BMW Acquires John Cooper Works Brand
As we reported way back in the spring of 2005, BMW has been working for some time on bringing the JCW brand completely in house. As of today, that’s just what BMW has done. According to a report on Forbes.com, BMW and MINI have aquired the rights to the John Cooper Works brand in a deal signed yesterday. The move brings “JCW” one step closer to becoming the the MINI equivalent of BMW’s in-house ///M brand.
MF Analysis In many ways this seems to be just a formality. With BMW doing all design, engineering and testing on the 2008 JCW MCS, the next generation of JCW products had BMW’s hands all over them. With this annoucement there is now little doubt that the JCW brand has a long bright future ahead of it.
This “should” be a good thing.
Any news leaked on when it will be available in Europe/US? I assume this is a factory/order model now. I’m curious as to what the package will include (brakes,suspension,LSD,wheels/tires/interior/exterior touches i.e. carbon fibre)in addition to the extra power(how much??). I’ll be among the first to order one although I still can’t believe there’s no flat black to go with that red interior.
Sounds like BMW will do all the R&D work and they bought the company just to own and continue to use the JCW name.
So does this new scheme provide a hands-on role for Mike Cooper or is he moving on?
Very intelligent. Will they re-open the JCW garage in England? That is the sacred home of the original JCW creations. They should make it a seperate service department/ Tuning House and preserve a little piece of history at the same time.
…hopefully this means more content for the cost of the JCW engine option; $5-$6K was a lot for not too much…in other words a true ‘M’ difference that seperate the garden variety 3 Series from the M3…
now we car really say that the next GP will have CSL blood running through its viens
It looks like, though the JCW brand-name is going to MINI/BMW, the John Cooper Company, and John Cooper Motorsport might continue independently. Their web site is back up, after being “closed for reorg” for several months.
If we consider JCW as a separate marque just like BMW’s M division then I think it’s save to assume that kits will be no longer available. In their place will be JCW MINIs, not S versions with JCW brakes and the like. However, I suspect that the add on carbon fiber bits will continue to be sold in an ala carte form for a year or two.
My hope would be that they’ll redesign that awful JCW logo.
While I realize the benefit of factory installed JCW and am excited at the idea of it being it’s own model with unique features and badging it would being kinda cool if it was dealer installed if it was done like the BMW/MINI dealership in Cincinnati. They have their own DINAN garage connected right to a large gift shop. All the techs wear long lab coats and it feels like something from a James Bond movie. It’s right off I-71, stop there if you’re ever in Ohio. They make your visit fun.
<blockquote>My hope would be that they’ll redesign that awful JCW logo.</blockquote>
That’s not a bad idea.
Be careful what you wish for…
I’m surprised to see so many happy about this. The Motorsport division of BMW is no longer what it was back in the ’80s and early ’90s.
Remember what the E30 M3 from ’88 through ’91 was all about? It was exactly what Motorsport no longer is. It was all about producing a homologated series to win the German Touring Car Championships. That meant putting just 500 or so examples so they could meet the rules of the series. So you had a true racing version of a production car. Of course it was so successful and generated such demand they ended up putting out more. Even to this day … the favorite M3 of all time is still the E30 version. Just loads of fun to drive when compared to today’s version.
Fast forward to the next generation of the M3 and even today’s latest M3. Just an overweight, too fluffed up Beemer. Non of the real racing pedigree of the first M3.
All this to say that Motorsport has just turned into just another “controlled” corporate dept. within a big company. Whatever you get will simply be dummy downed and way over priced for what you get. And it certainly won’t be Motorsport in spirit. Just a badge resting on its past laurels.
That’s what you’ll be getting with JCW turning to BMW.
Don’t get me wrong. BMW makes great cars and Motorsport does a nice job in putting out a spiffed up version of the line car, but it won’t have anything to do with what JCW has been in spirit and what Motorsport used to be.
I’m glad I have my GP, but even with this car I can already see the tremendous BMW controlling factor in not aloowing this or that. I love my GP, but it could have been so much more.
Only more of that to come.
What Patrick said – fully agree. BMW bought the name because of its past associations – its not buying the actual spirit of the John Cooper Garages, or its philosophies.
At the end of the day, future JCW cars will be production line items with a badge on them. The whole idea was that it was non production line. Now thats gone.
Hopefully, BMW will launch a cracking new ‘Works’ car which will have soul as well as performance. However, it could still all end up being more of a PR/marketing Works car rather than a blood sweat and tears engineering Works car….
Right on Patrick! …and yes, why do the ultimate driving machines (3,5,6&7) Series weigh between 3,400lbs and 4,000lbs? I’ve complained a lot about this lately.
It is hard not to be synical here but overall this must be a good thing. I work as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer and when I see deals like this go through it usually means more to the Vendor than the Purchaser. Essentially you could view this transaction as BMW buying the rights to the JCW name, however, you could also take the view that BMW can take the JCW name and everything that it stands for further than it could have ever gone under the old ownership. I am sure that in this case everyone involved will benefit even though it is rather sad that JCW as we know it is gone.
I don’t agree to Tonyt.
Your view of JCW as a blood, sweat and tears engineering Works car arises from some JCW marketing/PR
activities ?! Or did you see someone bleeding, sweating or crying ?
And, that BMW can bring out a real machine ex works you can read at Patrick’s comments about the GP !
By the way, “Works” from John Cooper Works means ex factory ! As far as I know called BMC at the former times John Cooper to run a Cooper model ex factory.
Yes, you are right Mike. “Works” means factory. Example – Bayerische Motoren Werke = BMW.
In racing and rallying “works” cars were made and maintained by the BMC and British Leyland Special Tuning Department of the Factory. Before Mini were the Austin Healey racers. The cars were painted red with white roofs.
John Cooper ran his own team (previously Cooper Car Company – Formula One cars). These cars were painted dark green with white roofs and stripes from radiator grille to windshield. Mini Cooper inherited these colours and stripes. These were the John Cooper racing team cars.
At some point of time John Cooper Garages changed its name to John Cooper Works.
However, there are alternatives to JCW – the Schnitzer Tuning company makes an alternative tuning kit. This company is well known for its racing M3 E30 cars of the 90’s.
I agree with Mike. I was scratching my head over the romantic prose given to who owns JCW. They sold engine parts and tuned my car. However, they also charged me $6000 and never sent flowers or a card. Didn’t seem to hold it’s value at selling time either. Not much soul or heart but I fell prey to the PR and hype.
Will I get another one? You bet! But personally I don’t care if Martians own the name or mermaids install it as long as I get a good value and great performance.
Gabe I guess I was right……. 😉
<blockquote>I love my GP, but it could have been so much more.</blockquote>
What more could you want beyond an “aluminum finished cargo restraint bar”?
<blockquote>At some point of time John Cooper Garages changed its name to John Cooper Works.</blockquote>
Not true. JCW was a sub-brand of Cooper, specifically for the BMW-approved Mini parts. JCG installed JCW and JCM pieces right up until they closed their doors.
Say what you want about JCW MCS’s, I love mine. I’m riding on the back of a smooth bat outta hell. No tears about the price of the ticket and I didn’t buy it to worry selling it later. Ride man, ride!
Nathaniel Salzman and dickdavid, what do you dislike with the John Cooper Works logo ? What would you change ?
I find it kinda cool, because it is so different to what the automotive industry offers with their easy to read ironed logos