A MINI CRISIS

BMW has launched a safety recall of its British-built Mini after runaway cars careered down hills with no one at the wheel.

Dealers are contacting the owners of 30,000 vehicles in Britain, Ireland and Japan to warn them that new handbrakes need to be fitted to the top-selling Mini One and Mini Cooper models.

BMW first became aware of the embarrassing design defect eight months ago and modified components have been used at the Oxford production line since June this year. But the recall affecting models built before that date had to be delayed because of a spares shortage.

No public announcement is being made about the recall, which comes after 20 unoccupied parked cars rolled away. A BMW spokesman insisted that no one had been hurt and said the cars had sustained only minor damage.

Insiders at the Government's Vehicle Inspectorate say officials had been pressing BMW to act for some time. "We have been negotiating with BMW about the recall date, but they said they wanted to be sure there are enough replacement parts to repair all the faulty cars," said a senior source.

The trendy new model - priced from pounds 10,300 and pounds 11,600 - is so popular that production has increased to 120,000 cars a year to meet soaring demand.

Pop superstar Madonna and Blackburn soccer ace Andy Cole are among celebrities bitten by the new Mini bug since its launch in July last year. Madonna reportedly paid pounds 20,000 for an electric blue Mini Cooper kitted out with extras including leather interior, 17-inch alloy wheels and a satellite navigation system.

And TV style gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine are seen each week arriving in a new Mini to meet unsuspecting guests nominated for a fashion make-over in their hit BBC TV show What Not To Wear.

The Mini was the scene-stealing star during high-speed car chases in the latest Austin Powers movie Goldmember. And it will feature in the forthcoming remake of the original Mini movie The Italian Job.

The clamour to be among the first to own BMW's "baby" was so great that dealers were offered up to pounds 3,000 more than the list price by fans trying to jump the four-month waiting list.

The Mini now sells in 60 countries including the US, where buyers face a six-month wait, but this is the third time faults have been found on the car. The other problems were fires during refuelling and gears becoming stuck.

-THE Mini was the brainchild of Sir Alec Issigonis and first rolled off the production line in 1959.

-IT was an instant hit and over the next 41 years a staggering 5,287,862 were sold.

-THE souped-up Mini Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967.

-IN 2000 new owner BMW launched the all-new Mini. Over 250,000 have been sold

Copyright 2002 MGN LTD
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