The Mini Info

a cultural icon

small car 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 The most popular British-made car, it has since been replaced by the New MINI which was launched in 2001.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 to the Ford Model T.

The new MINI

2003 MINI Cooper S and Mk III classic Mini.Main article: MINI (BMW)
When production of the classic Mini ceased in 2000, BMW 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.

Some Mini enthusiasts reject the claim that the MINI is the natural successor of the car. There are many reasons offered for the negative point of view. One notion is the classic Mini could have continued in viable production for many more years had it not been removed 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 to 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.

By 2000 Rover was still suffering massive losses, and BMW decided to dispose of the company: MG and Rover went to Phoenix, a new British consortium, and Land Rover went to Ford. BMW retained the Mini name and the planned new model, granting Rover temporary rights to the brand and allowing it to manufacture and sell the run out model of the old Mini. By April 2000, the range consisted of four versions; the Mini Classic Se7en, the Mini Classic Cooper, the Mini Classic Cooper Sport and for overseas European markets, the Mini Knightsbridge.

http://www.bmh-ltd.com/ British Motor Heritage Limited

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