Mini History
BMC's Leonard Lord hated 'bubble cars' and tasked Alec Issigonis to design something to beat them. The result was the Mini, launched in 1959. The engine was transverse. The gearbox was in the sump. It drove the front wheels. Those wheels were tiny. The whole car was tiny. The motorcar had been re-designed! After the saloon came the Traveller and the Van, plus Riley Elf, Wolseley Hornet and Moke. As soon as he got his hands on a Mini, racing car constructor John Cooper started looking for ways of making it quicker. He enlarged the engine, fitted it with twin SU's and disc brakes and the Mini-Cooper was born, followed by the Mini-Cooper S. Over the years there were many variations of both the Mini and the Mini-Cooper, the Mk II, City, Mayfair, Clubman, 1275GT and many Special Editions. By the end over 5 million had been manufactured, plus nearly half a million by Innocenti in Italy, Spain and Belgium. In 1994 BMW took control of the Company and allowed production to continue until October 2000. They recognised the value of the brand name 'Mini' and now manufacture their 'new generation' at Cowley near Oxford.

We hope that the projects detailed on this website and the accessories available help you to continue enjoying the Classic Mini for many years to come.