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The decline of the MINI run?

4K views 46 replies 35 participants last post by  mikeythemini 
#1 ·
Is it me or is there a lull in the MINI scene at the moment?

Over the last 4 years Chris and i have attended numerous MINI runs and events, but just lately numbers seemed to be down on previous years.

I had a bit of a 'Scrogg' moment the other night and decided to go back over the last 3 years to see how many people signed up for the 'regular' runs this year and previously. Sure, i know that not every one turns up who signs up, and by the same account, not every one signs up who turns up! But sure enough figures have definitely dropped.

What's causing it?

We're now 5 year plus from the original launch of the New MINI and i wondered if this was a factor. Had the 'original' owners gone sensible and turned to 'Norms'?

Is the credit crunch hitting us all. Chatting to Minicabrio last week we estimated that a weekend run could cost in the region of £250 with a nights stay away (tank of petrol to the run, a tank to do the run and a tank home, accommodation and a meal).

Are the 'regulars' getting complacent and 'missing' the odd run here and there on the assumption that the run will be there next year. I know a lot of hard work goes into the organisation of these runs and a disappointing turnout can dishearten the most determined of organisers, possibly putting them off running the event the next year.

Are people looking for differ routes on the runs they attend?

Or is it just the good old fashioned british weather. I for one have given up trying to video recently because of it.

I know in the past the 'Classic' owners have berated the 'New MINI' owner and indeed many of them loathe the thought of us sharing the same stage as us. But i do understand where they are coming from. A 'Classic' is a classic and you buy it knowing the kind of problems you're going to have. I can imagine that most 'Classic' owners will always be a Mini enthusiast, but will that be so with the 'New MINI' owner, or is there a time when we will all turn into 'Norms' and move on.

What do you think?
 
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#3 ·
I'd say money or lack of it has a lot to do with it. Many of us don't have much left over after paying all the bills. It's the main reason we don't go on runs any more, and we've done all that... fun as it was, we now much prefer the social get togethers than tearing around the country :)
 
#4 ·
I think some runs can get a bit 'samey' but the cost is having an influence too. Numbers don't really matter , as the TVR club that do a regular through the Chilterns found this year, apparently last years effort had around 50 participants, this year only 11, unless the other 30 odd had broken down somewhere :eek: But they still seemed to be having fun as they blasted through. Perhaps MINI has become a little too mainstream, after all look at all the ex MINI owners on here who still come back even though they have changed to the darkside.:eek:
 
#5 ·
Not sure really :puzzled:

So far this year, ive done...

Top Gear
Goodwood Run
Herts Run :D
Dales Run

Doing the Cotswolds in August and possibly the Lancs run in September :cool: And not forgetting the Italian Job in October and the pub meets every month!! :D

Thats a usual amount for me I think :eek: Although I didnt do the Herts or Dales runs in my own car, but that was for other reasons :eek: ie selling one and buying another:p

I still really really enjoy it all :D And I still hold you and Chris responsible for my first run back in May 06 :eek: :p
 
#9 ·
I still do the regular shows but as for the MINI runs and go out with the local club on their runs.

But after I went on the Amsterdam tour I have kinda got the bug for one or two european runs rather than a lot of UK ones. I would still like to do the Classic/MINI run in Cornwall at some point and maybe a run to Scotland & Ireland. (Cheers Modern MINI.... you gave me that idea.....) But Im thinking that the run scene is getting a bit Samey and dare I say it there are just too many of them. Especially where they conflict too much with one another so that things are getting spread a bit thin.

I think the issue is quality over quantity at the end of the day. (And with the economy the way it is I dont think thats helping either...)

Modern MINI picked up on this - good article on apathy within the MINI scene.
 
#10 ·
Have to say for me, the main reason that curtails me being out (or over more to the mainland) is cost, particularly the cost of petrol :hmph:

I still get a real buzz from doing runs, but I'm also becoming more and more into the social side as I've got closer to certain people :)

Joogle... the Irish Job is on in September if you're serious about a run in Ireland :p;)
 
#24 ·
Joogle... the Irish Job is on in September if you're serious about a run in Ireland :p;)
Cheers for the pointer Nylo - would love to take you up on that but as I have pointed out to Mick in another thread the other scourge of the MINI scene (Work...) is upsetting my September plans at the mo :rolleyes:
 
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#12 ·
For me it's a case of overkill. Money doesn't help - the average run can cost me £30 more just in fuel than it did when the car was new (£40 a tank then - £62 now :eek:).

I have also done most of the major runs (some many times) and they do become much of a muchness after a while so I definitely cherry pick now :eek: and make no apology for it ;)
 
#13 ·
Been on a couple of runs but enjoy shows also, so far this year

Bingley hall Show
Mini Addiction Birthday run
1320s Rolling road
Top gear
Himley hall GP Display
Shakespeare County Show Drag strip
Mini talk Rolling road day
Think mini open day

Planned

Donnington MINI race day
Santa Pod Drag strip
Catton hall Show GP Display

So quite busy and a good mixture of events
We enjoy this mix rather than one sort ot meeting
 
#14 ·
TBH the main runs I do are organised by my local club and we roughly do one once a month.... we've done a biggy this year, which was a week in Scotland... but I think numbers are falling, on big runs, for many reasons and I think the price of petrol is a main factor.

But I feel the same as GPMICK - I like to do a mixture of events / runs / days out / weekends away.....
 
#15 ·
I've seen it this year - Cotswolds is down to 50 odd from over 100 - and I wasnt even going to organise it this year but got nagged into it :rolleyes: :p

Cost is a big factor this year for many so it's having an effect - plus an element of been there done that. Try to keep some variety I say, you can't change the whole event but you can change the route and add some variety - this years Cots is a mix of some great old roads, but some new ones I've never found before which are just great , and we go further south than I've ever known, beware of alligators :D And a new luch spot ;)

But let's just hope that in a couple of years fuel costs are down and folks are out enjoying their MINIs again as they should be
 
#16 ·
i think this year for definate cost is having a big impact. There are still as many runs being organised as there ever were but people are choosing to attend only maybe a small handfull - & maybe people are staying more local? Like Jon says, £250 for a weekend is a big chunk of money & also as someone who's been attending & organising runs since 2003 there definately is a case of been there, done that as far as the actual driving goes.

Having attended runs from the Cotswolds to the Cairngorms i've seen parts of the country i've never seen before & had some great times, & having organised a dozen or more runs myself i know the excitement of turning up in the morning & finding a car park full of minis waiting for you. its something i wouldn't have missed for the world & i'd encourage anyone to attend a run - or have a go yourself. The reason i organised my first one was so that it would be local to me & i could stay in bed longer on a sunday morning :p

i think i've still got a couple of runs left in me to organise yet...
 
#19 ·
The Maniacs are still around - which reminds me - it must be time to do another MMM run :p.

I would say it's down to 2 things.

1. cost
2. familiarity.

I'm organising LL3 in September but I think I may take a back seat after that as run attendances are generally down now - maybe we peaked a couple of years ago? :confused:
 
#20 ·
I'd be up for another MMM run Sham! :D :p

Both myself and Matt try and get on as many runs as possible, not just for the run itself but to see the people/our friends on them :D Been on a fair few so far this year, including Top Gear, The French Weekender, Ians Goodwood Run, Ridgeway Run, an evening run with MINIaddiction, New MINI Severns Treasure Hunt, and the Yorkshire Dales :D Still have the Malvern Run and the Cotswolds to go! :D

It does cost a lot at times to attend the runs we want to go on but we'll always try and get along to something :D
 
#22 ·
We have tried to keep our events as a mix of local runs and joint meets with other clubs (L2B, National Cooper day) and have found this works well to cater for most peoples needs.

I do think apathy has hit more this year though with people being more selective on how they spend their weekends & cash.

We love runs large and small and shall keep the club flag flying for MINI as long as posible!:D
 
#23 ·
I think its most of the things that people have said.

Cost - add up a tank of fuel to get there, one to get back, a hotel room, a bar bill, food and you're hitting £300 for a night and a day out. Put that into the grand scheme of things is a fair chunk of cash that most people think twice about spending on a MINI run.

Got the T-shirt - been there, done that! Have done most of the big ones now, and I know which are my favourites and which I'd rather spend the money on if I am going to do a MINI event. But if its the same place over and over you tend to think well thats the one I'll not do this year, if the venue isn't anything that special then you think I'd rather have a weekend away somewhere nice for the same cash. I do appreciate that these runs take a lot of organising, and they have shown me some of the most amazing places such as Ireland, Scotland, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland, most of the country infact. The social is now just as important to me.

Then there are all the other things, the MINI isn't as special as it was, its very main stream, people move on but the events don't seem to have done that. Its just the same old same old, a few new people come along, it becomes too much of an effort, there are more idiot drivers who are more worried about how good they look on video and people think why take the risk of having idiots like this cost me my car, things like that.

I don't think runs will ever die, as look at the classic mini, they still do it, but they do it the way they have learnt to do it, and make it last. But I think that as there are increasing fuel prices, younger owners with smaller budgets runs need to change, camping like on South Downs, making a weekend of it, making it a social more than a race around country lanes on mass. In fact South Downs for me was fantastic as it covered all those things.
 
#26 ·
I've done at least 4 runs since Jan 1st, and will probably do Malverns this weekend and 1 or 2 more.... but this is far less than i have done in previous years through work taking up time, lots of other commitments, costs, car breakages etc. Numerous reasons and usually a different one for each of those I have missed so its difficult to say really.

I know that DBrally are looking to cut thier runs from big all day event to smaller half day ones, and make quality count rather than just covering miles of the same sort of thing.... it one way to get costs down and retain interest. Many MINI owners have sooooo many other commitments as we do sensible jobs or have kids or houses that need looking after (the dreaded grass always needs to be cut ;) )

So who know how things will pan out, but I think it'll all be ok
 
#29 ·
Malverns run can't be far if you have been looking at the cotswolds... the malverns is this Sunday and always a really good one!
 
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