MINI unites thousands of fans

MINI threw itself the biggest party imaginable over the bank holiday weekend as tens of thousands of fans descended upon Silverstone race circuit to celebrate their love of the brand.

It's been 50 years since the original Mini went on sale, and it has, of course, gone on to become an icon of motoring. When BMW took the rights to the brand and unveiled its all-new version in 2001, the German maker was hoping its 'premium' version could make the same impact. Well, if the weekend's festivities are anything to go by, it may well be on its way.

It's estimated that 20,000 fans from all over the world were at Silverstone for the festival's main day on Saturday, most of whom turned up in a MINI - and no two were the same. Anything from an original, perfectly restored Mini Moke 4x4 to a 240bhp, Lamborghini-doored MINI Cooper S could be found. Have a look at our pictures for some of the highlights.

The overriding theme among those at the event was “community”. A tangible sense of togetherness among the owners could be felt, whether their car was a classic or a BMW-era MINI. 21-year-old Matt Taylor, for example, runs the Lincolnshire MINI Club, who meet regularly for events and drives in their customised MINIs. He's spent £4,500 on his black Cooper S, and plans to spend much more. “It's one of the best handling cars I've ever driven,” he said, and, at just 21, it's a surprise to find that “this is my fourth MINI out of six cars.”

MINI also chose its 50th birthday bash to unveil three new special editions: the Mayfair and Camden MINIs, and the JCW World Championship 50. Both the Mayfair and Camden will be produced for one year only to mark MINI's birthday, and only 250 of the new JCW will be made in total, all individually numbered.

The Mayfair comes in a 'hot chocolate brown' hue with a white roof, and gets 17-inch white alloy wheels and brown leather interior. The Camden is painted in 'white silver metallic' with unique bonnet stripes and a new set of mirror caps. It also gets a top-end Harmon Kardon stereo. Both cars are available in Cooper, Cooper D and Cooper S specs, and both get unique '50th anniversary' badging. However, both cars cost a whopping £4,500 premium over the standard versions.

No prices on the new JCW, but because it comes fully loaded with a special green paintjob, full aerodynamic kit, leather interior and a myriad of options, it certainly won't be cheap. You can enquire now if you want one.

Mark Nichol