In 1959, the ADO15 was launched to general press acclaim – the sheer inventiveness of the car was lauded by all who drove it. Accommodation was impressive given its 10-foot (and that all-important quarter inch) length, while performance and sheer "roadability" were unsurpassed by anything offered in the economy car market.
Needless to say, the Mini (as it soon became known) saw the death of the bubble cars, just as Leonard Lord wanted, and it went on to a long and very successful career. In real terms, a total of five million Minis sold is small beer when one considers it takes Ford fifteen months to build a million Fiestas, but the Mini's influence on car design is immeasurable... it is perhaps the most important car ever built.
The development story
The story behind the development of the Mini, its production life, and what it all meant for the automotive world. |
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Buy parts from Rimmer Bros
If you you're after anything for your classic Mini, Rimmer Bros' online purchasing website has everything you'll ever need... |
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The Mini Cooper
One by-product of the Mini's innovative front-wheel-drive-and-wheel-at-each-corner design was its superb handling and roadholding, even in standard form. It didn't take long for BMC to recognise the potential for a performance version, and the resulting car – the Mini Cooper – went on to become a legend... |
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The Mini Clubman
Ten years after the launch of the original, the longer-nosed, squared-off Clubman joined the range, along with its performance derivative the 1275GT. Here, Ian Nicholls charts how the Clubman range was created by same the man who had styled the MkII Ford Cortina, and goes on to review how it fared in production... and beyond. |
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Drawings & prototypes
A chance to see some of Issigonis's original sketches, and photos of the various stages the Mini went through on the way to achieving its almost timeless final shape. |
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A new Mini
By the end of the 1960s, serious thought was finally being given to replacing the Mini with someting more refined and practical. This gallery reflects some of the early thinking that pre-dated the supermini project ADO74. |
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The Issigonis 9X
In 1968, Alec Issigonis devised a Mini replacement that was true his original car's design principles. While 9X was the same length as the Mini, and only barely wider, it provided much-improved passenger accommodation, plus a larger boot-space. |
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Mini in video
| A collection of Mini videos... enjoy! |
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Mini: the greatest BMC>Rover
| In 2004, austin-rover.co.uk polled its readers to decide what are the ten greatest cars to have been produced by BMC>Rover. The Mini topped that distinguished list... |
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International flavours
It was not just Cowley and Longbridge that produced versions of the Mini... |
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Beach cars
The Mini quickly earned a reputation as a fun car, and as if to reinforce that image, BMC produced a range of designs for use as beach cars in the hotter climates... |
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Specialist conversions
The Mini attracted the attention of after-market converters like no other car before or since. Here we take a look at some of the conversions carried out by companies such as Crayford and Downton, as well as some one-off specials. |
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Tuned Minis
The Mini seemed to launch a fever for tuning in the UK during the Sixties and Seventies. Here, Ian Nicholls reviews the hotted-up Minis tested in the British press... |
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Mini Cabriolets
In the early 1990s, the Mini was made available in Cabriolet form - initially built by Lamm, and then, in-house. Here's what we know so far... |
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ERA Mini
What happens when you put a turbocharger under the bonnet of a Mini? A little bit of magic... |
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Special editions
In a 40-year career, the special edition Mini was bound to appear. Some were memorable, some were amusing and others were just plain silly. |
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Also known as...
A look at some of the alternative names which have been used to sell various versions of the Mini around the world. |
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Mini TV adverts
A collection of downloadable TV adverts for the Mini. |
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Publicity material
Here you'll find a useful listing of Mini-related brochures and press photos, featuring items from both the UK and overseas markets. All of the press photos listed can be viewed online; some of the brochures can also be viewed in full, while for most of the others, the covers can either be viewed or previewed. New items will be added from time to time, as they become available. |
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