Smiling at the LA Auto Show

I went to the LA Auto Show with my friends Renee and John. They turn a day's admission to the show into a yearly event, spending virtually a whole day looking at cars, trucks, SUVs and the many booths showing aftermarket additions. I joined them this year because we all had one particular goal-to see the new MINI Cooper, a mid-century British racing classic being reintroduced by BMW.

It happens that I'd seen a MINI driving on the streets of Burbank about a month ago; not the new one, which won't be in showrooms until March, but the genuine, early 60s' article. Absolutely clean, painted a cheery pale blue with a white roof, they are so rare here in the US that I can't remember the last time I'd seen one. And they are memorable-about the size and proportions of a refrigerator carton, this original MINI turned my head and made me smile. And BMW realized that this tiny vehicle, the object of cult worship among an even tinier group of car fanatics, would have the smile as a factory-installed marketing tool.

In the driver's seat, you're greeted by a clever melding of retro and modern industrial design. The speedometer is an enormous circular gauge in the center of the dashboard-so unexpected in its' size and position it actually startled me-but in a good way. Nearly every functioning knob is circular and fits in the dash in a circular space, including the stick shift. The wiper controls and turn signals come out from the steering column on little matte aluminum torpedoes. The circles, ovals and swooshy curves make the car's interior friendly, fun and inviting. The rearview and side mirrors are ovoid, and you look at them and think, 'why not?'

BMW is doing lifestyle marketing on the MINI Cooper, and to my eye they're doing it brilliantly. The giant MINI signs, of course, set the stage at the Auto Show, and for a sonic backdrop they've provided a CD jukebox of 'motoring music,' the California dreamin' stuff that said 'warm' and 'free' 35 years ago to everyone back east. (And it must say that to the Brits, too, because they tell you that the car was built "one rainy week in Manchester," which is another smile-inducing detail presented in the car's spec sheet.)
Reading the 5 by 5 inch booklet about the car-which has an even smaller insert!- takes you the rest of the way into the youthful, carefree world that BMW is hoping to recreate in the minds of buyers. "TAKE A NEW TURN. When motoring in a MINI, it's important to occasionally take a left when you're supposed to go right. In this way you can avoid ruts. A rut cannot be seen but it can be felt. If you feel like you've taken the same path so many times before that there should be a groove worn into the street, you're in a rut. Take a left immediately." Another headline encourages you to "EMBRACE FELLOW MOTORERS*," and further into the book they suggest a pair of fuzzy dice makes a great accessory. A far cry from "Ram Tough!"

BMW is clever in it's method of encouraging us to recapture something of our 'lost' youth. At a base price of between $17,000 and $20,000 to do so, they're suggesting that this trip back in time may be available to nearly anyone. But get in line, just as we did at the Auto Show...there is already a waiting list to buy one...

*The writers do, sort of, offer a definition of 'motoring,' : Motorist. A person who drives an automobile. Motorer. One who motors.

About the Author

Nancy LeMay is a five-time Emmy winning broadcast designer who has worked both in New York and LA, in network and local. She is a teacher and a painter as well. You can reach her through her website, www.Nancylemay.com and by email at NancyLeMayCo@aol.com