A youngster with an obsession with Mini cars was gifted a special eighth birthday present when the Ipswich BMW garage gave her a car for the day.
Mini-mad Jessie Blue, eight, didn’t want a doll or toy for her birthday, instead asking her parents for a ride in a Mini.
But when parents Racheal and Keith couldn’t find a chauffeur firm which could carry out Jessie’s wish, the couple approached the Cooper BMW garage in Norwich Road – the main Mini dealership for Ipswich.
The couple asked if a five-minute drive by a member of staff with Jessie as a passenger would be possible, but were stunned when the garage offered the family a car for the day.
“They were absolutely incredible,” said mum Racheal, 40.
“They really focused on making her birthday the best possible.
“The dealership were not making any money out of this, they were just interested in making her feel special so they were just fantastic.”
The family went along on Saturday morning, where Jessie just thought she was having a look around.
But staff led her into the showroom where they pulled back the cover on Jessie’s car for the day, with messages in the window wishing her a happy birthday.
Dad Keith, 43, drove the family to Jessie’s favourite beach, Southwold, using the scenic route for an afternoon building sandcastles, before returning the car where she was gifted a miniature Mini.
Adam Rednall, Mini branch manager who organised the surprise, said: “We have a fleet of vehicles there for test drives and we can put customers on the insurance for a few hours.
“We pay for these cars every day so to my mind it was quite clear if we could make it work a little harder and make this family’s day it would make her very happy.
“It’s more than just a car, it’s a national icon, and it’s the kind of car people want to have.”
Jessie’s obsession started several years ago when she and Keith would play a game trying to spot their favourite cars. Jessie soon found the Minis were the ones she had a passion for, and now has plans to buy her own when she is old enough.
“I would have a blue one with three doors with stripes on it,” Jessie said of her dream car.
“I felt really excited and really happy that I had a ride in a mini, it was a real surprise.”
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