PressClub South Africa · Article.
The original made of 1,077 parts: the classic Mini as a LEGO set.
Mon Jul 21 23:55:00 CEST 2014 Press Release
Danish toy manufacturer adds the Mini Cooper to its LEGO® Creator Expert series - accurate replica with body in British Racing Green, white roof and engine bonnet stripes, transversely mounted 4-cylinder engine and picnic basket in the luggage compartment – exclusive online sales at shop.LEGO.com start on August 1st 2014.
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Lindsay Pieterse
BMW Group
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Munich. The creative use of space has always been its
strength. Now the classic Mini is presented in an entirely new format.
The LEGO Group is expanding the fleet of its product series Creator
Expert to include the original from Great Britain. As of August 2014,
a classic Mini will be available as a 1,077-part LEGO set, providing
authentic building and driving fun for all fans of the popular LEGO
bricks and the legendary small car.
The LEGO designers based their model on the last generation of
the classic Mini Cooper built up to the year 2000, recreating its
inimitable charisma in the colourful world of their model kits with
painstaking attention to detail. When fully assembled, the car is 25
centimetres long, 14 centimetres wide and 11 centimetres high -
thereby preserving the brand's characteristic proportions. An
unmistakable appearance is likewise ensured by the body in British
Racing Green, the roof, exterior mirror caps and bonnet stripes in
white, the checked pattern on the beige seats and the additional
headlamps on the hexagonal radiator grille. The model's wheels,
bumpers, door hinges, headlamps and rear lights fully reflect the
design of the original, too. There are also emblems on the rear side
body sections to indicate that the LEGO replica is based on the Mini
Cooper produced from August 1997 to July 1998 to mark the 40th
anniversary of the classic Mini.
The doors, bonnet and tailgate of the Mini Cooper can be opened,
providing a view of other precisely replicated details. The 4-cylinder
engine is of course transversely mounted, the steering wheel, gear
lever, handbrake handle, backrests and headrests are all movable and
in the luggage compartment there is a fully packed picnic basket
complete with a checked blanket.
Important points for authentic assembly: even in the form of a
LEGO set, the small car classic is a genuine British specimen and has
its steering wheel on the right-hand side and a yellow number plate at
the rear. The kit also includes a spare wheel: this is kept in the
bottom compartment of the boot to save space. As with most products
of the Creator Expert series, the recommended age for the classic Mini
LEGO set is "16+": regardless of this, young and old alike
can fulfil the dream of reconstructing their own original without
tools or a driving licence.
The BMW Group
With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 29 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2013, the BMW Group sold approximately 1.963 million cars and 115,215 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2013 was € 7.91 billion on revenues amounting to approximately € 76.06 billion. As of 31 December 2013, the BMW Group had a workforce of 110,351 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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