MINI Concept Frankfurt.

MINI Concept Frankfurt. International Frankfurt Motor Show 2005. Contents. 1. MINI Concept Frankfurt. Short Story 2. MINI Concept Frankfurt. The Joy of Travelling - Now in the Early 21st Century. 2.1 Typical in Design, but New in Every Inch. MINI Concept Frankfurt Exterior. 2.2 Floating Elements. MINI Concept Frankfurt Interior. 3. The 1960 Mini Traveller. The Expression of a New, Mobile and Active Lifestyle.

1. MINI Concept Frankfurt. Short Story.

Travelling in Style.

Exactly 45 years after the launch of the Mini Traveller in September 1960, MINI
is presenting the MINI Concept Frankfurt at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show - a
design study re-interpreting the philosophy of the little Traveller from Great
Britain through a new concept of "Travelling in Style" befitting the beginning
of the 21st century.

In its overall look and appearance, this concept car with numerous design
features in the meantime acknowledged as genuine icons is typical of MINI all
the way. And numerous innovations both inside and outside are equally typical
of the brand: Wide-opening doors with parallelogram kinematics characterise
this very special car in the same way as its coupé-like look without a
B-pillar, the new silver metallic paintwork and exquisite materials within the
interior. The MINI Concept Frankfurt also quotes the classic Mini Traveller
also through its elegant Estate design boasting a symmetrically split double
door at the back as well as split rear side windows.

Coupé-Like Appearance.:

In its overall appearance the MINI Concept Frankfurt is sleek and smooth, while
nevertheless placing the emphasis on important features such as the wheel
arches, the shoulder line and the powerdome. So the MINI Concept Frankfurt
makes a clear visual statement - this is a car full of class, muscle, and
elegance all in one.

The Overall Concept - Clever MINI Style All the Way:

The fundamental idea in developing MINI Concept Frankfurt was to make loading
and entering the car as simple and convenient as possible. This is why all four
doors (the driver/front passenger and rear doors) come with parallelogram
kinematic joints and springs: To allow optimum access and entry into the car,
the doors swivel to the side and at the same time to the front in one single
movement, ensuring maximum opening space leading into the interior. The rear
sliding windows open electrically, the front section moving parallel beneath
the rear half. With the windows fully open, MINI Concept Frankfurt thus
provides a particularly impressive feeling of style and generosity otherwise to
be found only in a coupé and convertible. And thanks to the long wheelbase, the
two rear seats are easy to reach while at the same time the exterior of the car
offers a particularly dynamic and sporting impression.

Cargobox in the Luggage Compartment, Large Loading Area in the Roof:

The MINI Concept Frankfurt comes with an adjustable Cargobox within the luggage
compartment with its loading cover moving out to the rear for easy and
convenient access at all times. A further convenient feature is the transparent
cover on the Cargobox moving up and thus serving as a partition between the
passenger area and the luggage compartment. The rear section of the roof,
finally, opens up just as conveniently for easy loading.

Satellite Silver Metallic Paintwork and Neoprene Contour:

MINI Concept Frankfurt stands out in its beautiful silver paintwork in the
light, all points not directly in the beholder's line of vision being kept in a
more discreet grey. Soft, resilient neoprene is featured on the black side band
so characteristic of the car, extending along the side-sills and wheel cutouts.

Interior Design Characterised by "Floating Elements":

The "Floating Elements" concept consistently takes up and continues the car's
exterior statement within the interior: Right from the start when getting into
the car, MINI Concept Frankfurt makes a generous and open impression enhanced
by the completely free and accessible floor of the car, the foot area covered
only by the central "insular element" of the centre console holding the
"suspended" seats in position to provide a particularly generous foot area with
a very advantageous impression of space.

This impression is further accentuated by the free-hovering dashboard with its
speedometer in the middle.

It almost goes without saying that MINI Concept Frankfurt offers adequate space
for four. The rear-seat backrests tilt down individually to form a flat surface
flush with the floor of the luggage compartment, while the centre armrest lying
between the two seats is integrated in the flat surface and offers additional
storage space.

Leather, Chrome and Aluminium as the Principal Materials:

Throughout the interior, white leather underlines the impression of modern
style and generous space, adding a strong touch of sophisticated class and
stylish flair. The colour white emphasises the clear lines of MINI Concept
Frankfurt, top-quality leather being used on different surfaces, the warm,
natural surfaces being supplemented by cool-looking, metallic trim at all
appropriate points. An aluminium-coated glass-fibre structure, for example,
accentuates the door panels and linings inside the car, while a special
carbon-fibre look highlights the foot area in combination with nylon texture
carpeting adding a particular touch of sporting style.

Forty-Five Years of the Mini Traveller:

The four-seater Mini with its extra-large luggage compartment was launched in
September 1960 in the guise of the Austin Seven Countryman and the Morris Mini
Traveller. The term "Traveller" alone clearly proved that this special version
of the Mini was intended from the start for an active target group. Sales of
the Mini Traveller from 1960 to 1982 amounted to more than 400,000 units,
including a special version of the Mini Clubman as of 1969.