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Mini Time Line Part 5 – 1989 Through 2002

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Mini Time Line

Part 5 – 1989 Through 2002

Last Updated August 13, 2012. Information added and corrections made.

Please, see the Notes and Sources listed at the end of the last Time Line article.

1989

February

  • The Sky, Rose, Racing and Flame special editions started. (Total production: Sky/Rose, approx. 1,100; Racing/Flame, approx. 2,000.)

June

  • The Mini 30 (30th Anniversary) special edition started. (Total production: approx. 3,000.)

July

  • The 2nd “national” Mini Meet was held on the 3rd – 6th in Denver, Colorado.

Misc.

  • Moke production in Portugal stopped. (Mid-1989)

  • The ERA Turbo was introduced. (Total production: 435 of which 58 were built from existing Minis.)
  • IMM was held in Silverstone, England
  • 40,998 were produced in 1989. Total Minis to date, 5,139,129.

1990

February

  • The Flame Red and Racing Green special editions started. (Total Production with Checkmate, approx. 2,500.)

  • The Checkmate special edition started. (Total production with Flame and Racing, approx. 2,500.)

June

  • The Studio 2 special edition started. (Total production: approx. 2,000.)

  • The 14th Mini Meet East was held on the 29th – July 1st in Chicago, Illinois.

July

  • The RSP Rover Mini Cooper went on sale as a reintroduction of the Mini Cooper name. (Total production: approx 1,650 with 650 of them going to Japan.)

August

  • The 15th Mini Meet West was held on the 31st and September 1st in Orange, California.

September

  • The Rover Mini Cooper (non-RSP) went on sale.

Misc.

  • Moke production rights were sold to Cagiva (an Italian company).

  • IMM was held in Rodenkirchen, Germany
  • 46,045 were produced in 1990. Total Minis to date, 5,185,174.

1991

February

  • The Neon special edition started. (Total production: approx. 1,500.)

May

  • The 15th Mini Meet East was held on the 24th – 26th in Atlanta, Georgia.

June

  • 75 Lamm Cabriolets were built in Germany and completed by Rover in Cowley for UK sale.

July

  • The 16th Mini Meet West was held the 1st – 4th at Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

December

  • The Mini Cord was reborn in Venezuela. The fiberglass-bodied Mini was built in two models, both with 998cc engines. (A 1275 was never produced.) SB was the standard version with cloth interior trim and steel wheels. (Although versions exported to Colombia all had Minilite style GB wheels.) DB was the deluxe version and had air conditioning, leather interior, center console with a tachometer, chrome bumpers, spotlights and GB wheels. In December, 113 were made.

Misc.

  • Moke production started, again, in Portugal under Cagiva.

  • IMM was held in Hagen, Germany
  • 35,070 were produced in 1991. Total Minis to date, 5,220,244.

1992

May

  • 998cc engine was dropped and replaced by a 1275.

  • The City was replaced by the 1.3 Sprite.

June

  • The British Open Classic special edition went on sale. (Total production: approx. 1,000.)

  • The 16th Mini Meet East was held on 26th – 28th in Columbus, Ohio.

July

  • The 17th Mini Meet West was held the 1st – 4th in Flagstaff, Arizona.

October

  • The Italian Job special edition went on sale. (Total production: approx. 1,750.)

Misc.

  • A total of 768 Mini Cords were produced for the Colombian, Venezuelan, and Antilles markets – the best year of production. Colombia received 164.

  • IMM was held in Terwolde, Netherlands
  • 26,197 were produced in 1992. Total Minis to date, 5,246,441.

1993

April

  • The European specification British Open Classic went on sale.

May

  • The Mini Rio went on sale. (Total production: approx. 750.)

June

  • The Rover built Cabriolet went on sale.

July

  • The 17th Mini Meet East was held the 2nd – 4th in Toronto, Ontario.

August

  • The 18th Mini Meet West was held the 3rd – 5th at Squaw Valley, California.

September

  • The Mini Tahiti went on sale. (Total production: approx. 500.)

Misc.

  • Moke production under Cagiva in Portugal stopped. (Early 1993)

  • Minor changes were made to both the SB and DB Mini Cord models; e.g., interior trim, mirrors and the bonnet emblem. Production was 391. Only 62 units were exported to Colombia and the Colombian dealer, Mini City, ceased to function.
  • IMM was held in Offenburg, Germany
  • 20,468 were produced in 1993. Total Minis to date, 5,266,909.

1994

May

  • The UK version of the Mini 35 went on sale. (Production for the British market totaled 200.) European and Japanese versions followed.

June

  • The 3rd “national” Mini Meet was held the 14th – 16th in Grand Island, Nebraska.

July

  • The Mini Cooper Monte Carlo special edition went on sale.

Misc.

  • Mini Cord production shut down for a time and restarted with two special, convertible prototypes built. They didn’t go into production. Instead, a John Cooper model was started, still with the 998cc engine. It had 13” Revolution wheels and leather interior, among other changes. All were scheduled to be silver, but some were special ordered in other colors. Only 24 cars were built of all versions in 1994

  • Rover Group (see August 1988) was sold to BMW.
  • IMM was held at Silverstone, England.
  • 20,417 were produced in 1994. Total Minis to date, 5,292,703.

1995

May

  • The Sidewalk went on sale. (Total production: approx. 1,000.)

June

  • The 18th Mini Meet East was held the 31st – July 4th in Washington, D.C.

August

  • The 19th Mini Meet West was held the 2nd – 4th at Mt. Hood, Oregon.

Misc.

  • The Mini Cord went out of production after only 15 units being built in 1995. Total production is just over 1300.

  • IMM was held at High Chaparral, Sweden.
  • 20,378 were produced in 1995. Total Minis to date, 5,313,081.

1996

February

  • The 1st Spring Thing was held the 24th – 26th at Kissimmee, Florida. It was sponsored by FLAME (Florida Mini Enthusiasts).

April

  • The Equinox went on sale.

June

  • The 19th Mini Meet East was held the 28th – 30th in Dayton, Ohio.

July

  • The 20th Mini Meet West was held the 21st and 22nd in Long Beach, California.

October

  • The Cabriolet was discontinued.

Misc.

  • IMM was held in Rodenkirchen, Germany.

  • 15,638 were produced in 1996. Total Minis to date, 5,328,719.

1997

February

  • The 2nd Spring Thing was held the 22nd – 24th at Kissimmee, Florida.

June

  • The 20th Mini Meet East was held the 19th – 21st in Seiverville, Tennessee.

July

  • The 21st Mini Meet West was held the 1st – 3rd in Valejo, California.

Misc.

  • IMM was held in Bandon, Ireland.

  • 16,938 were produced in 1993. Total Minis to date, 5,345,657.

1998

February

  • The 3rd Spring Thing was held the 20th – 22nd at Orlando, Florida.

June

  • The 21st Mini Meet East was held the 15th – 18th in Seekonk, Maine.

  • The 22st Mini Meet West was held the 30th – July 3rd at Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

Misc.

  • Imm was held in Morges, Switzerland.

  • 14,311 were produced in 1998. Total Minis to date, 5,359,968.

1999

February

  • The 4th Spring Thing was held the 19th – 21st at Orlando, Florida.

July

  • The 4th “national” Mini Meet was held the 3rd – 5th in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Misc.

  • IMM was held in Gaydon, England.

  • 11,738 were produced in 1999. Total Minis to date, 5,371,706.

2000

February

  • The 5th Spring Thing was held the 18th – 20th at Orlando, Florida.

June

  • The 23rd Mini Meet West was held the 29th – July 2nd in Flagstaff, Arizona.

  • The 22nd Mini Meet East was held the 30th – July 3rd in Magog-Orford, Quebec, Canada.

October

  • Mini production ceased October 4. The car designated as the last one off of the production line was registered as X411JOP and went to the Heritage Museum to share space with 621 AOK, the Mini usually recognized as the first production Mini.

December

  • John Cooper died on the 24th.

Misc.

  • All of the Rover Group (see 1994), except for the Mini, Triumph and Riley names and British Motor Heritage, was sold off by BMW to the Phoenix Consortium. The sold off portion became MG Rover Group.

  • The IMM was held in Saariselka, Finland.
  • 7,070 were produced in 2000. Total Minis production: 5,387,862.

2001

February

  • The 6th Spring Thing was held the 23rd – 25th at Orlando, Florida.

July

  • The 23rd Mini Meet East was held the 2nd – 4th in Park Ridge, NJ.

August

  • The 24th Mini Meet West was held the 7th - 9th in Florence, Oregon.

Misc.

  • British Motor Heritage (see 2000) sold by BMW to private investors.

  • The IMM was held in Pettenbach, Austria.

 2002

February

  • The 7th Spring Thing was held the 22nd - 24th at Clearwater, Florida.

June

  • The 24th Mini Meet East was held the 28th - 30th at Charleston, South Carolina.

August

  • The 25th Mini Meet West was held the 22nd – 25th in Orange County, California.

Misc.

  • The IMM was held in Kinross, Scotland.

 

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