Mini Cooper S Clubman Meets Airstream
Surfer's Paradise: Mini Cooper S Clubman and Airstream Concept
The iconic and popular Mini showcases its own version of RV motoring with the kind of style and design flair that only Mini can do. Teaming up with renowned brands Airstream and Republic of Fritz Hansen, the carmaker has embraced the theme of “mobile living” in developing an innovative design study with a down-by-the beach feel. The collaboration has spawned a unique combination of a 22-feet-long Airstream trailer and a modified Mini Cooper S Clubman.
Danish furniture design brand Republic of Fritz Hansen™ has buffed out the iconic American travel trailer with new interpretations of design classics and given both the trailer and the Mini a revamped look from the wheels up. Details include the use of surfer-dude “wetsuit” neoprene, fresh colors and flower prints, and the option of opening up the trailer on one side with an open-air bed. This unique travel trailer satisfies those surfing, diving and water sports enthusiasts who are always hunting for the perfect wave, comfortably at home anywhere around the world. It’s a wonderfully clever and stylish fusion of design and function.
“At Mini we have a long and, above all, successful tradition of collaborations,” explains Wolfgang Armbrecht, vice president of brand management at Mini. “We like to work with brands which share our passion for design. Collaborations fire our creativity. With the ‘Mini and Airstream, designed by Fritz Hansen’ concept, we are looking to show our customers new and innovative angles for the Mini Clubman and to cast a visionary eye into the mobility of the future.”
The design study was unveiled to the public for the first time at the INTERNI Design Energies exhibition during the internationally renowned Salone del Mobile furniture show in Milan, Italy, on April 22-29, 2009.
The concept
The collaboration was underpinned by a passion for design and an eye for detail shared by all three brands. Mobility and the interaction with nature provided a twin-pronged focus for the design objectives. The world of water sports and the yearning of surfers for absolute freedom and harmony with their surroundings offered a perfect inspiration for the design study.
The trailer and the Mini share a common design theme -- a clear nod to the aesthetics of water sports and the materials used by surfers and divers.
The Airstream trailer
Inside the Airstream, fresh takes on design classics by Republic of Fritz Hansen are intended to be relaxing as well as functional for outdoor enthusiasts, fresh back from an encounter with the waves. The SuperellipseTM table, ringed by four Series 7TM chairs, makes an ideal venue for a snack, while a pair of SwanTM chairs in the corner offers additional relaxation space. The floor of the trailer has a premium “yacht-deck” wood panel look and the rear wall is decorated with floral prints and two surfboards halves, which double as shelving. An electric motor allows one side of the trailer to fold down, revealing the integrated daybed, an invitation to take in some rays if ever there was one. Mild summer evenings outside the trailer can be enjoyed with two EggTM chairs and a side table, specially developed for this purpose. Meanwhile, neoprene accents on the outer walls of the trailer are another salute to the sport of surfing.
Mini Cooper S Clubman
The sporty turbocharged Mini Cooper S distinguishes itself through its unique styling accented by intensive green trim. The design of the Airstream trailer matches that of the Clubman for a consistent and integrated style. Details include a wetsuit effect added to the roof, below the bumpers and on the side of the car. Green trim can be found on the window molding, headlights, hood and radiator grille surround. These elements are complemented by the contrasting white of the exterior mirrors, wheel rims, side panels and racing stripes across the hood. Taken as a whole, this car looks like it belongs on the beach. A special roof rack offers secure transportation for the surfboard.
Inside, neoprene makes another appearance on the seats, dashboard and side paneling, among other places, while the rear seat has been removed. Water sports gear takes up significant cargo space, so four specially made waterproof mounts are designed to hold and store diving gear such as flippers, a mask, wetsuit and oxygen tanks.
See the video below for a closer look at the interior of the Mini and the Airstream, and comments from Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Mini's brand communications manager.
