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PressClub USA · Article.
Aloha, MINI: expressing the pure joy of living for 54 years.
Mon Aug 26 08:00:00 CEST 2013 Press Release
In August 1959 a new era began for the United States of America and for the European automobile industry: the island group of Hawaii became the 50th US state and the classic Mini was presented as the first small modern car.
Munich / Honolulu. Seven models here, six major
islands there. Exemplary low-emissions engines on one hand,
relentlessly fuming volcanos on the other. At first glance, the
British car brand MINI and the Pacific island group of Hawaii appear
to have nothing in common - yet both have a fun and quirky charm. MINI
is to its worldwide fan community what Hawaii is to the USA: an
expression of the pure joy of living. And they happen to celebrate an
anniversary at almost exactly the same time: on August 21st 1959
Hawaii became the 50th US state, while the classic Mini was officially
presented for the first time just five days later, on August 26th
1959.
The birth of the classic MINI 54 years ago saw the start of one
of the automotive industry's most spectacular success stories. The
small car created by legendary designer Alec Issigonis astounded
everyone with its creative use of space that maximised room for
passengers and luggage without compromising the Mini’s compact
proportions. The classic Mini pioneered design principals which
impacted generations of small cars, with a transverse mounted engine,
front-wheel drive and wheels in all four corners remaining part of the
MINI DNA today.
Its sporty qualities soon paved the way for success on race
circuits and rally tracks all over the world, and the little car's
subsequent racing career was crowned with three victories at the Monte
Carlo rally. This success was widely acclaimed, achieved with
apparently simple means and with a vehicle that was charmingly modest
and unassuming compared to its competitors. Meanwhile another
apparently simple sport, though also requiring great skill, was
beginning to take the world by storm, originating in Hawaii: surfing.
Reports of people riding the waves on wooden boards off the Hawaiian
coast go back as far as the 18th century, but it was Duke Kahanamoku,
a native of the capital Honolulu, who helped make this leisure pursuit
internationally popular. Duke Kahanamoku won three gold medals and two
silver medals for swimming in the 1912 and 1924 Olympics. Despite his
Olympic triumphs, he is probably better known for his work in reviving
the sport of surfing. He is regarded as one of the founders of the
Waikiki boys who teach surfing to visitors on the island group's most
famous beach to this day.
Hawaii's designation as the 50th US state and the premiere of
the classic Mini occurred during a veritable boom of surfing in
Hawaii. During the 1950s and 1960s it was largely through television
that the passions of potential beach boys all over the world were
aroused by images of daredevil wave-borne antics off picturesque
beaches in the "Aloha state" of Hawaii. Surfing gave rise to
an entire lifestyle characterised by a laid-back, non-conformist
outlook, non-stop fun and never-ending sunshine. A surfboard on the
roof or in the luggage compartment of a car became a symbol of freedom
and joie de vivre.
The current MINI product range also offers reliable companions
for such a lifestyle. The MINI Countryman has already attracted a
large number of fans in Hawaii since its market launch around two
years ago. In addition to its standard roof rails, which make it easy
to mount a surfboard rack, it has one particularly useful modern
feature: the all-wheel drive system ALL4, which it shares with this
year's newly launched model, the MINI Paceman. Thanks to the precisely
controlled distribution of power among all four wheels, the MINI
Countryman and MINI Paceman offer remarkable stability and control not
just on loose sand near the beach but also in the tropical mountain
regions in the interior of the islands. And thanks to cutting-edge
engine technology it is able to explore completely new territory,
where this is permitted. As a result, the fun of driving and the pure
joy of living are brought together once again, with many a perfect
beach now that much easier to get to.