I just returned from 2 weeks in southern Spain. I was hoping to take pics of MINIs in different settings to post on NAM. But I did not see any parked. In fact I only saw 3 MINIs the whole time there! I was between Malaga and Marbella where there were thousands of small cars and a surprising (to me) number of SUVs. I remembered that Europe is often cited as a model for a more sustainable lifestyle, but instead the Spain I saw reminded me of the west side of Los Angeles (which I like, but I had been hoping someone out there was conserving).

Most people I met owned SUVs and drove them off road. My client (I was there for work) has a big engine Mercedes SUV. He drives fast and ferociously. His brother, with a Porsche SUV, drives the same way. During one drive the brother confided worrying about the environment. Even though he was my client I had to respond with candor. I told him I felt odd commiserating while in a Porsche Cayenne S travelling at 140 kph on our way to lunch at a yacht club--and especially with someone who had recently ordered a specially equipped Land Rover Defender to compete in an annual car race in the Sahara. But instead of tossing me out he agreed (he was educated at Berkeley).

I asked him why MINIs were not popular. He told me the obvious: There are so many small cars on the market (Renault, Peugeot, Fiat, etc.) that the MINI does not stand out. Spain is not as rich as Britain or France so most people must choose cars for functional reasons. People there buy small cars because they cannot afford to maintain a big car. So they need a commodious back seat. For style the MINI competes with models we don't have (from Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Alfa, Opel, etc.).

Southern Spain is not typical of Europe. Its economy has boomed in the past 5 years and no one wants to slow it down by curtailing its burgeoning sprawl. Despite fuel hovering around 1.10 euros per liter people must drive everywhere. I was just disappointed that MINIs were not ubiquitous.

Upon returning to the USA and my airport's parking garage, I found that my MINI's magnetic stone guards were gone. They're non-functional, but I liked their look. More troubling, I noticed that my trunk ("luggage compartment" according to the manual) light was on. Now it does not seem to turn off--it's still on (as I type this post) even though all other lights in the car are off. Perhaps it was always on and I did not know because the rear seat backs were in place. Once again I cannot find anything in the manual.

HELP please. Any advice, opinions, or conjectures on how to turn off the luggage compartment light will be appreciated. Happy motoring.

 

I was in Madrid this past February and was really IMPRESSED with the number of MINIs I saw parked or going places, from the One to the Cooper and the S, as well as the different styles of the Cabriolet. BMW and Mercedes have always been pretty big in Spain, but the SEAT as well as the Eastern Block cars are more affordable for the masses. The MINI is still a BMW to the espanoles, and that translates into being expensive.

 

I'm sorry I missed Madrid this trip. The central city is beautiful. I love the Museum of Hams--what other city would have one. You're right about the number of MINIs there. It's a sophisticated city and more affluent than the south. I noticed a lot of MINIs in Paris when there last fall (lots of Smarts too). I should have realized that this trip I was in the exurbs of Spain--similar to here in California where the cities and suburbs have lotsa MINIs, but the exurbs don't.

And thanks to TonyB I was able to turn off my luggage compartment light. I had not been slamming the lid with enough force. Now for the fireworks.