The news that MINI will be extendig it’s range after the debut of the next generation MINI in 2007, shouldn’t surprise anyone. However the Financial Times (and subsequently the Autoindsutry.co.uk) do have this juicy bit on naming issues for the extended wheel base MINI (from the autoindustry.co.uk):
The Financial Times noted that BMW has yet to choose a name for the estate version of the current MINI, having discovered that it may not own the rights to the ‘Clubman’ or ‘Traveller’ names, both used in the past by Mini. An alternative could be ‘Countryman’, a name used for the Austin-badged version of the 1960s Morris Mini Traveller.
You can read more below:
[ BMW considers further expansion of second-generation MINI range ] Autoindustry.co.uk
[ BMW To Extend MINI Range ] Financial Times (sub. required)
<p>I really thought this was an article about naming some issues we had with MINI offering an extended wheelbase option. Hmph.</p>
<p>Name it the MINI Four-Seater.</p>
<p>MINI Plusman</p>
<p>that’s too bad- I was hoping the new wagon would get the “Traveller” badge.</p>
<p>I suppose they don’t own the rights to “MAXI”, either…</p>
<p>I guess if all else fails they could call it the MINI Touring as they do with BMW wagons.
Could someone explain what the naming issue is because I can’t see the whole article.</p>
<p>Cheers
GW</p>
<p>sincee it is the MINI Cooper, Cooper S, then Cooper Convertible. What tradition precludes the naming of the new vehicle The MINI Cooper Extended or EXT or something. </p>
<p>If not, I’m thinking we better stick to a hard “C” name, like MINI Countryman, MINI Clubman, or MINI Cargoman. :)</p>
<p>Ed Smith’s brother Bert said it best- it’s a “Maxamini”</p>
<p>Okay, so who does own the rights to the name then?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I really thought this was an article about naming some issues we had with MINI offering an extended wheelbase option. Hmph.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, glass half full? </p>
<p>You only find what you’re looking for in life. Me, Who cares? I just would kill for AWD! Anything else, I just won’t buy it if I don’t like it. Vote with your pocket book, GMINI.</p>
<p>This idea that the name “Clubman” was used as the name of a wagon version of the classic Mini just won’t die! And it is plain wrong and not true. </p>
<p>Clubman was the name of a entire range of classic Mini models, only one of which was a wagon version. There was a basic Clubman saloon, a sporty Clubman 1275GT, and a wagon called the Clubman <em>Estate</em>. (estate being the British term for station wagon). What all of the Clubman models had in common was a big square nose grafted onto the classic Mini’s body in an attempt in 1969 to make the Mini range look “more modern”. The Clubman experiment lasted about 11 years, then all classic Mini production shifted back to the “round nose” version of the classic Mini body which provides the styling inspiration for today’s MINI.</p>
<p>Click <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/press/clubman_2.jpg">HERE</a> to see what a Mini Clubman saloon (sedan) looks like — showing the square front on Mini body. </p>
<p>And click <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.coopermania.it/clubman_estate.jpg">here</a> to see a Mini Clubman Estate version. With the square front, they are both Clubman models, but only one of them is a wagon!</p>
<p>Just to round things out, click <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.vancouverminiclub.ca/cars/grant.jpg">HERE</a> for a round-nose (traditional shape) Mini Traveller/Countryman estate. </p>
<p>.</p>
<p>MINI BIGGY</p>
<p>I vote for the “MINI Shooting Brake,” though that probably won’t pass muster. Still, when one insists on “bonnet” and “boot” in the U.S. market, “shooting brake doesn’t seem like much of a reach.</p>
<p>For the un-curmudgeonly:</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href=\"http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&oi=defmore&q=define:Shooting+Brake\">What is a shooting brake?</a></p>
<p>Jason</p>
<p>NFV</p>
<p>Not-so-short Futility Vehicle</p>
<p>MINI Extended Cab would be my vote.</p>
<p>(kidding, kidding!)</p>
<p>Bruce – you’ve hit the nail on the head. I’d rather the whole clubman thing died, for good. Traveller or Countryman, only. </p>
<pre><code> BCNU,
Rob in Dago
</code></pre>
<p>Mindingo</p>
<p>I think the “touring” tag works for me too!</p>
<p>Cooper SuperKing</p>
<p>Let’s call it the Jack Klugman.</p>
<p>Clubperson</p>
<p>Mini Cooper MBE
(Misguided Brand Extension)</p>
<p>ouch…that hurts</p>
<p>Mini </p>
<p>Thanks for saving me yet another rant, Bruce 🙂 What probably adds to the confusion is that Rover actually have produced estate versions of some cars badged “Clubman”. I just hope that BMW show they understand that with the buying of the brand comes the need for a thorough understanding of its history.</p>
<p>I like the option Traveler most, although that seems to be not so likely now 🙁 Countryman would be OK from a heritage POV, but I can imagine it is not “trendy” enough for the modern-day Mini brand. </p>
<p>Touring? No thanks, not too much linking to BMW. I know BMW owns Mini now, but it’s bad enough I get reminded about it every time I visit the Mini dealership :)</p>
<p>I guess I was thinking “touring” in the sense that other manufacturers use it not as a reference to BMW.</p>
<p>Picking something that’s purely Mini would be best. For further clarity, I for one do not want a “big” Mini…so whatever it’s called I don’t want to call it “mine” if you know what I mean.</p>
<p>Ugly Mutha? It fits…</p>
<p>Mini AH (Anti-Humvee)
Mini EF (Extended Frame) aka (Earth Friendly)</p>
<p>BMW has the cashola to buy the name they want. I’m sure the cottage industry British car company that likely has the Traveler name could be lured with the right amount of money.</p>
<p>The question is: will BMW bother? Remember what happened when Ford asked to buy the GT40 name back from the company that builds replicas of the old model. They overshot their hand and Ford just said, “sod it, we’ll call it GT instead”.</p>
<p>Also depends on how much money BMW are willing to spend on this historically correct name.</p>