Nice article.
In the fall of 2001 we were living in Heidelberg, Germany. I started reading about the new BMW MINI and knew I had to have one. I'd considered buying a classic Mini during 3 previous European assignments. So, in December 2001 I placed my order and picked it up in June 2002. Even in Europe in those days MINI's were not very common.
When I ordered HK was not available. No headlight upgrade was available. Leatherette was the only choice for seats.
I'm sure there are plenty of other "early" MINI stories out there!
