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December 4, 2014
The Feat Achieved by the Smallest MINI | MINI
MINI Baby Racer
The Achievement of the Smallest MINI
Heartwarming news has arrived from BMW and MINI. What is the great achievement of the MINI Baby Racer?
Text by SUZUKI Fumihiko (OPENERS)
Perhaps the Last Great Adventure
The Allgäu-Orient Rally is a charity rally that starts in Oberstaufen in Germany's Allgäu region and proceeds through Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Istanbul and Ankara in Turkey, and Haifa in Israel, aiming for Jordan. What sets this rally apart from ordinary rallies is that it is not a competition, and it has the following two conditions:
1. Participating vehicles must be at least 20 years old.
2. The used price of the vehicle must be less than 1,111.11 Euros (approximately 140,000 yen).
In addition, there are restrictions such as accommodation costs not exceeding 11.11 Euros per person per night (approximately 1,400 yen), no navigation devices allowed, strict adherence to local traffic rules, no use of highways, and a maximum daily travel distance of 666 km.
Furthermore, vehicles are loaded with relief supplies, which are then donated to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan or to volunteer organizations operating there. The cars themselves are also put up for charity auction.
This rally is so popular in Germany that it is broadcast on television.
This year, BMW, MINI, and BMW Group Classic became event partners, with 41 BMWs (all later models of the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series) participating alongside a 2003 MINI Cooper, which had already driven 180,000 km and was used by the rally organizers. Despite being the youngest among the participating vehicles as it had not yet reached 20 years since its debut, it added flair to the approximately 250 registered entries.
Naturally, these BMWs will also be donated at the end of the rally to be used in Jordan. For BMW, this is an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate the reliability of their vehicles, which can withstand long daily drives even in their later years and are capable of a second or third life in Jordan after the rally.
A Gift for Children
During the rally, which began this year on April 27th, the participants held a small event in Istanbul on May 7th. Following the aforementioned MINI Cooper, 274 people formed a line with the "MINI Baby Racers." This was the world's longest line of Baby Racers, and it is the photograph at the beginning of this page.
All of these Baby Racers were distributed to the participants at the start. Despite numerous requests from onlookers along the route who witnessed the rally, wanting to buy them, not a single one will be given away, as they are intended as gifts for children in Jordan upon arrival. The rally was completed on May 17th.
This is a heartwarming and touching achievement by the world's smallest MINI.