A British Invasion!
Of miniature proportions…
Markel of Omaha officially welcomed a new dealership to its Ultimate Automotive Campus on Friday, May 11th. New member, MINI of Omaha, is the only MINI Cooper dealer in the area. It is also one of only two MINI dealerships to open in the United States in the past two years.
“We’ve always known that Omaha is a great city to do business in,” said Tim Markel, President of Markel’s Ultimate Auto Campus. “Now, the rest of the country is beginning to see that too. And we couldn’t be happier that we were part of the process.”
Grand opening festivities kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Vice President of MINI USA Jim McDowell and Tim Markel. Other distinguished guests included Jim Peterson and Clint Weis, representatives from two regional MINI clubs: Cooper Owners of Rural Nebraska (CORN) and Cooper Owners of Omaha and Lincoln (COOL), respectively.
Current MINI owners, prospective owners and Markel staff accounted for the near 230 guests in attendance. Everyone was given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new dealership, the staff and, of course – the cars.
“MINI is a car that really attracts people who are in some way self-actualizing individuals,” said McDowell. “They want the right thing for themselves and don’t necessarily purchase things for the perceived status that others attribute to them. It’s trend that’s becoming far more important in the United States. And, you can see there are many individuals who have that psychographic in the Omaha area as well.“
As guests arrived, they began mixing and mingling, swapping MINI stories, admiring a 4-foot MINI ice sculpture and gnoshing on miniature hors d’ oeuvres. After a brief greeting from General Manager Tony Caputo and the ribbon cutting, attendees of all ages were invited to try their luck at a MINI racetrack. The course was specially designed for “mini” MINIs, 1:12 scale remote control models of the MINI Cooper Convertible. The top six racers got to take home their own “mini” MINI and were offered the opportunity to borrow a real MINI for the weekend of their choice. Door prizes were awarded and two lucky guests, whose names were drawn at random at the end of the evening, won their pick of any item from the MINI of Omaha shop.
“This car represents the cutting-edge style, excitement and desire for choice that Omaha is craving,” said Caputo. “As the region’s only MINI dealer, we are proud to bring the revolutionary, fun-to-drive MINI experience to local auto buyers.”
After all was said and done, Cooper owners, potential owners and the entire Markel staff left with an excitement for the newest “Ultimate Drive” in Omaha.