Berichtdoor shorty » Vr Jul 14, 2006 11:43
Reports of the demise of John Cooper Works have been greatly exaggerated.
July 10th a message was posted on the MINI2 forums, and there it all began. A certain degree of panic set in among reports that John Cooper Works was, alas, no more. What would this mean for the new MINI owners who want more power and the prestige and assurance of the "Works" name? What about owners of Classic Minis? What about the Heritage? What about the tradition, and what about future MINIs?!?
Many thanks to Mike Cooper who took some time out of his busy schedule to call us Yesterday to discuss exactly what is and isn't happening at John Cooper Works, and to assure us, and you, that John Cooper Works is still very much alive and kicking. But like all companies living in the world today, they're evolving, and focusing their business where they really excel, tuning MINIs.
First things first, it is true that the garage, the "shop front" in East Preston is closing it's doors at the end of July this year. It is not however true that this signals the end of John Cooper Works in any way, shape, or form. Mike explained to us that as the MINI has evolved, so has the business of John Cooper Works.
As many of you will know, the Cooper Car Company began in 1947 in Surbiton, Surrey, having nothing to do with Minis what so ever, the Mini wasn't even invented! The original Mini Cooper didn't appear until 1961, 2 years into Mini production, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Moving forward 40 years from the launch of the original Mini Cooper, the MINI is the new kid in town and John Cooper Works are busy dealing with both new MINI and Classic Mini customers, and are now based in West Sussex.
The John Cooper Works (200hp) tuning kit was developed in house by the team at John Cooper Works for the MINI Cooper S, and proved an instant hit. BMW soon gave the green light for the the kit to be distributed from their own MINI dealer network World Wide, with an approved BMW warranty. This was, of course fantastic news for everyone wanting a warranty friendly, well engineered tuning kit for the MINI, and fantastic for the John Cooper Works company.
However, the changes since then, including the introduction of the John Cooper Works 210 bhp kit as a MINI factory option, have meant that business at "the shop" in East Preston has slowed. While demand for kits is ever increasing, more and more customers are choosing to purchase directly from their local dealer, or even more so now ordering direct from the factory, rather than opting for the "full Works Experience" at the garage. The "classic" Mini business is also ever increasingly a niche market.
As a result of this, the decision has been taken to focus on the core business of developing and producing tuning kits for the new MINI. Classic Mini tuning kits will also still be available to purchase for DIY installation, and Mike Cooper is NOT stepping back from the Mini/MINI scene, it's in his blood. The future for John Cooper Works doesn't lie in retail or restoration, but when all is said and done the future is looking very bright for John Cooper Works, and their continued collaborations alongside BMW developing new and exciting products for the MINI.
