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BMW set to go front-wheel drive

BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the German carmaker will introduce a new front-wheel-drive entry-level model positioned and priced below the existing 1-series as part of plans to help increase part sharing and to bolster the potential for production savings between the BMW and Mini brands, thus bringing an end to the era of rear- and four-wheel-drive-only BMW models. Speaking to AutoWeek at the Geneva motor show, Reithofer said internal BMW studies revealed that despite the downturn in the world's economy, there was continued demand for what he described as "premium vehicles" in the small-car class, before officially acknowledging plans that will see BMW produce a rival to the recently unveiled Audi A1 and a new Smart Forfour presently under development at Mercedes-Benz. "We will be extending the BMW and Mini brands into the small-car segment with new models and variants," he said.

IAM lobbies Labour for road casualty reduction targets

THE INSTITUTE of Advanced Motorists has called on the Labour Party to back the reintroduction of targets for reducing injuries and deaths on the road. The road safety organisation renewed its calls for targets to be reintroduced at the political party's annual conference in Brighton. An IAM survey of local councillors earlier this year showed that those affiliated with Labour were, in the IAM’s estimation, the most committed to road safety.

Once there were Singers, and Jowetts and Rileys, then came the Mini--from the AutoWeek archives

Editor's note: As Mini celebrates its 50th birthday, it's the perfect time to revisit Kevin A. Wilson's insightful look at the fall of the British auto industry. This article was first published on March 8, 1993.