BMW-owned Mini has released the first official pictures of its new convertible Mini model variants that are planned for market launch this summer. The Mini One Convertible and Mini Cooper Convertible will make their world debuts at the Geneva Motor Show on 1 March 2004.
Both model variants will be built alongside other Mini models at Mini’s Oxford, UK, plant. Pricing will be confirmed closer to launch.
The Mini Convertible family will be completed later in the year with the introduction of the Mini Cooper S Convertible.
Both the Mini One Convertible and Mini Cooper Convertible have fully automatic roofs as standard. The roof operates in two stages. Press the button once and the roof slides back 40 cm creating an ‘open sunroof’. Press the button again and the roof retracts fully, folding down behind the rear seats. Mini says that no messy catches or tricky tonneau covers are involved and that the automatic folding operation takes just 15 seconds.
Reminiscent of the classic Mini, the Mini Convertible has a new drop down boot which doubles as a loading platform. Two steel cables on a spring mounted retractor system act as boot hinges holding a weight of up to 80 kg.
Mini’s Oxford plant – known as Cowley in its pre-BMW Rover days – has built over 350,000 Minis since production started in 2001. In 2003, some 176,000 Minis were delivered to customers in 72 countries worldwide.
