Pinoy enthusiasts celebrate 55 years of Mini

MANILA, Philippines - How times flies! August 2014 marked the iconic Mini’s 55th anniversary since its initial production in Britain (of the Mark I) back in 1959; and its Filipino enthusiasts made sure that they paid Mini their utmost respect by participating in a grand assembly of everything that is Mini last August at the Quezon City Memorial Circle Park.

The Mini Festival started at 10am and featured a grand assembly of about 200 privately owned Minis (185 units registered at the event, the rest were unregistered) on the open grounds of the QC Memorial Circle, breaking the record of attendees from Mini’s last (50-year) anniversary celebration five years ago. “This is our way of celebrating Mini’s 55th Anniversary with the rest of the world,” said core group Pinoy Mini Event Committee Head, Dr. Joey Luat.

Mini owners from all over Luzon (some coming from areas as far as Bulacan, Tarlac and even Quezon province) drove over their respective vehicles to Quezon City to congregate and share their little bundles of joy with fellow enthusiasts and the general Filipino public. Luat revealed that even a few Malaysian guests flew over specifically to witness the event, simply for their love of Mini.

On top of the showcase of fascinating Minis, which included a Mister Bean replica, a stretch Mini, a Mini pickup and a Mini Moke, among others, technical lectures were also held throughout the day, where car maintenance and troubleshooting tips were imparted and enthusiast-specific questions were answered (such as, What type of oil should be used for older cars?, etc.). A short seminar on ‘How to take good photos of your Mini’ was also conducted, while a cool photo booth was also set up, where you could drive your Mini through a giant box and have photos of it taken while inside, as if it were a matchbox car.

When asked why he had felt such an affinity for Minis, Dr. Luat replied, “My father owned a Mini. And as I grew up, it was my dream to own one. One day a patient gave me a Mini as a form of payment... and the rest is history.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Subida, chairman of the Mini 80 Club (a sub-organization of Pinoy Mini) shared that “I learned to drive a car using a Mini. So wala na akong ibang kinilalang kotse bukod sa Mini. (I chose not to celebrate any other car aside from the Mini, since.) Even modern Japanese cars of today have adopted the technologies that were popularized by Mini. That’s how ahead of their time they were.”

Subida also furthered that on top of its doubtless excellence in form and function, the Mini also gained some of its global popularity in part, because of Mister Bean. And this is why the organizers also opted to invite over Showtime’s Mister Bean Kalokalike winner – to come pose for playful photo ops, since the association has since been carved in stone! Other guests who graced the event were some FHM models and a VIVA artist.

Furthermore, several Mini-specific booths encompassed the festival grounds – some of which sold official Mini merchandise, while others were “Swap Me” booths where club members with extra car spare parts could trade with other members seeking specific, hard-to-find items. Mini Global also had an official booth that offered free test drives of the latest Mini models for interested customers.

To cap the event, the organizers (Pinoy MINI, which has approximately six subgroups) also prepared a back-to-back film showing of the old and new ‘Italian Job’ movies (the classic 1969 film and also the 2003 remake), featuring the beloved Mini.

Subida spoke of the awesome camaraderie that came with celebrating all things Mini and shared that “Even though pare-pareho itsura nila (Even though the different models look very alike), each car has its own character! Only Mini owners and enthusiasts can tell that. Pati character ng driver goes to the car! (Even the driver’s character is reflected in the car!)”

Finally, Luat and Subida imparted that people don’t necessarily have to own a Mini in order to join their club. Every month, they hold different activities, and welcome to participate are Mini lovers – with or without Minis!

If you would like to check out the country’s latest Mini offerings, you may visit Autohub’s official Mini showroom in Bonifacio Global City. To learn more about engaging with fellow Mini enthusiasts, you can check out the club’s official website: www.PinoyMini.com.