The Mini - A Little Car with a Big Job

The Mini - A Little Car with a Big Job

Necessity was the mother of invention and the motivation behind the creation of the Mini. After the Suez Crisis in September of 1956, the United Kingdom’s oil supplies were reduced and gas rationing was imposed. The sales of large cars, with high fuel consumption, plummeted and the British public turned to the economical “bubble cars” being manufactured in Germany.

The British Motor Corporation (BMC), which was formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organization (parent of the Morris car company, MG, Riley and Wolseley) in 1952, needed a small fuel efficient car and they needed it quickly. BMC put their chief designer, Alec Issigonis, to work on the project. Issigonis was the genius behind Morris Minor and the obvious choice build a lightweight, four-passenger car that would take up minimal space.

By October of 1957, Issigonis and his team produced a prototype that was nothing short of revolutionary. The car used a conventional four cylinder water cooled engine, but it was mounted sideways, near the front wheels, and drove the front wheels. This design not only increased passenger space, it gave the car more stability when taking tight turns.

Some of the other innovations produced in the Mini were:

The radiator being placed at the left side of the car so that the engine mounted fan could be retained

Its gears were in the engine's sump and oil was shared by both.

The tiny 10 inch wheels placed at the farthest end of the body like a go cart.

Its compact all independent suspension with rubber elements.

The boot had the hinges at the bottom and could be left it open when driven to increase luggage space.

Mounting the carburetor at the back of the engine.

Sliding windows in the doors which replaced the window mechanisms for storage pockets.

The use of exterior welded seams to permit the car to be built more cheaply using manual labor.

The end result was an inexpensive, nimble little car that packed an 848 cc engine in ten percent of a ten foot car that could reach a respectable speed of 72 mph, and still seat four passengers comfortably.

The production version was available in August 1959 and marketed under two of BMC's brand names, Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor – the only recognizable difference was the badging. The name "Mini" started being used in 1961.

Sales were slow at first, but soon the versatility and charm of the Mini made it a favorite with the jet setters of the swinging sixties. The Mini became a pop icon with celebrity owners such as the Beatles, Peter Sellers and Princess Margaret, and was featured in the 1969 movie, The Italian Job. The car was a fashion statement.

After forty years, and 5.3 million cars being manufactured and sold all over the world, and receiving the European Car of the Century award, the final Mini was produced in October 2000. Will the new BMW MINI have the same success? Only time will tell.