This article summarizes the devotion that owners of Mini Coopers have for their small cars. It describes how Mini owners strongly identify with their vehicles, decorating and customizing them. It also discusses the active Mini car club in the Philadelphia area that holds frequent social gatherings and competitions where owners show off their decorated Minis. The club aims to have fun events and foster a sense of community among owners of the quirky small cars.

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Lovethosemi$ MinisBy KathvBoccella
INQUIRERSTAFNWNITBN
Philip Adams rhapsodizes
about his baby.
"People can't help but
smile and point," he said,
beaming at the adorable
2-year-old.
Others might tire of a
proud papa, crowing about
his pride and joy. But in Ad,
ams' circle, gathered in
West Chester last Saturday,
everyone shared his love of
little ones.
That's little, as in Mini. As
in Mini Cooper, the play-
sized buggies from across
the Pond.
"I never owned a car I had
so much fun with," said Jen-
nifer Schereof Eagle,as her
husband, Mike, outfitted
their orange convertible
with a lighted reindeer, gar-
lands and a blow-up Santa
Claus at the Philadelphia
It'sjust acar.A sillylittle car.Marketedas
azanyantidoteto autoennui.Ownersadoreit.
"It'sthecoolestcarI'veeverbeenin,"gushedone.
StrMngforthemerriestof Minis,KarenEastmanofWestGrove
putsthefinishingholidayflourishesonher2006S model.
Mini Meet rally and Christ-
masparty.
Therearelotsofcarenthu-
siastsoutthere,but fewcan
rival Mini ownersfor rabid'devotion
anda penchantfor
anthropomorphizingtheir
rides.Theircarsarethetea-
cup dogsof the autoworld.
Peopledressthem up, take
them to parties,evenget
marriedin them.
"It's like a pet or a mem-
ber of their family," said
Julie Gross,pho founded
the PhillyMINI group in
2003,whenher carwasjust
a newborn.
Mini ownershavea loopy
esprit de corps,saidDavid
Thomas of Cars.com.
They're nsn-conformists:
Most custom-ordertheir
cars and wait about 2tlz
monthsfor deliveryfromEn-
gland.And they possessa
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THE PHILADELPHIAINOUIRER
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stteak of zany exhibitionism.
Minis "attract the most loyal
following because the car is
such a personal statement,"
Thomas said. "A Chevy Impala
is just not the same."
Few Mini clubs nationwide
are as active as the Philadel-
phia-area chapteq said Andrew
S.Cutler, a spokesmanfor Mini
U94, a division of BMW of
Nd--,rthAmerica. Spring through
fall, the group's 100 hardcore
'members come from as far as
New York for rallies three out
of four weekends a month.
The get-togethers have a dif-
ferent vibe than traditional car
club outings. Stressingfood, fun
and making new friends,
they're more like play dates.
Mini fans "are a little campy,"
sdid Gross, who became so en-
afliored of her black-and-silver
number that she's now a sales-
woman at the Otto'sMini dealer-
ship in West Chester.
Or, as they say in the Mini's
native tongue, they're cheelqy.
Not only do members deco-
rate their cars, they coordinate
their outfits to their vehicles'
paint jobs. They accessorize
with custom roof graphics and
rubber ducks on antennas and
dashboards. Window stickers
commemorate each rally. And
they give their cars cutie-pie
names, like Scarlett, Nigel or
Red Ryder.
Last weekend,about 30 Minis
w rt on a 100-mile romp
tfBough Chester County into
northern Delaware with stops
at the Winterthur estate-andthe
Brandywine River Museum. Af-
terward. the caravan headed to
Otto's for a holiday decorating
contest and party.
Red, green, silver and black,
wiih strlpes and checkerboards,
many already looked like Christ-
mas ornaments. But that didn't
stop the group's cheerful eccen-
trics, in antlers and SantaClaus
caps, from pimping their rides
with tinsel and lights.
"I thought she was crazy
when she wanted a Mini."
6.foot-3 Mike Scheresaid of his
wife. "It's the most impractical
ca4 but I love it. It's the coolest
car I've ever been in."
The company fosters that
bond by sending Mini owners
e-mail updates while their cars
are gestating overseas and by
providing "Mini ,Parking Onl]/'
stencils, presumably for use in
company |ots. An owner can ap.
ply for a Visa card bearing a
photo of his or her own vehicle,
sort of like a baby'picture.
"Because of the ineverent na-
ture of the brand, we're able to
use creative license," Cutler said.
About 170,000 Minis have
been sold since the car was in-
troduced in the United Statesin
2002. Models range from
$18,600to over, $30,000.Next
year, the Mini will get a little
less mini. The next generation
will be about three inches long-
er and wider and will have a
redesignedinterior, sure to miff
purists but aimed at e:rpanding
the customer base.
"It will instill some new
blood," said Stella Singleton,
who is "prime minister" of the
Philadelphia club, where many
of the events gre themed.
At a canine rally, drivers
drove their pets to a pooch
park, listened to a CD of doggie
songs, and ended at the Four
DogsThvern outside WestChes-
ter. A recent James Bond rally
featured songsfrom 007movies
and ended with a screening of
the new CasinoRoyalc.
The best thing is, each event
is "totally pointless," said Ad:
ams,of Wilmington, whoseMini
is British racing green with a
white roof. "It's just fun."
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ButatopDrewPenglaseofWillowGrove,they'rea six-pointiconof
theplayfulnessthatmanyMiniownersbringtotheirwheels.
Membershipis diverse,from
S0-somethingempty-nestersto
familieswith kidsto yuppiecou-
ples.Theunattacheddon'tnec-
essarilystaythatway,notedSin-
glqton,who met her boyfriend
in the club. Other members
haveplanneda springwedding.
And as you would expect of
folks who drive the hip version
of a circuscar,they cantakea
joke.
' JoleneKauffmandoesn'town
aMini, but shewantedto rent a
few for her wedding.Whenshe
found out they are unavailable,
Kauffmanturnedto the roman-
tics at PhillyMINI.
On July 22,four red and two
white Minis, decorated with
wedding bells and streamers,
carried the bride, the groom
andtheir weddingparty from a
churchin GloucesterCountyto
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As soonas they heardabout
Kauffman's plight, "We said,
'We'rein,"' said Alan Sobkow-
iakofArdmore,whodonnedfor-
mal attire to drive his cherry
red Mini in the.procession.
Funny as it was to see the
motorcade,Sobkowiaksaid,the
punchligewasdeliveredby the
bride's father, who trailed be-
hindthemin abig oldHummer.
"That'sthekind of absoluteca-
maraderiewe have,"saiddepu-
ty prime ministerSobkowiak"If
sorneonecalledandsaid,We're
goingto Rita'sto havewaterice,'
you'd havepeoplecomingfrom
upperNewJersey."
ContactstatfwriterlGthyBoccella
at 610-313-8123or
kboccella@phillynews.com. i
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