Mini: Born: 1959 Died: 2000
Destined to be the automotive icon for the 1960s in these islands, at the opposite extreme from the E-Type Jaguar, the Mini was designed as an Austin by Alec Issigonis, who had also been responsible for the Morris Minor. The new car was launched as an Austin Seven and a Morris Mini-Minor in typical 'badge-engineering' by the British Motor Corporation and was hailed as a triumph of automotive packaging, with its transversely-mounted 34bhp 848cc engine driving the front wheels and incorporating the gearbox in the engine sump to save space. A rubber cone suspension system was used for the same reason, contributing to the flat handling that quickly led to the Mini being taken up by low-budget racers.
Although developed for the frugality ethos that followed the Suez Crisis, reflected in the car by the 'string' door opener and sliding windows, the Mini's cuteness struck a chord with the 'beautiful people' of the emerging swinging Sixties. It was a truly classless car and quickly became a fashion symbol as much as an affordable runabout.
The association with racing and rally ace John Cooper began very quickly, and the former Formula 1 champion brought out the Cooper variants in both Austin and Morris badging in the autumn of 1961, with a 997cc engine outputting 55bhp aided by race tuning and a brace of carburettors. To help cope with the extra speed, the car was fitted with disc brakes. BMC management envisaged selling only 1,000 copies, but more than 12,000 were bought before production of the Mk 1 Mini Coopers ended in 1967.
In the meantime the engine had been changed to a 998cc unit of more modern design, and a special 'S' version was also produced with a 1071cc engine, followed by a very successful 1275cc variant. Monte Carlo successes through the mid-1960s did much to raise the profile of the Mini.
The original car quickly spawned a number of variants apart from its sporty siblings, including the first Countryman/Traveller estate in 1960, with optional wood framing, and a van and pick-up in the same year. 'Luxury' versions included the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf with front ends similar to the larger cars in those brands and bigger boots that gave the Minis 'fins' at the rear. A Moke that looked like a Jeep, but didn't really have tough terrain capability, became a trendy about-the-city option for young London poseurs and also was popular in some sunny Caribbean countries.
Some minor body changes were at the core of the Mk II Mini which was introduced in 1967, and the powertrains now based on the 998cc and 1275cc engines were uprated. In 1969, a very British crime caper comedy, The Italian Job, featured the Mini as its automotive star.
By 1980 the brand was owned by Rover, spun-off in the collapse of British Leyland. Through the decade the Mini was produced in various themed versions, such as those based on anniversaries for 25 and 30 years of production. The real profits were being made in Japan, where the Mini was seen as a status symbol, and eventually a third of all cars produced were being sold into that market.
BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994, and over the next six years made some minor performance and safety-related changes to the Mini. When the company sold off the Land Rover, MG and Rover components in 2000, the last 'original' Mini was rolled out in October of that year. The brand remains in BMW ownership, and the New Mini which it subsequently introduced is a whole new story.