46 Classic Car Mart Spring 2016
O
ver the years I’ve become pretty
familiar with the ‘new’ BMW MINI
courtesy of a stint editing a BMW
magazine when the car was first
launched and then later a spell at the helm of
Kelsey’s own Modern Mini magazine.
As a result I’ve amassed boxes full of press
material and brochures, all lovingly designed
in that cheeky/cheesy (delete as appropriate)
trademark MINI style... but not once does any of
it mention the Metro.
Personally I find that surprising since in my
mind the Metro is very much the missing link
between old Mini and new MINI and was once
a pretty successful product in its own right.
Others perhaps see things differently: Simon
Goldsworthy, editor of our own MG Enthusiast
and Triumph World magazines and the owner
of the MG Metro in these photos views the
Metro as a story in its own right rather than
a replacement for the Mini. As history has
shown us, that’s turned out to be correct in
NEW FOR OLD
Late in its life, Rover gave the Mini Cooper a massive shot in the arm
with BMW money, long after it was supposed to have been replaced
by the MG Metro. Which one is the better bet today?
Words: Paul Wager Photography: Adam Tait, Matt Woods
many ways since the Mini eventually outlived
the Metro.
This though wasn’t so much down to the relative
qualities of Mini and Metro as vehicles but more to
do with marketing and branding: when BMW knew
it would be producing its own interpretation of the
Mini, the brand needed to be kept alive for just long
enough until the all-new car was ready to go.
This in turn meant a massive – by Mini
standards – investment in the model late in