Two MINI notes equals one post

Old-time cars at the Warwick-Drive-In

Definitely not MINIs, but it is the Warwick Drive-In. Photo by Craige Moore.

Hope you enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend. Here at Carload world headquarters, we ran into two short drive-in notes with an unusual common thread – the MINI line of cars. Please note that Carload is not sponsored by MINI or any other car company, but if you’re a MINI executive reading this, we’re always open to new advertisers.

First off is a MINI-sponsored slide show on Salon.com. The headline and first sentence of this one had been coming up in my searches for weeks, but Salon had hidden it until Monday. The 10 drive-in photos are worth the visit, and it’s nice to read someone else who recognizes that “the only thing cooler than an air-conditioned auditorium is watching ‘Back to the Future’ from your own time machine on wheels.”

The second note comes from InventorSpot.com, of all places. It’s a puff piece about the Prestige MINI dealership in Ramsey NJ and its annual MINI Movie Night across the border at the Warwick Drive-In in Warwick NY. This year’s event will be Wednesday, June 5. Maybe I should have labeled that as another great idea for drive-in operators – partner with a nearby dealership to take over an underproductive weeknight. Sounds like fun!

Sunset Drive-In (NY) switches to digital

Aerial view of the three-screen Sunset Drive-InThe Sunset Drive-In of Middleport NY has finished swapping out film projectors on all three of its screens in favor of improved, expensive digital projectors. That’s the story this week from The Journal Register of Medina NY.

Denise Stornelli, who co-owns the Sunset with her husband Mario, said she has noticed the quality improvement in the picture. I love this sentence from the story: “Stornelli’s son and grandson are helping her and her husband get acclimated to the new computer system that handles the movies.”

And I love the tag line, which probably applies to all drive-in operators. Stornelli said, “We’re hoping for good weather, and good movies.”

56 Auto Drive-In pulls them in from across the border

Screen being repaired at 56 Auto Drive-InYes, drive-ins are so powerful, they can pull in visitors from other countries. Take as an example the 56 Auto Drive-In of Massena NY. It’s such an attractive draw that it’s featured in an affectionate profile in the Cornwall (Ontario) Seaway News.

Still more good news, one of the owners of the 56 is quoted as saying that it will convert to digital projection in time for the start of the 2014 drive-in season. One note of caution: “bug spray is a prerequisite on a night like this.”

The 56’s web site confirms that the first family waiting in line was from Cornwall. (That site also has a nice set of photos documenting the repair of its screen.)

The lengthy article in the Seaway News includes a nice little video clip of what it looks like from the projection room when the movie gets started, plus a small photo gallery. It’s worth a visit, no matter what country you’re from.