This magazine was appealing to the upper middle class weekend rider, but it also had a lot of space devoted to motorcycle racing as sport. there was one ad for wax, which showed a car but of course would also be used on some motorcycles, and one ad for diesel upgrades for a pick-up. there were three car ads, two of which were for trucks. the truck ads, nissan and ford, both emphasized their strength, ruggedness, and the ford added safety. the third ad was for the mini cooper convertible, which initially seemed out of place. it was in the form of a letter, which i'll reproduce here, because it really seems like an excellent example of a car being marketed to bikers. it appeals to the history of cars and nostalgia, as well as to the aspects of biking that many people like most, the interaction with the elements.

"have you ever seen someone driving an open car with the top up? You kind of get the feeling thet have something to hide. Like someone wearing a trench coat and sunglasses. Somehow, that thin piece of fabric is more of a barrier than the strongest steel.

"If they were driving a car with a regular rood, you probably wouldn't notice. But since they've intentionally closed an open car, you can't help but think they're a closed person. After all, they've made a conscious decision to be closed when the opportunity t be open was right there. Open people woudl never do this.

"Open people don't care what their hair looks like. Open people don't mind picking a few bugs out of their teeth. If they drive past an oil refinery, open people welcome the smell. If panhandlers approach them at a red light, open people never panic. Most motorcycle people are open people. They've just opted for two wheels instead of four. All kids are open people. This is why they try so hard to stuff their heads and arms out the window. But most of then soon outgrow it.

"In the old days, it was easy to tell open people from regular people. open people drove around in goggles and leather caps. They took a lot of back roads. Whenever possible, they kept the accelerator mashed to the floor. WHe they stopped to gas up, the grimy outline of their eyewear made them look like racoons. Today it's harder to spot an open person. But they're still the exception and not the rule. Even here ad MINI, most of us are regular roofers.

"If you are considering a new car, the best thing you can do is be honest with yourself. Are you an open person? Please take some time to think about it. The fact is we didn't make very many of these things. And with MSRP starting at $22,000, they could easily end up in the wrong hands."