When Beady Eyes Help Sell Autos

While American car makers seem at a loss as to how to drum up enthusiasm for their products in Japan, a squat little British car with beady-eyed headlights has caught the imagination of Japanese motorists.

There has been little change in the Mini’s design or structure since it was unveiled in 1959. The car is still tiny--just 10.2 feet long and 4.6 feet wide--and its owners spend a lot of time tinkering under the hood of the car, which often needs maintenance.

But Rover Japan Ltd., which markets the car, has built a successful strategy around the vehicle’s retro looks and British feel. Sales have grown at least 50% a year since 1985, when Rover brought the Mini to Japan.

In 1990, Rover Japan sold a record 13,185 Minis, making it the best-selling non-German foreign car. Sales slipped slightly in 1991 as Japan’s bubble economy deflated.

“Many Japanese have good feelings about British tradition, so we try to use the Mini’s classic beauty to attract buyers rather than positioning it as a popularly priced car, as it is in Europe,” a Rover spokesman said.

The Mini is particularly popular with women, who think it is cute.

The car sells for $12,400 to $17,700. Most other foreign models cost over $25,000.