis, far longer than anticipated. The point in question was whether the Mini would be an economy car or a sporty model? Would the used BMW Mini be affordable for the average driver? (more...)
The first question that any car buyer must answer is whether they want a new car or a used one. The question became a lot easier for residents of the UK when the scrappage scheme was introduced in May of 2009. Under the government-funded program, any car buyer who traded in an old clunker would receive a two-thousand pound discount off the purchase of a new car. Not surprisingly, the scrappage scheme was a big hit with consumers. According to the dealerships, it led to ten consecutive months of growth. Over 400,000 new cars were purchased and traded-in under the plan, which accounted for a twenty percent increase in sales. The scrappage scheme finally ended in April and car shoppers are left with the same old question—new car or used one? The benefits of buying a secondhand car are simple—they're cheaper. The average used vehicle is about thirty to forty percent less than a new model. This is due to the fact that new cars depreciate at an incredible rate. Believe it or not, the average new car loses over half of its value in just five years. Perhaps that is why used cars sales remained steady even during the recession. Cheapest car sales for secondhand vehicles actually increased by 6 percent in 2009. (more...)
In a 1999 poll of auto engineers, the Mini was voted the second most influential car design of the 20th century, after the Model T. Introduced by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, the company would sell more than five million units over four decades. What was the appeal? Smaller, more fuel efficient cars have always been extremely popular with European drivers. The only obvious problem is that they're small. The Mini was the first subcompact car design to confront and conquer the space issue. The last of the original Minis were sold in 1999. But two years later legendary car maker BMW contacted the now defunct British Motor Corporation with an interesting proposition. They wanted to design their own version of the classic car. The company agreed. Three years later Mini BMW cars hit the market. (more...)
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