▁Motor ▁Show ▁at ▁a ▁joint ▁B MW / R over ▁press ▁conference , ▁with ▁details ▁of ▁the ▁Ch rys ler / B MW ▁joint ▁vent ure ▁T rite c ▁engine , ▁and ▁proposed ▁trim ▁levels ▁including ▁M ini ▁Minor ▁( not ▁used ) ▁and ▁the ▁Cooper / Co oper ▁S . ▁▁ ▁Ult imately , ▁B MW ▁pre va iled , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁they ▁assumed ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁entire ▁project ▁following ▁the ▁departure ▁of ▁B MW ' s ▁CE O , ▁Ber nd ▁P isch ets ried er . ▁When ▁B MW ▁sold ▁off ▁R over ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁it ▁retained ▁the ▁M ini ▁project , ▁and ▁moved ▁the ▁planned ▁production ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁car ▁from ▁R over ' s ▁Long bridge ▁plant , ▁to ▁B MW ' s ▁Oxford ▁plant ▁in ▁Cow ley , ▁Oxford , ▁England . ▁The ▁team ▁of ▁design ers ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁M ini ▁had ▁finished ▁the ▁full - s ized ▁cl ay ▁mock - up ▁of ▁the ▁M ini ▁in ▁plenty ▁of ▁time ▁for ▁a ▁presentation ▁to ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁direct ors . ▁However , ▁the ▁American ▁chief ▁designer , ▁Frank ▁Steph enson , ▁real ised ▁that ▁the ▁model ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁an ▁exhaust ▁pipe . ▁His ▁short - term ▁solution ▁was ▁to ▁pick ▁up ▁an ▁empty ▁be er ▁can , ▁p unch ▁a ▁hole ▁in ▁it , ▁strip ▁off ▁the ▁paint ▁and ▁push ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁cl ay ▁at ▁the ▁back