It’s not a MINI … But driving it was so much fun in all the ways that MINI is fun, but hundreds of times more!

The Ferrari reacted to every tiny movement of hand on steering wheel or foot on pedal. It launched from slow to fast whenever asked, and stopped just as well. Thrilling on corners too.
But it’s not the car for me … No stereo system

More at Margaret & Ian

Be sure to contact MINI of Peabody and tell them you’ll be there next Sunday (early) morning for the second annual “Rally for Hrach”:

Customers should have received an email invite – and you need to RSVP; so if you didn’t get your invite, give them a call. And bring your best memories of Hrach, next weekend …

Meanwhile, check out a VERY YOUNG Hrach on this Top Gear clip that MINI friend Dave Newman found on YouTube:

(watch at the three minute mark)

MINI Coupe sales appear on October’s MINI USA sales figures, just over 400 so far – a record number of Countrymans sold too, though nowhere near the highest number of MINIs sold in one month …

Head over here to see the detailed numbers

Just how useful is a Mini?!

Spotted by my colleague Christian at a recent European access show, and made by Movex as a show piece, not actually for use!

Another great sales month for MINI USA, with more than 5,500 Countryman sold in the first half year …

Visit here to read the MINI USA press release on MotoringFile, and here to see the full history of MINI USA sales.

Today I drove north to visit the new MINI of Bedford, sister to MINI of Peabody, meeting MINI friend Theo for lunch and to check out the new dealership. However, it’s not quite as finished as we expected!

The sign says “Spring” but I don’t think it’ll be done by June 21 …

A huge sales figure for MINI USA, March 2011 – the second highest ever, passing 6,000!

Sales details can be found here

Visiting stores in Peabody today, we spotted signs being erected for a brand new Fiat dealership – and it was open for a look-around! Owned by Kelly, who also have local Nissan and Infiniti dealers that my colleague Christian has been happy with, they said they would also be carrying Alfa next year (and a third as yet unnamed Italian brand). They also said the current location is temporary and they will be relocating … to EXACTLY OPPOSITE to MINI of Peabody! That’ll make for some interesting comparison shopping next year.

Meanwhile, Margaret and I of course had to check out, and sit in, the little car …

Like MINI, the car has many cute design cues, though it’s certainly less “unusual” inside (traditional speedometer location for example). What was immediately clear though was how cramped this car is!
Initially I sat in the passenger seat, and I was short by about 2″ of headroom … the sales guy said that it was due to a subwoofer under the passenger seat (nice to have a subwoofer) – but he later said that without the sub, the seat is just as high(?)
The car also had a sunroof which perhaps further limited headroom. On the passenger side, there’s no height adjustment either – so I got in the drivers side to see if it was better, and it was. Now, I just about had enough headroom, so long as I reclined the seat more than I like to do; and the seat was again as low as it could go.
I’m not particularly tall (5’10″) so apparently Fiat owners will either have to be short, or laid-back

Apart from limited headroom, the car felt narrower than my MINI (though admittedly I’m driving the Audi so it was a comparison from memory); rear seat room is laughable, making even the MINI convertible seem luxurious.
Pricing, for the lower-powered 1.4 litre model, seemed close to MINI, perhaps a little less ($19K-$20K).

It will be interesting to see if a similar active community forms around the Fiat 500, and I will certainly head back to check out Alfa if/when it turns up next year … meanwhile, I’ll watch MINI USA monthly sales figures to see if they dip in the months ahead.

December 2010 sales figures are in from MINI USA, and they show 575 Countrymans were sold – quite a lot for the first month!

As always, a full sales breakdown for MINI USA is available here, complete from introduction in 2002!

Today, Hrach’ brother Cesar emailed all Hrach contacts, to ensure that everyone knew of his passing – and included a wonderful photograph which I have copied here:

(click the picture for bigger version)

Cesar wrote:
With great sorrow I would like to let you know, that my younger brother Hrach Chekijian passed away on October 31st.
Here is his obituary:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=hrach-j-chekijian&pid=146386729

Also, you are welcome to distribute this email to people you feel may wish to know of Hrach’s passing.