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: ''For the "new" MINI, see MINI (BMW) . For other uses, see Mini (disambiguation) .'' The Mini is a small Car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 to 2000. The most popular British-made car, it has since been replaced by the New MINI which was launched in 2001. The original is considered an icon of the 1960s123, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers. In the international poll for the award of the world's most influential Car Of The Twentieth Century the Mini came second after the Ford Model T . This revolutionary and distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by , a Pickup Truck , a Van , and the Mini Moke — a Jeep -like buggy. The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were sportier versions that were successful as Rally Car s — winning the Monte Carlo Rally three times. DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT Designed as project ADO15 ( (3 × 1.2 × 1.2 m); and the passenger accommodation should occupy six feet (1.8 m) of the 10 foot (3 m) length; and the engine, for reasons of cost, should be an existing unit. Issigonis, who had been working for Alvis , had been recruited back to BMC in 1955 and, with his skills in designing small cars, was a natural for the task. The team that designed the Mini was remarkably small; as well as Issigonis, there was Jack Daniels, who had worked with him on the Morris Minor, Chris Kingham, who had been with him at Alvis, two engineering students and four draughtsmen. Together, by October 1957 they had designed and built the original prototype, which was affectionately named 'The Orange Box' because of its colour. The ADO15 used a conventional , placing the engine oil lubricated, four-speed transmission in the Sump , and by employing Front-wheel Drive . Almost all small front-wheel-drive cars developed since the 1970s have used a similar configuration. The Radiator was mounted at the left side of the car so that the engine-mounted fan could be retained, but with reversed pitch so it blew air into the natural low pressure area under the front wing. This location saved precious vehicle length, but had the disadvantage of feeding the radiator with air that had been heated by passing over the engine. The Suspension system, designed by Alex Moulton at Moulton Developments Limited , used compact rubber cones instead of conventional springs — this led to a rather raw and bumpy ride, but this rigidity, together with the wheels being pushed out to the corners of the car, gave the car its famous Go Kart -like handling. It was initially planned to use an interconnected fluid system, similar to the one which Issigonis and Moulton were working on in the mid-1950s at Alvis, but the short development time of the car meant this would not be ready in time for the launch. The system intended for the Mini was further developed to become the Hydrolastic system and was first used on the Austin 1100 (launched in 1962). Ten- Inch wheels were specified, so new tyres needed to be developed — with the initial contract going to Dunlop . The car was designed with sliding windows in the doors, thus allowing for storage pockets to be fitted in the space where a winding window mechanism would have been. Issigonis is said to have sized the resulting storage bins to take a bottle of his favourite Gordon's Gin . The Boot lid was designed with the hinges at the bottom so that the car could be driven with it open to increase luggage space. On early cars the Number Plate was hinged so it dropped down to remain visible when the boot lid was open. To keep manual labour costs low, the car was designed with quirky Welded seams that are visible on the outside of the car running down the A And C Pillars and between the body and the floor pan. To further simplify construction, the car had external door and boot hinges. All of these novel and elegant technical innovations resulted in a car with minimum overall dimensions yet maximised space for passengers and luggage. The production model differed from the original prototype by the addition of front and rear subframes to the Unibody to take the suspension loads, and by the engine being mounted with the Carburettor at the back rather than at the front. This allowed an extra reduction gear to be placed between engine and Transmission to reduce loads on the gearbox and prevent the rapid wear on the Synchromesh which had happened on early prototypes. As a side benefit, mounting the carburettor at the rear helped to reduce Carburettor Icing , but did expose the Distributor to water coming in through the Grille . The engine size was reduced from 948 to 848 cc, which reduced the top speed from an unprecedented 90 Mph (145 Km/h ) to a more manageable (for the time) 72 mph (116 km/h) — a decision that was reversed in 1967. Despite its utilitarian origins, the classic Mini shape had become so iconic that by the 1990s Rover Group , the heirs to BMC, were able to register its design as a trade mark in its own right. Crossguard: Trade Mark Attorrneys THE MK I MINI — 1959 TO 1967 See Also: MK1 Mini The production version of the Mini was demonstrated to the press in April 1959, and by August several thousand cars had been produced ready for the first sales.5 The name ''Mini'' did not appear by itself immediately — the first models being marketed under two of BMC 's brand names, ''Austin'' and ''Morris''. The name ''Austin Seven'' (sometimes written as ''SE7EN'' in early publicity material) recalled the popular small Austin of the 1920s and 1930s. The other name used in the United Kingdom, ''Morris Mini-Minor'', seems to have been a play on words. The Morris Minor was a well known and successful car, with the word ''minor'' being Latin for "smaller"; so an abbreviation of the Latin word for "smallest" — ''minimus'' — was used for the new even smaller car. Until 1962 the cars appeared as the ''Austin 850'' and ''Morris 850'' in North America and France, and in Denmark as the ''Austin Partner'' (until 1964) and ''Morris Mascot'' (until 1981). The name ''Mini'' was first used to name the car in 1961, A list of early Mini advertisement material somewhat to the surprise of the Sharps Commercials car company (later known as '' Bond Cars Ltd '') who had been using the name '' Minicar '' for their three-wheeled vehicles since 1949. However, legal action was somehow averted, Discussion in Bond Owners Club forums and BMC used the name ''Mini'' for the remainder of the life of the car.6 In 1964 the suspension in the higher-end models was replaced by another Moulton design, the Hydrolastic system. The new suspension created a softer ride, but it also increased weight and production cost and, in the minds of many enthusiasts, spoiled the handling characteristics for which the Mini was so famous. In 1971 the original rubber suspension reappeared and was retained for the remaining life of the Mini. From October 1965 the option of an Automotive Products (AP) designed four-speed Automatic Transmission became available. Although they were slow at the outset, sales were strong across most of the model lines in the 1960s, with a total of 1,190,000 Mk I's being produced. Production numbers by model The basic Mini never made money for its makers because it sold at less than its production cost. This may have been necessary in order to compete with its rivals, but it is rumoured that this was actually due to an accounting error. Some profits came from the popular ''deluxe'' models and from optional accessories, which included items such as seat belts, door mirrors and a radio that would be considered necessities on modern cars. The Mini etched its place into popular culture in the 1960s with well-publicised purchases by film and music stars. THE MK II MINI — 1967 TO 1969 From 1967 to 1970, Issigonis had been designing a replacement for the Mini in the form of an experimental model called the 9X. It was shorter and more powerful than the Mini, but due to politicking inside British Leyland (which had now been formed by the merger of BMC and Standard Triumph ), the car was not built. It was an intriguing "might-have-been"; the car was technologically advanced, and many believe it would have been competitive up until the 1980s. The Mk II Mini featured a redesigned front grille which remained with the car from that point on — also a larger rear window and numerous cosmetic changes. 429,000 Mk II Minis were made.78 A bewildering variety of Mini types were made in Pamplona , Spain, by the Authi company from 1968 onwards, mostly under the Morris name. The Mini was arguably the star of the 1969 film '' The Italian Job '', which features a car chase in which a gang of thieves drive three Minis down staircases, through storm drains, over buildings and finally into the back of a moving bus. This movie was Remade In 2003 using the New MINI . VARIANTS The popularity of the original Mini spawned many models that targeted different markets: ; The Wolseley Hornet and ''' Riley Elf''' (1961–69) : Intended to be small, luxurious cars with a more substantial boot and a more sophisticated looking front grille. The name "Wolseley Hornet" was a revival of a 1930s sports car marque, while the name "Elf" recalled the Riley Sprite and Imp sports cars, also of the 1930s. Both cars went through three versions. Initially they used the 850 cc engine, changing to a single carburettor version of the Cooper's 998 cc power unit in the MkII in 1963. The MKIII facelift of 1966 brought wind-up windows and concealed door hinges two years before these were seen on the mainstream Mini. 30,912 Riley Elves and 28,455 Wolseley Hornets were built. ; The Morris Mini Traveller and the '''Austin Mini Countryman''' (1961–69, UK only) : Two-door Estate Car s with double "barn"-style rear doors. Both were built on a slightly longer chassis of 84 Inch es (2.14 m) compared to 80.25 inches (2.04 m) for the saloon. The luxury models had decorative, non-structural wood inserts in the rear body which gave the car some of the look of an American-style 1950s Woodie . Approximately 108,000 Austin Countrymen and 99,000 Morris Travellers were built. ; The Mini Van (1960–82) : A commercial panel van rated at 1/4 ton load capacity. Built on the longer Traveller chassis but without side windows, it proved popular in 1960s Britain as a cheaper alternative to the car as it was classed as a commercial vehicle and carried no sales tax. It was renamed as the Mini 95 in 1978, the number representing the gross vehicle weight of 0.95 tons. 521,494 were built. ; The Mini Pick-up (1961–82) : A pick-up truck derivative. Also built on the longer chassis but with a flatbed and a tailgate. Like the van, it was renamed as the Mini 95 in 1978. Neither the van nor the pickup had a costly chrome grille - a simple set of stamped metal slots provided airflow into the engine compartment. 58,179 Mini pickups were built. ; The ''' lookalike was first designed for the British Army. But without good ground clearance or four-wheel drive, it proved unsuitable for military use, although it enjoyed some popularity in civilian production. About 50,000 Mokes were produced. The Mini Moke featured in the cult 1967 TV series '' The Prisoner '' and has proved popular in holiday locations such as Barbados and Macau – where Mokes were used as police cars and could be rented as recently as March 2006. THE MINI COOPER AND COOPER S – 1961–2000 Issigonis' friend John Cooper , owner of the Cooper Car Company , designer and builder of Formula 1 and rally cars, saw the potential of the Mini. Issigonis was initially reluctant to see the Mini in the role of a performance car - but after John Cooper appealed to BMC management, the two men collaborated to create the Mini Cooper. The Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper debuted in 1961.10 The original 848 cc engine from the Morris Mini-Minor was increased to 997 cc, boosting power from 34 Bhp to 55 bhp (25 to 41 KW ). The car featured a racing-tuned engine, double SU Carburettors , close-ratio gearbox and front Disc Brake s, uncommon at the time in a small car. One thousand units of this iteration were commissioned by management, intended for and designed to meet the Homologation rules of Group 2 rally racing. The 997 cc engine was replaced by a shorter stroke 998 cc unit in 1964. A more powerful Mini Cooper, dubbed the "S", was developed in tandem and released in 1963. Featuring a 1071 cc engine and larger Servo -assisted Disc Brake s, 4,030 Cooper S cars were produced and sold until the model was updated in August 1964. Cooper also produced two models specifically for circuit racing, rated at 970 cc and a 1275 cc, both of which were also offered to the public. The smaller-engine model was not well received, and only 963 were built until the model was discontinued in 1965. The 1275 cc Cooper S models were discontinued in 1971. Sales of the Mini Cooper were as follows: 64,000 Mk I Coopers with 997 or 998 cc engines; 19,000 Mk I Cooper S with 970, 1071 or 1275 cc engines; 16,000 Mk II Coopers with 998 cc engines; 6,300 Mk II Cooper S with 1275 cc engines. There were no Mk III Coopers and just 1,570 Mk III Cooper S's. The Mini Cooper S earned acclaim with , was reluctant to accept the trophy and vowed that he would never race for Citroen again Henri Toivonen family connections . BMC probably received more publicity from the disqualification than they would have gained from a victory12 (Reprints available from BMW Group University/MINI Team) - but had the Mini not been disqualified, it would have been the only car in history to be placed amongst the Monte Carlo winners for six consecutive years. In 1971 the Mini Cooper design was licensed in Italy by Innocenti and in 1973 to Spain by Authi (Automoviles de Turismo Hispano-Ingleses), which began to produce the Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300 and the Authi Mini Cooper 1300, respectively. A new Mini Cooper named the RSP (Rover Special Products) was briefly relaunched in 1990 to 1991, with slightly lower performance than the 1960s Cooper. It proved so popular that the new Cooper-marked Mini went into full production in late 1991. From 1992 Coopers were fitted with a Fuel-injected version of the 1275 cc engine, and in 1997 a multi-point fuel injected engine was introduced, along with a front-mounted radiator and various safety improvements13. THE MINI CLUBMAN AND 1275GT – 1969 TO 1980 In 1969 under the ownership of British Leyland, the Mini was given a facelift by stylist Roy Haynes , who had previously worked for Ford . The restyled version was called the Mini Clubman, and sported a more square frontal look, similar to that of the much larger Austin Maxi . (In fact, the Clubman and 1275GT shared exactly the same indicator/sidelight assembly as the Maxi.) The Mini Clubman was intended to replace the upmarket Riley and Wolseley versions. A new model, dubbed the 1275GT, was slated as the replacement for the 998 cc Mini Cooper. (The 1275 cc Mini Cooper S continued alongside the 1275GT for two years until 1971.) The Clubman Estate took over where the Countryman and Traveller left off. The 1275GT is often incorrectly described as the "Mini Clubman 1275GT". The official name was always just the "Mini 1275GT", and it was a separate, distinct model from the Clubman (albeit, it shared the same frontal treatment as the Mini Clubman, and was launched at the same time). In 1971, the 1275 cc Mini Cooper S was discontinued, leaving the Mini 1275GT as the only sporting mini on sale in the UK for the rest of the decade. (Innocenti in Italy, however, continued making their own version of the Mini Cooper for some time.) While not as quick as a 1275 Mini Cooper S, the 1275GT was cheaper to buy, run, and insure. It was the first Mini to be fitted with a Tachometer . It also featured a standard-fit close-ratio gearbox. Performance of the 1275GT was lively for the time, achieving 0–60 mph in 12.9 seconds, and the excellent midrange torque offered a 30–50 mph time in fourth gear of only 9 seconds. The bluff front-end, however, meant that the model would struggle to attain a 90 mph top speed. The 1275 cc A-series engine could be cheaply and easily tuned, though the cheap purchase price and prominent "sidewinder" door stripes meant that this model developed a reputation as something of a "boy-racer special" during the '70s and into the '80s. The Mini Clubman and 1275GT were responsible for two motoring "firsts". They were the first vehicles to use a flexi printed-circuit board behind the dash instruments (universal nowadays, but technically advanced for 1969). Secondly, the 1275GT was the first vehicle to be offered with Run-flat Tyres ; from 1974 this model could be ordered with optional Dunlop Denovo tyres on 12-inch diameter rims. In the event of a puncture, the Dunlop Denovo tyre would not burst and quickly deflate, but could continue to be used safely at speeds of up to 50 mph. This was a useful safety feature, although the increased road noise and relatively poor grip of this tyre meant that many 1275GT buyers ignored this option. Throughout the 1970s, British Leyland continued to produce the classic 1959 "round-front" design, alongside the newer Clubman and 1275GT models. The long-nose Clubman and 1275GT offered better crash safety, were better equipped, and had vastly better under-bonnet access, but were more expensive. The Mini Clubman and 1275GT were replaced in 1980 by the new hatchback Austin Metro, while production of the original "round-front" mini design continued for another 20 years. At the end of Clubman and 1275GT production, 275,583 Clubman saloons, 197,606 Clubman Estates and 110,673 1275GTs had been made. THE MK III MINI – 1970 TO 2000 The Mk III Mini had a modified bodyshell with enough alterations to see the factory code change from ADO15 to ADO20 (which it shared with the Clubman). The most obvious changes were larger doors with concealed hinges. Customer demand led to the sliding windows being replaced with winding windows – although some Australian-manufactured Mk I Minis had adopted this feature several years earlier. The suspension reverted from Hydrolastic back to rubber as a cost-saving measure14. Production at the Cowley plant was ended, and the simple name ''Mini'' completely replaced the separate Austin and Morris brands. Some Mini enthusiasts and parts manufacturers list a further set of mark numbers from Mk IV up to as far as Mk VII relating to smaller design changes in 1976, 1984, 1991 and 1996, but these represent changes to the Mk III that were comparatively minor, and there is no widespread agreement as to their precise definitions. (which is almost twice the length of the Mini) – both were listed in Automobile Magazine 100 Coolest Cars . ]] In the late 1970s, Innocenti introduced the Innocenti 90 and 120, Bertone -designed Hatchback s based on the Mini platform. Bertone also created a Mini Cooper equivalent, christened the Innocenti De Tomaso , that sported a 1275 cc Turbocharged engine. Reports of the Mini's imminent demise surfaced again in 1980 with the launch of the Austin Mini-Metro (badging with the word ''mini'' in all lowercase). In 1981 in New Zealand, the Mini starred in a road trip movie directed by Geoff Murphy called '' Goodbye Pork Pie ''. The Mini was beginning to fall out of favour in many export markets, and South African, Australian, and New Zealand production all stopped around this time. special edition.]] Through the 1980s the British market enjoyed numerous "special editions" of the Mini, which shifted the car from a mass-market item into a fashionable icon. It was this image that perhaps helped the Mini become such an asset for BMW , which later bought the remnants of BMC as the Rover Group . It was even more popular in Japan, where it was seen as a Retro -cool icon, and inspired many imitators. In 1994 under and Rover went to Phoenix , a new British consortium; and Land Rover went to Ford. BMW kept the Mini brand name and now sells a completely New Car under the MINI name, technically unrelated to the old car but retaining the classic transverse 4 cylinder, front-wheel-drive configuration and some stylistic elements. Production of the original Mini outlasted its supposed replacement, the Austin Metro . The final Mini rolled off the assembly line in October 2000. A total of 5.3 million cars had been manufactured. The Mini was a cultural icon and shows up in movies such as ''.) UNPRODUCED PROTOTYPES A number of prototypes produced for vehicles based on the Mini but which never saw production are held and sometimes displayed at the British Heritage Motor Centre museum at Gaydon , Warwickshire. These included the Twini, a re-engineered Four-wheel-drive Moke with two engines — one at the front and another at the back; the Austin Ant, a second attempt to produce a four-wheel-drive vehicle, this time using a Transfer Case ; and a two-seater convertible MG edition of the Mini, cancelled due to it being perceived as competition for the MG Midget . KIT CARS AND CUSTOMISATION Orange Minis.]] The cheapness, simplicity and easy availability of used (but frequently badly rusted) Minis make it an ideal candidate for body replacement. There Are Over 120 Mini-based Kit Car s from various small companies and individual enthusiasts. There are also numerous dramatically modified Minis such as a set of three street-legal cars made up to look like giant oranges as a promotion for the Outspan company, a Mini that was made to look like a Half-timbered cottage, complete with Thatched Roof and windows with curtains. Some enthusiasts have drastically shortened or lowered their cars to make them yet smaller – others make small versions of Stretched Limos , Double-decker Bus ses, Monster Truck s, Motor Home s and many other kinds of vehicles from used Minis. Years after the Mini finally ended its production run, there are still ample third-party parts – both spares for restoration and performance parts for race tuning1516171819. AWARDS The Mini (and its successor the '' magazine 1995), "Number One Classic Car of All Time" ('' Classic & Sports Car '' magazine 1996) and "European Car of the Century" in a worldwide Internet poll run by the prestigious Global Automotive Elections Foundation in 1999. The Mini managed second place (behind the Model T Ford ) for "Global Car of the Century" in that same poll. In the end 5.3 million Minis were sold, making it by far the most popular British car ever made. MINIS IN THE UNITED STATES . ]] Between 1960 and 1967, BMC exported approximately 10,000 BMC Minis to the U.S. Sales were discontinued when stricter federal Emission Standard s were imposed; BMC felt that it would be too expensive to make the Mini's engine compliant. Similar legislation was later introduced in Europe, and the A-series engine, with minor modifications, proved perfectly capable of complying with it. Despite this, a small band of enthusiasts keep the legacy of the original car alive in the U.S., where cars more than 25 years old are generally exempt from emissions regulations. Minis that were originally sold in the U.S. are becoming hard to find, so most of the restored Minis now running in the U.S. have been imported by individual enthusiasts – typically from Australia or New Zealand where the climate has limited the amount of rust formation and cars are available for relatively low prices. There is increasing difficulty in finding cars that are old enough to meet the 25 year emissions exemption and yet are still in a reasonable condition. This has led some unscrupulous importers into employing the Theseus Paradox , in which they place the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plates from older cars onto Minis that are less than 25 years old – claiming that the car was "repaired" by replacing every single part with the exception of the VIN plate. Such vehicles are termed "re-VINs" and are surprisingly common. THE NEW MINI Cooper S and Mk III classic Mini.]] See Also: MINI (BMW) SEE ALSO
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