The mighty MINI.

Byline: Matt Cooper The Register-Guard

Did you hear the one about the Mini Cooper?

It's so small, you drive it from the back seat.

Or, why did the bad driver rear-end the Mini? He thought it was a big car far away.

Or, what's the difference between a Mini and everything else on the road? When you pull a Mini into the service station, you fill up the oil and check the gas.

The Mini Cooper - "official pace car of the world getting smaller" - has posted big numbers since rolling into the United States in March 2002: More than 60,000 were sold in 20 months, exceeding expectations by 50 percent.

California is Mini's best buyer - think population size and knack for starting a trend - but it's not the only one.

Portland has sold more than 900 Minis and developed a waiting list. A dozen or so have come to Eugene-Springfield, where the car is just catching on - but the attachments are strong.

"It's not a car - it's an affair," gushed Tricia Raines, 51, of Eugene. "My heart just soars when I drive it!"

Raines' 2003 has a white roof and burgundy or "raisin" body. She loved her 1967 Mini - "it looked like a little refrigerator" - so she was only too happy when BMW debuted the new model at the Paris Auto Show in 2000.

In a country where half the market is light trucks and SUVs, Mini spokesman Andrew Cutler said "there is real appeal to a car that's something different than what's out on the road."

Emphasis on "different."

Minis are like bulldogs: Squat, blocky and cute. They've got distinctive round eyes - OK, headlights - and the wheels are pushed to the four corners for more space and better handling.

The car's star turn in last year's "The Italian Job" sparked interest in this racy little number less than 12 feet long.

The Mini dates to 1956, when a fuel crisis prompted the Brits to design a gas-friendly car. Sales spiked after the queen got behind the wheel of one. The car is named for legendary British racer John Cooper, who beefed Minis up for the track in 1961.

Today's sportier Mini tops out at 135 mph, but critics have dinged the base model for wimpiness under the hood and - surprise, surprise - scarce room for passengers and cargo.

Still, the Mini is comparatively cheap starting at $17,000 to $20,000, and it's a "fingerprint type of car" - different for each owner, said George Stanley, general sales manager of Rasmussen BMW/Mini in Portland, Oregon's sole Mini dealership.

You can design your Mini virtually from scratch on the company Web site, adding the options that you want - paint jobs, wheel styles, cruise control, roof decals, etc. - without being forced to buy a "package" with options you don't want.

Nowhere is the Mini owner's flourish for individuality more evident than on the roof: People are painting everything from Union Jacks to skull-and-crossbones to rocker David Bowie up there.

"It's akin to people with Harley-Davidsons and making them uniquely theirs, and not diminishing the value of the product in doing so," Stanley said.

Nor can you drive a Mini, apparently, without customized license plates: EZ2PRK, MOMINI and NOSUV are among the local sightings.

The tags that Kathy Campbell has ordered for her chili-red Mini, in fact, will reflect her mood behind the wheel: LA D DAH.

Campbell, owner of Cook's Pots and Tabletops in south Eugene, said there's no arguing with the Mini's gas mileage. The Environmental Protection Agency, in fact, touts its miles per gallon - 28 city, 37 highway - so it's no surprise that the car plays well in a place like Eu-green.

"Who wants to pay $80 to fill an SUV?" Campbell asked.

She waited almost six months after her Mini was ordered, and that's typical. In fact, the wait is longer for the sportier Mini - nine to 11 months, said Amy Rasmussen, Mini sales manager. Right now, about 30 people are on the list for the regular Mini and almost 130 for the Mini S.

Now, nothing's going to slow Campbell down. "It won't probably be long before me and the officer meet," she said, chuckling.

If - or when - it happens, she might consider flashing the officer a message: "Nice smile."

After buying a Mini, an owner is mailed a care package that includes messages such as, "Put down the cell phone and enjoy the drive."

These can be displayed to other drivers on message boards the size of CD cases, said Bill Ghormley, 72, a Mini owner in Veneta.

"The whole tenor of the Mini is to have fun and enjoy it," he said. "A Mini can make a grown man giggle because they are so much fun."

CAPTION(S):

The Mini Cooper has a growing cult following. A few local owners and their cars include those above (clockwise starting with the bottom photo). Bill and Jacquie Ghormley stand next to their Mini in distinctive "solid gold" color. The instrument panel features round dials dominated by a speedometer that promises speed. Frank Sprouse sits next to his 2003. Flash cards are supplied for sending messages to passing admirers. A smiling Tricia Raines is ready to motor with the sunroof open. Kathy Campbell just got her red Mini, and she says it attracts a crowd wherever she goes. Paul Carter / The Register-Guard Tricia Raines, 51, of Eugene sits in her 2003 Mini Cooper. She's a big fan of the model, and says, "My heart just soars when I drive it!"