(from Mini Press Release)
Vienna. Once again, the big day is just around the corner - celebrities
and guests from all over the world will be meeting at the 2004 Life
Ball. One of the stars this year is without doubt the MINI Convertible
designed by Gianfranco Ferré. This valuable one-off masterpiece will be
auctioned from 7 - 17 June 2004 on www.eBay.at, www.eBay.de and
www.eBay.ch for the Life Ball. Creating this unique car, Ferré has
designed a special outer skin in crocodile leather look. The interior is
in finest calf leather also finished by Ferré in typical crocodile
design. For more information on the Life Ball 2004 and MINI's overall
commitment to a good cause, visit www.mini.com/lifeball.
Anybody unable to auction this summer's open-air highlight on ebay has
the opportunity to admire the MINI Convertible at dealerships as of the
middle of June. Introducing the new MINI, the BMW Group has succeeded in
taking up a myth as if there had not been the slightest interruption in
between - more than 400,000 MINIs built since the market launch in
September 2001 are clear proof of MINI's success and popularity. As a
global brand, MINI - with the MINI One, MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S and
MINI One D - is an independent marque within the BMW Group, forming the
third major pillar in the Group's premium brand strategy next to BMW and
Rolls-Royce. And the new model entering the market towards the end of
June is the MINI Convertible in the guise of the MINI One (66 kW/90 bhp)
and MINI Cooper (85 kW/115 bhp). The MINI Cooper S Convertible
developing a muscular 170 bhp, finally, will be following in August.
