Mini

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the 1959�2000 Mini. For the BMW Mini from 2001, see Mini
(marque) and Mini Hatch. For other uses, see Mini (disambiguation). "Cooper S"
redirects here. For the album by Feedtime, see Cooper-S.
Mini
Morris Mini-Minor 1959 (621 AOK).jpg
Morris Mini-Minor
Overview
Manufacturer Britain

British Motor Corporation (1959�1968)

British Leyland (1968�1986)
Rover Group (1986�2000)

International

Innocenti
Authi (1968�1975)
BMC Australia
BMC South Africa
Leyland Australia
Arica (Chile)

Also called

Austin 850[1]
Austin Cooper [2]
Austin Mini
Austin Partner[3]
Austin Seven
Innocenti Mini (1965�1975)[4]
Leyland Mini [5]
Morris 850
Morris Mascot[3]
Morris Mini
Riley Elf
Rover Mini
Wolseley 1000[3]
Wolseley Hornet

Production

1959�2000
Cowley plant, Oxford (1959�1968)
Longbridge plant, Birmingham (1959�2000)

Designer Sir Alec Issigonis

Body and chassis
Class City car (A)
Body style

2-door saloon
2-door estate
2-door van
2-door coupe utility

Layout FF layout
Related
 Mini Moke
Austin Metro
Innocenti Mini (1974�82)
Mini Wildgoose
Mini Marcos

Powertrain
Engine 848 cc, 970 cc, 997 cc, 998 cc, 1,071 cc, 1,098 cc, 1,275 cc I4 (A-
series)
Transmission

4-speed manual
4-speed automatic
5-speed manual (optional extra on some later models)

Dimensions
Wheelbase

2,036 mm (80.2 in) (saloon)

2,138 mm (84.2 in) (estate and commercials)

Length

3,054 mm (120.2 in) (saloon)[6]

3,299 mm (129.9 in) (estate and commercials)
3,300 mm (130 in) (Wolseley Hornet/Riley Elf)[7]

Width 1,397 mm (55.0 in)

Height 1,346 mm (53.0 in)
Kerb weight 580�686 kg (1,279�1,512 lb)

The Mini is a small economy car produced by the English-based British Motor
Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is
considered an icon of 1960s British popular culture.[8][9][10][11] Its space-saving
transverse engine front-wheel drive layout � allowing 80 percent of the area of the
car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage � influenced a generation of
car makers.[12] In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the
20th century, behind the Ford Model T, and ahead of the Citro�n DS and Volkswagen
Beetle.[13][14]

This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis. It was
manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria
Park/Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia,
and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Malta,
Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini Mark I had
three major UK updates � the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these
was a series of variations, including an estate car, a pick-up truck, a van and the
Mini Moke, a jeep-like buggy.

The performance versions, the Mini Cooper and Cooper "S", were successful as both
race and rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. In 1966,
the first-placed Mini (along with nine other cars) was disqualified after the
finish, under a controversial decision that the car's headlights were against the
rules.[15]

On its introduction in August 1959 the Mini was marketed under the Austin and
Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor.[16] The Austin Seven was
renamed Austin Mini in January 1962[16] and Mini became a marque in its own right
in 1969.[17][18] In 1980 it once again became the Austin Mini and in 1988 the Rover
Mini.[19]

BMW acquired the Rover Group (formerly British Leyland) in 1994, and sold the
greater part of it in 2000, but retained the rights to build cars using the MINI
name.