Gaspardi Organizing Mini-Cooper Event

By Susan Bush
12:00AM / Friday, July 07, 2006

A Mini Cooper owned by city resident Francis "Frank" Gaspardi

North Adams - City resident Francis "Frank" Gaspardi is hoping to lure Mini-Cooper enthusiasts to the Northern Berkshires as part of the upcoming Fall Foliage Festival.

Gaspardi, a Mini Cooper vehicle owner, is distributing fliers promoting a Mini-Cooper Scenic Ride and Parade. The schedule includes a Sept. 29 event registration, a Sept. 30 scenic ride to Mount Greylock, and participation in the 51st Fall Foliage Festival Parade, scheduled this year for Sunday Oct. 1.

Additional information about the event can be acquired by contacting Gaspardi at 413-664-6106 or via e-mail at a FandR55@earthlink.net e-mail address.

Mini Cooper vehicles are part of a series of "Minis" made by the British Motor Corporation and company successors from 1959 to 2000. Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S vehicles were designed as the sporty version of minis, and Mini Cooper S vehicles won Monte Carlo Rally events in 1964, 1965, and 1967.

Minis were the design of Sir Alec Issigonis; Mini Cooper vehicles were designed as a collaborative effort between Issigonis and John Cooper, owner of the Cooper Car Company. The vehicle made its' appearance on the vehicle scene in 1961 with two models, the Austin Mini Cooper and the Morris Mini Cooper. The Mini Cooper S was on the market in 1963.

During the 1970s, an Italian car firm manufactured the Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300 and a Spanish vehicle firm manufactured the Authi Mini Cooper 1300.

The manufacture of the classic version of Mini vehicles was halted in 2000. The BMW company, which is the current owner of the Mini brand, began producing a new version marketed with the "mini" capitalized, as "MINI."

The new style of vehicle - while still small when compared to standard-sized vehicles - is bigger and heavier than its' predecessor.

Original Mini vehicles had prominent places in numerous movies during the 1960s and 1970s, including prominence in the original "The Italian Job" film.

Films produced after 2000 have featured the newer MINI vehicles, including the 2003 "The Italian Job" remake, which showcased MINI Coopers and a MINI Cooper S, the 2005 film "Hitch," which featured a MINI Cooper S, and the 2005 movie "Match Point," which included three MINI Ones.

Additional information about Mini Cooper, MINI Cooper, and other Mini vehicles is available at numerous Internet sites, including a http://en.wikipedia.org Internet web site, a www.miniusa.com site, a www.mini.com site, and a www.minicooper.org site.

Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.