Revellers Swarm Over MINIs on Historic Memphis Street

Tourists, partygoers and MINI fans swarmed over a large display of MINIs on the historic Beale Street, in Memphis, as MINI TAKES THE STATES 2014 arrived in the home of the blues.

The  collection of MINIs, including many of the cars that are going all the way from San Francisco to Boston on the coast-to-coast rally, were displayed on the famous street outside the renowned restaurant Silky O’Sullivans. MINI Motorers were enjoying some good ol’ Southern fun during an overnight stopover in Tennessee after the eighth leg of the rally from Dallas to Memphis.

One vehicle attracted a huge amount of attention from the revellers in Beale Street – a classic 1973 Mini complete with right hand drive steering and its original British license plates.

The car was brought to the display by Memphis-based MINI fan Patricia Bryant, who was working at the event as a local volunteer. Patricia, a member of the Mid-South MINIACS Club, imported the Mini 1000 from its original home in England.

“People have been swarming all over my Mini,” said Patricia, “Not many people have seen one like this and with the steering wheel on the wrong side, it causes quite a stir.”

Patricia, whose daughter drives a 2005 MINI Cooper S, named her classic Mini ‘Callum’ and she was delighted to receive the “Car of the Day” Award the next morning at the Rise and Shine meeting ahead of the 313-mile drive to St Louis.

“I drive it all the time and I have some great fun in it, especially whenever I go to drive-thru,” she said, “I usually have to reverse through so I can place my order!”