THE MINI/MINI STORY, 1959 TO 2015
Sophie with her R50 MINI Cooper at Plant oxford.
JAMES BATCHELOR
Manufactured by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), British Leyland (BL) and Rover Group between 1959 and the year 2000, the classic Mini was moulded into a line of iconic British small cars. During those forty-one years, these firms produced the Morris Mini-Minor, the Austin Se7en, the Mini Countryman, the army service Mini Moke, the Mini Clubman and more. The little Mini wasn’t denied any horsepower either, and when performance Cooper versions of these models were modified in partnership with racing legend John Cooper, the little car – designed to provide transportation for families – became a rally legend: three times. In 1959, the small car was launched as the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Se7en (A7). In 1961 it was renamed Austin Mini, and eight years later, in 1969 – ten years after the first Mini rolled off the production line – the Mini became a marque in its own right. The original Mini revolutionized the small car and became the bestselling British car in history. It continued to roll off the production line until the very end of its era in the year 2000, selling 5.3 million units. Its legacy was continued when in 1995, the development stages of its successor – the R-Series MINI – began.
Since its launch in 2001, BMW’s modern MINI has become the pinnacle of small yet funky family cars in the premium small car segment – although many may argue that the modern MINI is far too large to be branded such a title. In keeping with a similar theme to that of the 1960s and 1970s, the MINI range has followed in the footsteps of its predecessor’s line-up, with a few extra additions. Now in its third generation, having unveiled the new F-Series in 2014, BMW MINI offers the hatchback, the Convertible, the estate Clubman, the five-door Countryman, the Coupé, the Roadster and the three-door crossover Paceman. Like the classic Mini, a number of these models are available with the John Cooper Works performance pack and have been released in special editions such as the Mayfair and the London 2012 – providing a little something for everyone.
1964 RAC Rally and 1965 Monte Carlo Mini Cooper S. GUY LOVERIDGE
The first generation R50 MINI line-up: One, Cooper and Cooper S. NEWSPRESS