“God damn these bloody awful Bubble cars" - Leonard Lord

It popularised front-wheel and transverse engines, rewrote the rules of packaging design, and became part of a social revolution.  The epic Mini will turn 50 this August. While designed to concure German Volkswagen Beetle and Italian Nouva 500 (now know as Fiat 500) Mini achieved few victories on race tracks and in people hearts.

 

After fuel shortage in 1956 the demand for big cars dropped and German Bubble cars stormed the market. Leonard Lord, the head of BMC (British Motor Corporation), once said: “God damn these bloody awful Bubble cars. We must drive them off the road by designing a proper miniature car.” After laying down the basic requirements and recruiting Alec Issigonis (the man behind 1948 Morris Minor) back, Mini started to gain shape. The main Issigonis task was to reduce the length of the Mini from twelve feet to ten. To maximize cabin space, Issigonis introduced a practically unheared-of-transverse-engined, front wheel drive layout and sited the gearbox underneath the engine. The engine itself was the famous 850cc Austin engine, one of the most successful that BMC has ever produced.  Only seven months after receiving the task, two Mini prototypes were up and running. In July 1958 he invited Leonard Lord for a ride. “We went round the works, and I drove him at a hell of a speed – I’m sure he was terrified – but then he was so impressed by it’s road-holding. We stopped outside his office. He got out of the car and he said, “Go and make it””

 

After number of test, Lord demanded a production version within just twelve months. To meet this tough task and keep within the budget, the body featured simple  external seams. Despite the tight deadline and the need to iron out the odd teething trouble along the way, the Mini was ready on schedule. By June 1959 around a hundred cars a week were rolling off the assembly lines. To whet the appetite of potential car-buyers, a print campaign was launched.

 

Despite the eagerness to beat the German Beetle and the fuel crunch, London authorities decided to tackle the parking free-for-all. In addition to this the parking meters, double yellow lines and parking tickets been introduced. After all this an idea to make a small car that would fit everywhere suddenly made a lot more sense. Once David Bowie said “The Mini is to parking what the British sandwich is to hunger – a perfect design classic”

 

Between 1951 and 1961, holiday became an increasingly important part of life. As an affordable and practical set of wheels, Mini helped to fuel this mass mobility. Even small, but Mini could accommodate four people and take their language without causing any problems.

 

In 1961 John Cooper made tentative approaches to Issigonis of producing a Mini for competition purposes. However, Issigonis dreamed that Mini wouls stay a car for everyone: “These cars are not designed for competition use, they are a people’s car.” But Cooper ended up going straight to George Harriman, who commissioned Cooper to make 1000 Mini with a two-pound royalty payment on each one sold.

 

Within a three years since Mini was launched it was winning a lot on the rallying scene. The most famous Monte Carlo rally wasn’t an exception. In 1964 rally started in Minsk and Mini Cooper S was the first to cross the finish line. The victory was repeated in the following year and in 1967.

 

In 1969, the twin Austin Mini and Morris Mini-Minor identities were dropped and the car became known simply as “The Mini”.

 

Mini became an icon of it’s time. It always enjoyed the reputation as being a bit of a show stealer. Concept cars been a bundle of eye catching options and design innovations creation.

 

The last Mini was built on October 4th, 2000. A red Cooper Sport was presented to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust in December on the same year. A total of 5.387.862 cars had been manufactured.

 

Since 2001 the icon got into BMW Group hands. First to hit the streets were the Mini One and Mini Cooper. Year later supercharged Mini Cooper S sizzled onto the streets to complete the triumvirate. Since Mini became a part of BMW Group, car became longer, wider and safer because of all the safety equipment. The 1st generation Mini had changed since Alec Issigoni’s original.

 

Dr. Alex Moulton spoke about the new Mini in an interview with MiniWorld Magazine: Ït’s enormous – the original Mini was the best packaged car of all time – this is an example of how not to do it. It’s huge on the outside and weights the same as an Austin Maxi. The crash protection has been taken too far. I mean, what do you want, an armoured car? It is irrelevance insofar as it has no part in the Mini story”

Not only a racer, Mini is voted as Car of the century.

 

Mini designer Alec Issigonis was once quoted saying: “People don’t actually know what they want. So it’s my job to tell them.”

 

Issigoni’s Mini was a true icon in comparison with the commercial BMW’s car. It’s not anymore about the innovation and passion for perfection – Mini will never be the same.