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Mini

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   Mini
   1963 Mk I Austin Mini Super-Deluxe.
   Manufacturer: BMC, British Leyland, Austin Rover, MG Rover
                 Innocenti
                 Authi
    Production:  1959–October 2000
    Successor:   BMW MINI
      Class:     Supermini
    Body style:  2-door saloon
                 2-door estate
                 2-door van
                 2-door truck
      Engine:    A-series, 850–1275 cc
   Transmission: 4-speed manual
                 4-speed automatic
    Wheelbase:   2.04 m (saloon)
                 2.14 m (estate and commercials)
      Length:    3.05 m (saloon)
                 3.40 m (estate and commercials)
      Width:     1.40 m
      Height:    1.35 m
   Curb weight:  617 kg to 686 kg
     Designer:   Sir Alec Issigonis

   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   popular British-made car, it has since been replaced by the New MINI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
   1960s, 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 only to the Ford Model T.

   This revolutionary and distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by
   Sir Alec Issigonis (1906–88). It was manufactured at the Longbridge and
   Cowley plants in the United Kingdom, and later also in Australia,
   Belgium, Chile, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Uruguay,
   Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini Mk I had three major updates: the Mk
   II, the Clubman and the Mk III. Within these was a series of variations
   including an estate car, 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 cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally three
   times.

Design and development

   Designed as project ADO15 ( Austin Drawing Office project number 15),
   the Mini came about because of a fuel shortage. In 1956 as a result of
   the Suez Crisis, which reduced oil supplies, the United Kingdom saw the
   re-introduction of petrol rationing. Sales of large cars slumped, and
   there was a boom in the market for so called Bubble cars, which were
   mainly German in origin. Leonard Lord, the somewhat autocratic head of
   BMC, decreed that something had to be done and quickly. He laid down
   some basic design requirements: the car should be contained within a
   box that measured 10 × 4 × 4 feet (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 BMC A-Series four-cylinder water-cooled
   engine, but departed from tradition by having it mounted transversely,
   with 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 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 Issigonis's friend 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 was not be
   ready in time for the Mini's 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, 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 labour costs down, 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.

   Production models differed from the prototype by the addition of front
   and rear subframes to the unibody to take the suspension loads, and by
   turning the engine around with the carburettor at the back rather than
   at the front. This required an extra gear to be placed between engine
   and transmission to reverse the engine direction. Making this a
   reduction gear had the beneficial effect of reducing loads on the
   gearbox and preventing the rapid wear on the synchromesh which had been
   a problem on early prototypes. Having the caburettor 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.

The Mk I Mini — 1959 to 1967

   1959 Morris Mini-Minor was met with widespread public acceptance.
   Enlarge
   1959 Morris Mini-Minor was met with widespread public acceptance.

   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.

   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, 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, and BMC used the name Mini for the
   remainder of the life of the car.

   In 1964 the suspension of the cars was replaced by another Moulton
   design, the hydrolastic system. The new suspension gave 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.
   1965 Mk I Mini Traveller
   Enlarge
   1965 Mk I Mini Traveller

   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. 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's parent
   company British Motor Holdings and the Leyland Motor Corporation), the
   car did not reach production. 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 were introduced. 429,000 Mk II Minis were made.

   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 film was remade in 2003 using the new MINI.

Variants

   The popularity of the original Mini spawned many models that targeted
   different markets:
   1968 Mk III Riley Elf.
   Enlarge
   1968 Mk III Riley Elf.

   The Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf (1961–69)
          These were intended as small, luxurious cars, having a larger
          boot and a more sophisticated looking front. The name "Wolseley
          Hornet" was a revival of a 1930s sports car, 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 848 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 Elfs and 28,455 Wolseley Hornets were built.

   The Mini Countryman.
   Enlarge
   The Mini Countryman.

   The Morris Mini Traveller and the Austin Mini Countryman (1961–69, UK
          only)
          Two-door estate cars with double "barn"-style rear doors. Both
          were built on a slightly longer chassis of 84 inches (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 a similar appearance to the larger
          Morris Minor estate which had 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 ¼-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.

   A Mini Pickup.
   Enlarge
   A Mini Pickup.

   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 allowed
          airflow into the engine compartment. 58,179 Mini pickups were
          built.

   The Mini Moke (1964 and 1968 in the UK, 1966–82 in Australia and
          1983–89 in Portugal)
          A bizarre utility vehicle, this jeep 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

   1968 Mk II Austin Mini Cooper.
   Enlarge
   1968 Mk II Austin Mini Cooper.

   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 for competition. 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,
   a nimble, economical and inexpensive car. The Austin Mini Cooper and
   Morris Mini Cooper debuted in 1961.

   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, twin SU carburettors, a closer-ratio
   gearbox and front disc brakes, uncommon at the time in a small car. One
   thousand units of this version 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 brakes, 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 had been built when the model was
   discontinued in 1965. The 1275 cc Cooper S models continued in
   production till 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 Monte Carlo Rally victories in
   1964, 1965, and 1967. Minis were initially placed first, second and
   third in the 1966 rally as well, but were disqualified after a
   controversial decision by the French judges. The disqualification
   related to the use of a variable resistance headlamp dimming circuit in
   place of a dual-filament lamp. It should be noted that the Citroën DS
   that was eventually awarded first place had illegal white headlamps but
   escaped disqualification.. The driver of the Citroën, Pauli Toivonen,
   was reluctant to accept the trophy and vowed that he would never race
   for Citroën again. BMC probably received more publicity from the
   disqualification than they would have gained from a victory - but had
   the Mini not been disqualified, it would have been the only car in
   history to be placed in the top three on the Monte Carlo for six
   consecutive years.
   1993 Mini Cooper
   Enlarge
   1993 Mini Cooper

   CAPTION: Monte Carlo Rally Results for Mini.

   Year           Driver               Results
   1962 Pat Moss/Ann Wisdom         Ladies' Award
   1963 Rauno Aaltonen/Tony Ambrose 3rd Place
   1964 Paddy Hopkirk/Henry Liddon  Winner
        Timo Mäkinen/Patrick Vanson 4th Place
   1965 Timo Mäkinen/Paul Easter    Winner
   1966 Timo Mäkinen/Paul Easter    (disqualified)
        Rauno Aaltonen/Tony Ambrose (disqualified)
        Paddy Hopkirk/Henry Liddon  (disqualified)
   1967 Rauno Aaltonen/Henry Liddon Winner
   1968 Rauno Aaltonen/Henry Liddon 3rd Place
        Tony Fall/Mike Wood         4th Place
        Paddy Hopkirk/Ron Crellin   5th Place

   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 improvements.

The Mini Clubman and 1275GT – 1969 to 1980

   1976 Mini Clubman Estate.
   Enlarge
   1976 Mini Clubman Estate.

   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, and also in Australia during
   the seventies, they made a unique Cooper with Clubman front named
   Cooper SS, equipped with the twin-carb version of Cooper 1275 S.) While
   not nearly as quick as a 1275 Mini Cooper S, the 1275GT was cheaper to
   buy, run, and insure. It was the first Mini to be equipped 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 top gear of only 9 seconds. The bluff front, however, meant
   that the model struggled to reach 90 mph. 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 and onwards – 1970 to 2000

   1985 Mk V Mini.
   Enlarge
   1985 Mk V Mini.

   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 (with opening quarterlight windows).
   The suspension reverted from Hydrolastic to rubber as a cost-saving
   measure.

   Production at the Cowley plant was ended, and the simple name Mini
   completely replaced the separate Austin and Morris brands.
     * MkIII introduced in November 1969 had wind up windows with internal
       door hinges except van and pickups. The boot lid lost the original
       hinged number plate and its recess shape and a large rear colour
       coded lamp was fitted in its place. Larger rear side windows.

     * MkIV introduced in 1976 had a front rubber mounted subframe with
       single tower bolts and the rear frame had some larger bushes
       introduced. Twin stalk indicators were introduced with larger foot
       pedals. From 1977 on the rear indicator lamps had the reverse
       lights incorporated in them.

     * MkV, all cars had 8.4 inch brake discs and plastic wheel arches
       (noted as mini special arches) but retained the same MkIV body
       shell shape.

     * MkVI is 1990 on when engine mounting points were moved forward to
       take 1275 cc power units, and includes the HIF carb version plus
       the single point fuel injected car which came out in 1991. The 998
       cc power units were discontinued. Internal bonnet release fitted
       from 1992.

     * MkVII is the final twin point injection with front mounted
       radiator.

   In the late 1970s, Innocenti introduced the Innocenti 90 and 120,
   Bertone-designed hatchbacks 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.
   1994 Mini Tahiti Special Edition, complete with Tahiti Blue metallic
   paintwork and Minilite-style wheels.
   Enlarge
   1994 Mini Tahiti Special Edition, complete with Tahiti Blue metallic
   paintwork and Minilite-style wheels.

   Through the 1980s and 1990s 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 Bernd Pischetsrieder, a first cousin once removed of
   Issigonis, BMW took control of the Rover Group, which included the
   Mini, fitting an airbag to comply with European legislation. By 2000
   Rover was still suffering massive losses, and BMW decided to dispose of
   most of the company: MG and Rover went to Phoenix, a new British
   consortium; and Land Rover went to Ford. BMW sold the last Minis in
   2000 as a vehicle of the BMW Group. 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 The Bourne
   Identity (2002) as a beat-up but surprisingly capable vehicle for a car
   chase, or as in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) as a collectible fashion
   icon garaged alongside other classic sports cars. (See also: List of
   movies in which Mini cars are featured.)

Timeline

   Minis lined up on Brighton seafront after a London-to-Brighton rally
   Enlarge
   Minis lined up on Brighton seafront after a London-to-Brighton rally
     * August 1959: Introduction of the Austin Seven, Morris Mini-Minor
       and Morris Mini-Minor DL 2-door saloons, all with transversely
       mounted 848cc engine and 4-speed gearbox.

     * 1960: Introduction of the Austin Seven Countryman and Morris
       Mini-Minor Traveller 3-door estates, both with 848cc engine from
       the saloon models.

     * 1961: Introduction of the Austin Seven Super and Morris Mini-Minor
       Super 2-door saloons.

     * 1961: Introduction of the Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper
       2-door saloon, both with larger 997cc 55bhp engine.

     * January 1962: All former Austin Seven models now officially called
       Austin Mini.

     * 1962: Introduction of the Morris Mini-Minor SDL 2-door saloon.

     * March 1963: Introduction of the Austin Mini Cooper 1071 S and
       Morris Mini Cooper 1071 S 2-door saloons, both with larger 1071cc
       70bhp engine.

     * 1964: Introduction of the Mini Moke.

     * April 1964: Introduction of the Austin and Morris Mini-Cooper 998,
       Mini-Cooper 970 S and Mini-Cooper 1275 S. 1275 S models have 1275cc
       76bhp engine. Automatic transmission available as an option for the
       998cc Austin Mini-Cooper 998 and 1275 S. Previous Mini-Cooper 997
       and 1071 S models dropped.

     * 1965: Mini Cooper 970 S discontinued.

     * October 1965: Automatic transmission now available as an option on
       standard Austin/Morris Mini and Morris Mini SDL.

     * October 1967: Mark 2 range launched with facelift and upgraded
       equipment. Austin Mini range as follows: 850, 1000, Cooper 998 and
       Cooper 1275 S 2-door saloons and 1000 Countryman 3-door estate.
       Morris Mini range as follows: 850, 850 SDL, 1000 SDL, Cooper 998
       and Cooper 1275 S 2-door saloons and 1000 Traveller 3-door estate.
       Optional automatic transmission available on all Austin models
       (except 850) and Morris Mini 1000 SDL saloon.

     * October 1969: Separate Austin and Morris badging now merged into
       Mini 850/Mini 1000 badging. Range reduced to: 850, 1000, Clubman,
       Cooper S and 1275 GT 2-door saloons and Clubman 3-door estate.
       Optional automatic transmission available on all except 1275 GT.

Unproduced prototypes

   1974 Mini Clubman Safety Research Vehicle - SRV4
   Enlarge
   1974 Mini Clubman Safety Research Vehicle - SRV4

   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.

Exotic Minis and celebrities

   In the 1960's and 70's the Mini, in addition to being a cultural icon,
   also became a veritable ' fashion statement'. Many celebrities of that
   era drove Minis that had been customised by famous British
   coachbuilders. Examples include Peter Sellers' wicker side-panelled
   Mini built by Hooper (the Rolls-Royce coachbuilder,) which appeared in
   his movie A Shot in the Dark. Ringo Starr's hatchback designed by
   Radford who also built a Mini de Ville for Britt Ekland, Peter Sellers'
   wife, with a special rear estate wagon door. Radford also built Mini de
   Villes for John Lennon, Marianne Faithfull and a psychedelic version
   that appeared in the Beatles movie Magical Mystery Tour owned by George
   Harrison who maintained it through the years and had it restored,
   including the art, prior to making an appearance with it at Goodwood as
   late as June 1998. Marianne Faithfull drove her duo-tone de Ville to
   the Law Courts to hear Mick Jagger's appeal of his drug conviction in
   1967. The same year John Lennon drove his de Ville hatchback to Apple
   studios after hearing of Brian Epstein's death. The exclusive (and
   expensive) Margrave and Margrave SE from Wood & Pickett should be
   mentioned, found at Mayfair dealerships in mod London and elsewhere.

Kit cars and customisation

   One of three Outspan Orange Minis.
   Enlarge
   One of three Outspan 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 cars 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 busses, monster trucks,
   motor homes 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 tuning.

Awards

   The Mini has won many awards over the years, perhaps the most notable
   include: "Car of the Century" ( Autocar 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

   A typical meeting of the Mini Owners of Texas club in Grapevine, Texas.
   Enlarge
   A typical meeting of the Mini Owners of Texas club in Grapevine, Texas.

   Between 1960 and 1967, BMC exported approximately 10,000 left-hand
   drive BMC Minis to the U.S. Sales were discontinued when stricter
   federal emission standards 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

   2003 MINI Cooper S and Mk III classic Mini.
   Enlarge
   2003 MINI Cooper S and Mk III classic Mini.

   When production of the classic Mini ceased in 2000, BMW (the new owner
   of the brand) announced the successor to the Mini – which is variously
   called the "BMW MINI" or the "New MINI". The brand name for the new car
   is MINI (written in capital letters).

   Some Mini enthusiasts reject the claim that the MINI as the natural
   successor of the original car - others simply dislike it - yet others
   were amongst the first to buy the new MINI when it was launched. There
   are many reasons offered for the negative point of view. One notion is
   that the classic Mini could have continued in viable production for
   many more years had it not been 'killed off' to make way for the MINI.
   The new MINI is larger than the classic Mini. It is around 55 cm
   longer, 30 cm wider, weighing 1050 kg rather than 650 kg. That,
   together with the departure from the spartan minimalism of the
   original, has proven objectionable to some enthusiasts. Others resent
   the manner in which BMW took the Mini brand name from the Rover group.
   However, many Mini owners take the opposite view and embrace the new
   car as a logical succession of the original and view it as the only way
   the concept could have continued in the light of modern safety,
   emissions and manufacturing principles. Some Mini clubs go so far as to
   ban MINIs from their club meetings - others actively seek car
   enthusiasts from both camps. This spectrum of attitudes has been noted
   with other retro-car releases such as the Volkswagen Beetle and is far
   from being unique to the Mini community.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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