Mini 1000 (1969 - 1982)

Mini MK2 was move to Mk3 body shell with internal hinges and wind up windows. Higher quality interior than the Mini 850 with inertia seat belts and reclining seats. Renamed Mini 1000 Super in 1979. Renamed again to Mini 1000HL in 1980.
Mark III (introduced in November 1969) had wind up windows with internal door hinges except for the van and pickup models. The boot lid lost the original hinged number plate and its recess shape and a large rear colour coded lamp was fitted in its place, along with larger rear side windows.

Mini Clubman (1969 – 1980)

Mini Clubman and Mini Clubman Estate built in body shell with internal hinges and wind up windows with redesigned and new front look. The first appearance of the two clock instrument binnacle. Clubman model used hydrolastic suspension until 1971 whereas Clubman Estate used dry cone suspension throughout production. Clubman estate similar in appearance to the Austin Countryman/Morris Traveller but wood panels not an option.

In 1969, under the ownership of British Leyland, the Mini was given a facelift by stylist Roy Haynes, who had previously worked for Ford. The restyled version was called the Mini Clubman, and has a squarer frontal look, using the same indicator/sidelight assembly as the Austin Maxi. The Mini Clubman was intended to replace the upmarket Riley and Wolseley versions. A new model, dubbed the 1275GT, was slated as the replacement for the 998 cc Mini Cooper (the 1275 cc Mini Cooper S continued alongside the 1275GT for two years until 1971). The Clubman Estate took over where the Countryman and Traveller left off.

Production of Mini 1275 GT with same facelift bodyshell as the Mini Clubman. Rostyle steel wheels were changed to 12 inch in 1974 to cover front disc brakes which is 7.5 inches disc. Features close ratio gearbox and additional rev counter.Mini 1275 GT with engine size 1275cc. Production of the Clubman and 1275GT got off to a slow start because the cars incorporated “lots of production changes” including the relocation of tooling from the manufacturer’s Cowley plant to the Longbridge plant: very few cars were handed over to customers before the early months of 1970. Early domestic market Clubmans were still delivered on cross-ply tyres despite the fact that by 1970 radials had become the norm for the car’s mainstream competitors. By 1973 new Minis were, by default, being shipped with radial tyres, though cross-plies could be specified by special order, giving British buyers a price saving of £8.

The 1275GT is often incorrectly described as the “Mini Clubman 1275GT“. The official name was always just the “Mini 1275GT“, and it was a separate, distinct model from the Clubman (albeit, it shared the same frontal treatment as the Mini Clubman, and was launched at the same time). In 1971, the 1275 cc Mini Cooper S was discontinued in the UK, leaving the Mini 1275GT as the only sporting Mini on sale for the rest of the decade. Innocenti in Italy, however, continued making their own version of the

Mini Cooper for some time, and In Australia from mid 1971 to the end of 1972, the Clubman GT was locally produced. This was essentially a Cooper S in Clubman body, equipped with the same 7.5-inch (190 mm) disc brakes, twin fuel tanks, and twin-carb Cooper S 1275 cc engine. While the UK built 1275GT was not nearly as quick as a 1275 Mini Cooper S, it was cheaper to buy, run, and insure. It was the first Mini to be equipped with a tachometer. It also featured a standard-fit close-ratio gearbox. Performance of the 1275GT was lively for the time, achieving 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 12.9 seconds, and the excellent midrange torque offered a 30–50 mph (48–80 km/h) time in top gear of only nine seconds. The bluff front, however, meant that the model struggled to reach 90 mph (140 km/h). The 1275 cc A-series engine could be cheaply and easily tuned, though the cheap purchase price and prominent “sidewinder” door stripes meant that this model developed a reputation as something of a “boy-racer special” during the 1970s and into the 1980s.

The Mini Clubman and 1275GT were responsible for two motoring “firsts”: they were the first vehicles to use a flexi printed-circuit board behind the dash instruments (universal nowadays, but technically advanced for 1969). Secondly, the 1275GT was the first vehicle to be offered with run-flat tyres; from 1974 this model could be ordered with optional Dunlop Denovo tyres on 12-inch (300 mm) diameter rims. In the event of a puncture, the Dunlop Denovo tyre would not burst and quickly deflate, but could continue to be used safely at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h). This was a useful safety feature, although the increased road noise and relatively poor grip of this tyre meant that many 1275GT buyers ignored this option.
Throughout the 1970s, British Leyland continued to produce the classic 1959 “round-front” design, alongside the newer Clubman and 1275GT models. On the Australian market however, all Minis (including the commercial derivatives) gained the Clubman front. Clubman sedans were marketed in Australia under the Morris Mini Clubman name when introduced in August 1971, and as the Leyland Mini from February 1973.


The long-nose Clubman and 1275GT offered better crash safety, were better equipped, and had vastly better under-bonnet access, but they were more expensive and aerodynamically inferior to the original 1959 design. The Mini Clubman and 1275GT were replaced in 1980 by the new hatchback Austin Metro, while production of the original “round-front” mini design continued for another 20 years. At the end of Clubman and 1275GT production, 275,583 Clubman saloons, 197,606 Clubman Estates and 110,673 1275GTs had been made.

Mini Mark III / MKIII (1969 to 1976)

Mini classic MK3 / MKIII held between 1969 to 1976. The MK3 generation has brought some big changes for the Mini. On November 1969, BMC announced that the names Austin and Morris were dropped from the Mini and from there onwards all cars model has become known as “Mini”. The most obvious or biggest changes from MK2 to MK3 were the changed of external door hinges to internal hinges. We no longer can see 2 pieces of hinges at the car door.

Another noticeable alteration to the car was the deletion of slide windows and it has been replaced with wind-up front windows. On the other hand for the interior of the Mini car, it is almost similar to MK2 the large door pocket had disappeared and the side panel has been changed as well as a bigger rear-side window was fitted. As mentioned the MK3 has bring a huge change, this is also because the Mini Clubman, Mini Clubman Estate, 1275GT were introduced during this era. The production of Mini Cooper 998, Mini Countryman/Estate, Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet as from Classic Mini First Generation MK1 and Classic Mini MK2 Generation were discontinued as well.

From year of 1969 to 1979, production of Mini 850 that move to Mk3 body shell with internal hinges and wind up windows. Dropped of Austin / Morris branding on the car, truly known as “Mini”. Engine size: 848cc.
Some technical Specification on Mini 850, the Mini 850 were using the magic wand gear-lever until December 1972. This was replaced with rod change for all manual vehicles on end December 1972 onwards. During April 1973, an offset sphere plunging (pot joints) were fitted to the driveshaft and dry suspension were fitted to MK3 850 and 1000 saloons.

Mini Pick-up (1961–1982)

A pick-up truck, 11 ft (3.4 m) from nose to tail, built on the longer Mini Van platform, with an open-top rear cargo area and a tailgate. The factory specified the weight of the Pickup as less than 1,500 lb (680 kg) with a full 6 imperial gallons (27 L; 7 US gal) of fuel.

As with the Van, the Pickup did not have a costly chrome grille. Instead, a simple set of stamped metal slots allowed airflow into the engine compartment. The Pickup was spartan in basic form, although the factory brochure informed prospective buyers that “fully equipped Mini Pick-up is also available which includes a recirculatory heater.” Passenger-side sun visor, seat belts, laminated windscreen, tilt tubes and cover were available at extra cost. Like the van, the Pickup was renamed as the Mini 95 in 1978.
A total of 58,179 Mini Pickups were built.

Mini Moke (1964 – 1993)

The Mini Moke is a vehicle based on the Mini and designed for the British Motor Corporation (BMC) by Sir Alexandros Issigonis. The name comes from "Mini"—the car with which the Moke shares many parts—and "Moke", which is an archaic dialect term for "donkey".

The initial design was a prototype for a light military vehicle in the style of the American Jeep, but its small wheels and low ground clearance made it impractical as an off-road vehicle. It was subsequently offered in a civilian version as a low-cost, easily maintained utility vehicle. The Moke finally achieved success as a beach buggy — becoming a popular 'cult' vehicle in the Seychelles, Australia, the United States and many tropical resorts in the Caribbean. The original Moke used identical engine, transmission and suspension parts to the basic Mini.

Mokes were first built at the Morris factory in Oxford before production moved to BMC's Longbridge, Birmingham plant, and eventually overseas. 14,500 Mokes were produced in the UK between 1964 and 1968, 26,000 in Australia between 1966 and 1981, and 10,000 in Portugal between 1980 and 1993 when production of the Moke ended.

When Issigonis designed the Mini, he planned another vehicle to share the Mini's mechanical parts, but with a more rugged body shell. This was an attempt to take a portion of the military vehicle business from Land Rover. Issigonis had previously designed the Nuffield Guppy in a failed attempt to break into that market. By 1959, BMC had working prototypes of what was codenamed "The Buckboard", later to become the "Mini Moke". These prototypes were shown to the British Army as a parachute-droppable vehicle, but poor ground clearance and a low-powered engine did not meet the most basic requirements for an off-road vehicle. Only the Royal Navy showed any interest at all in the Buckboard—as a vehicle for use on the decks of aircraft carriers.

Early promotional material made much of the lightness of the vehicle, showing four soldiers riding in the Moke off-road, then picking it up by its tubular bumpers and carrying it when (inevitably) its low ground clearance proved inadequate to the task.
In a further attempt to make something for the army, a few four-wheel drive Mokes were made by the addition of a second engine at the back of the vehicle with linked clutches and gear shifters. However, this did nothing to solve the ground-clearance issue, and mechanical complications discouraged development beyond the prototype stage. This strange vehicle was called "The Twini" and was shown to the US Army - again with no success.

Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf (1961–1969)

The Elf and Hornet both shared a distinctive, "long-tailed" body shell which had special front panels to accommodate the two marques traditional, up-right grilles. The longer tail incorporated extended rear wings (with upright tail lamps and "fins") which provided a much larger boot area with a top hinged boot lid.

MKI Hornets were powered by the standard Mini 848cc A-Series engine which seemed slightly underpowered towards the end of the models life. Hornets were well equipped, the interior featuring extra sound proofing, quality seat coverings and Cooper instruments mounted in a walnut centre panel.

Built as more luxurious versions of the Mini, both the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf had longer, slightly finned rear wings and larger boots that gave the cars a more traditional “notchback” look. Front-end treatment, which incorporated each marque’s traditional upright grille design, also contributed to a less utilitarian appearance. The cars had larger-diameter chrome hubcaps than the Austin and Morris Minis, also additional chrome accents, bumper over riders and wood-veneer dashboards. The Riley was the more expensive version of the two cars. The name "Wolseley Hornet" was first used on a 1930s sports car, while the name "Elf" recalled the Riley Sprite and Imp sports cars, also of the 1930s. The full width dashboard was a differentiator between the Elf and Hornet. This better dashboard was the idea of Christopher Milner the Sales Manager for Riley.

Both cars went through three versions. Initially, they used the 848 cc engine, changing to a single carburetor version of the Cooper's 998 cc power unit in the Mark II in 1963. The MKIII facelift of 1966 brought wind-up windows and fresh-air fascia vents; also concealed door hinges two years before these were seen on the mainstream Mini. 30,912 Riley Elfs and 28,455 Wolseley Hornets were built.

Mini Mark II / MKII (1967–1970)

From 1944 to 1979, Issigonis had been designing a replacement for the Mini in the form of an experimental model called the 9X. It was longer and more powerful than the Mini, but due to politicking inside British Leyland (which had now been formed by the merger of BMC's parent company British Motor Holdings and the Leyland Motor Corporation), the car did not reach production.

The Mark II Mini featured a redesigned grille which remained with the car from that point on. Also, a larger rear window and numerous cosmetic changes were introduced. 429,000 Mark II Minis were made. A bewildering variety of Mini types were made in Pamplona, Spain, by the Authi company from 1968 onwards, mostly under the Morris name.

From 1967 to 1969, production of Austin Mini Mk2 and Morris Mini Mk2. Details: 2 models available- The Basic and the Super De Luxe. Models changed to Mini 850 and Mini 1000.Improvement from MK1: New front MK2 grille design, larger rear window and rectangular rear lights. Brakes system improved. Engine size: 848cc (The Basic and Super De Luxe model) or 998cc (Super De Luxe model only).

Production of Austin Mini Countryman Mk2 and Morris Mini-Traveller Mk2. Morris Mini Traveller and Austin Mini Countryman (1961–1969, UK only). Two-door estate cars with double "barn"-style rear doors. Both were built on a slightly longer chassis of 84 inch (2.14 m) compared to 80.25 inch (2.04 m) for the saloon.The luxury models had decorative, non-structural wood inserts in the rear body which gave the car a similar appearance to the larger Morris Minor estate which had some of the look of an American-style 1950s Woodie. Approximately 108,000 Austin Mini Countrymen and 99,000 Morris Mini Travellers were built.
Some advertisement brochure for Austin Mini Countryman Mk2 and Morris Mini-Traveller Mk2 in the past

On the left is the standard advertisement from Austin group to advertise Austin Mini Countryman. It is called “Austin Countryman MK2″ (Pub No: 2439). The Austin advertising group manage to choose a dire dark miserable colour to offer the MK2.

“Morris. Thrifty..all purpose” (Pub No: 2352) - This is the standard brochure being used until the end of MK1 Traveler production, unfolding to roughly 22 x 16″. This brochure is full of details and description of this popular Morris Mini-Traveller. Both for the Woody version and non woody version are clearly described in to brochure. Morris make a brave effort to present the MK2 Traveler in a good light. A very nice bright colour car, obviously taken a happy couple off for a sailing weekend, but why are they launching the boat from what looks like the back of a council office block?

From 1967 to 1969, Production of Austin and Morris Mini-Cooper Mk2Details: All changes in line with the Mk2 non-cooper model. Grille style standardized between Austin and Morris. Engine size: 998cc. Well, for Mini MK2, the mechanically has a little changed, although a larger 998cc engine now appeared alongside the 848cc A-series. The Mk II lasted only 2 years when the wind-up window Mk III appeared in 1969 also bringing to an end the separate Austin / Morris name badges.


From 1967 to 1970, Production of Austin and Morris Mini-Cooper ‘S’ Mk2
Details: Similar specification to the Mini-Cooper model but with twin
fuel tanks, 4½ inch rims as standard, different badges and a larger
engine. Outlived the other Mk2 models until the Mk3 ‘S’ was introduced.
Engine size: 1275cc

Mini is getting more and more famous during 60’s to 70’s, the R&D for
Mini move on very fast to MK3 and this make MK2 had a very short
production time in the past. MK2 model was appeared from 1967 to 1970
which is about 4 years, and it still has many years to go until classic
Mini Cooper last generation MK7.

British Motor Corporation (BMC)

The British Motor Corporation (BMC) was a UK vehicle company, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation (parent of the Morris car company, MG, Riley and Wolseley) in 1952. BMC was the largest British car company of its day, with (in 1952) 39 percent of British output, producing a wide range of cars under brand names including Austin, Morris, MG, Austin-Healey, Wolseley as well as commercial vehicles and agricultural tractors. The first chairman was Lord Nuffield (William Morris) but he was replaced in August 1952 by Austin's Leonard Lord who continued in that role until his 65th birthday in 1961 but handing over, in theory at least, the managing director responsibilities to his deputy George Harriman in 1956.

BMC's headquarters were at the Austin plant at Longbridge, near Birmingham and Austin was the dominant partner in the group mainly because of the chairman. The use of Morris engine designs was dropped within 3 years and all new car designs were coded ADO from "Austin Drawing Office". The Longbridge plant was up to date, having been thoroughly modernized in 1951, and compared very favorably with Nuffield's 16 different and often old fashioned factories scattered over the English Midlands. Austin's management systems however, especially cost control and marketing were not as good as Nuffield's and as the market changed from a shortage of cars to competition this was to tell.


The biggest selling car, the Mini, was famously analyzed by Ford Motor Company who concluded that BMC must be losing £30 on every one sold. The result was that although volumes held up well throughout the BMC era, market share fell as did profitability and hence investment in new models, resulting eventually in the merger with Leyland Motor Corporation.

At the time of the mergers, there was a well established dealership network for each of the marques. Among the car-buying British public there was a tendency of loyalty to a particular marque and marques appealed to different market segments. This meant that marques competed against each other in some areas, though some marques had a larger range than others. The Riley and Wolseley models were selling in very small numbers. Styling was also getting distinctly old fashioned and this caused Leonard Lord, in an unusual move for him, to call upon the services of an external stylist.

In the 1950s and the 1960s, BMC set-up twenty-one plants overseas, some as subsidiaries, and some as joint ventures, to assemble their vehicles.One was British Motor Corporation (Australia) who were established at the Nuffield Aust site on the one time Victoria Park horse racetrack in Sydney. This facility went from a marshalling area for fully imported Morris cars (Austins were up until then being assembled in Melbourne, Victoria from an earlier Austin Motors establishment), to a facility for making CKD cars, to the total local fabrication and construction of vehicles, engines, and mechanicals.

Mini Mark I / MK1 (1959–1967)

The Mark I Mini (1959–1967) was the first version of British Motor Corporation's Mini. It is characterised by its sliding windows, external door hinges and "moustache" grill. In the United Kingdom the Mark I was produced between 1959 and 1967, with production in Australia continuing until 1970.

The first Morris Mini-Minor sold in Texas being delivered to a family in Arlington Texas in 1959. The production version of the Mini was demonstrated to the press in April 1959, and by August several thousand cars had been produced ready for the first sales.

The name Mini did not appear by itself immediately — the first models being marketed under two of BMC's brand names, Austin and Morris. The name Austin Seven (sometimes written as SE7EN in early publicity material) recalled the popular small Austin 7 of the 1920s and 1930s. The other name used until 1967 in the United Kingdom (and in Commonwealth countries such as Australia), Morris Mini-Minor, seems to have been a play on words. The Morris Minor was a well known and successful car, with the word minor being Latin for "smaller"; so an abbreviation of the Latin word for "smallest"—minimus—was used for the new even smaller car. It was originally going to be called the Austin New market.

Until 1962, the cars appeared as the Austin 850 and Morris 850 in North America and France, and in Denmark as the Austin Partner (until 1964) and Morris Mascot (until 1981). The name Mini was first used domestically by BMC for Austin's version in 1961, when the Austin Seven was re-branded as the Austin Mini, somewhat to the surprise of the Sharps Commercials car company (later known as Bond Cars Ltd) who had been using the name Minicar for their three-wheeled vehicles since 1949. However, legal action was somehow averted, and BMC used the name Mini for the remainder of the car's life.

In 1964, the suspension of the cars was replaced by another Moulton design, the hydrolastic system. The new suspension gave a softer ride but it also increased weight and production cost and, in the minds of many enthusiasts, spoiled the handling characteristics, for which the Mini was so famous. In 1971, the original rubber suspension reappeared and was retained for the remaining life of the Mini.

Sporting Achievements

Once it was realised how incredibly well the Mini handled, the famous Grand Prix team, John Cooper Racing, became involved and produced a succession of performance models.These then went on to many, many successes in rallying (the Monte Carlo being the most famous) as well as road circuits.The Mini's fantastic handling combined with an excellent power-to-weight ratio made them a force to be reckoned with while competing against much bigger and more powerful machinery. Size isn't everything!

The Wonder Years

Inspired in the mid 50s when the fuel crisis meant that fuel was very expensive in the UK. Launched on an unprepared public on the 27th of August 1959, the car was not an immediate success, because people thought it "odd".Once the Queen had been seen taking a drive in one in the early 60s, the car suddenly became a major fashion item. Every famous person had to be seen in them and the car soon became "classless", and could be seen as easily outside the school as outside the Ritz. In 60s swinging London, nothing else was quite as cool!

Among famous owners were The Beatles (they had one each!), Peter Sellars and his wife Britt Ekland (in picture), Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, David Niven, Paul Newman, Brigitte Bardot, Dudley Moore, Cliff Richard, Norman Wisdom, Lord Snowdon, Princess Alexandra, Prince Michael of Kent, Twiggy and Dame Margot Fonteyn .... phew!Motor racing people loved the Mini too, which is why Enzo Ferrari had three and others were owned by Graham Hill, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart, Bruce McLaren, Ron Dennis, Jack Brabham, Nicki Lauda, James Hunt and Ken Tyrrell....all names still famous in motor racing.

Revolutionary Design of Mini Car (Part II)

The short development time of the car meant this was not ready in time for the Mini Car's launch. The system intended for the Mini was further developed and the hydrolastic system and was first used on the Austin 1100, launched in 1962, with the Mini following two years later. Ten-inch (254 mm) wheels were specified, so new tyres needed to be developed, the initial contract going to Dunlop. Issigonis went to Dunlop stating that he wanted even smaller, 8 in (203 mm) wheels (even though he had already settled on ten-inch). An agreement was made on the ten-inch size, after Dunlop choked on the eight-inch proposition.

Sliding windows allowed storage pockets in the hollow doors; reportedly Issigonis sized them fit a bottle of Gordon's Gin. The boot lid was designed with the hinges at the bottom so that the car could be driven with it open to increase luggage space. On early cars the number plate was hinged so it swung down to remain visible when the boot lid was open. This design was later discontinued as it was discovered that exhaust gases could leak into the cockpit while the boot was open.

The Mini was designed as a monocoque shell with welded seams that are visible on the outside of the car running down the A and C pillars, and between the body and the floor pan showing where the joins are. To further simplify construction, the car had external door and boot hinges. All of these novel and elegant technical innovations resulted in a car with minimum overall dimensions yet maximized space for both passengers and luggage.

Production models differed from the prototype by the addition of front and rear sub frames to the unibody to take the suspension loads, and by turning the engine around with the carburettor at the back rather than at the front. This required an extra gear to be placed between engine and transmission to reverse the engine direction. Making this a reduction gear had the beneficial effect of reducing loads on the gearbox and preventing the rapid wear on the synchromesh which had been a problem on early prototypes. Having the carburettor at the rear helped to reduce carburettor icing, but did expose the distributor to water coming in through the grille.

The engine size was reduced from 948 cc to 848 cc, which reduced the top speed from an unprecedented 90 mph (145 km/h) to a more manageable (for the time) 72 mph (116 km/h), as well as reducing cabin noise quite a bit. This decision was reversed in 1967.

Despite its utilitarian origins, the classic Mini car shape had become so iconic that by the 1990s, Rover Group — the heirs to BMC — were able to register its design as a trade mark in its own right.

Revolutionary Design of Mini Car (Part I)

Born of necessity during the Suez Crisis, it had a revolutionary design for the time - with front wheel drive, the gears mounted in the engine's sump and a transverse engine. The entire engine and transmission unit was contained on sub frames and fitted compactly under the Mini's tiny bonnet.

It was also VERY small - just over 10 feet long - which made it all the more incredible that it could take 4 people and (some) of their luggage.It has been available as saloon, station wagon, pick-up, van, cabriolet, utility vehicle (Moke) and numerous other permutations!

The suspension system, designed by Issigonis' friend Dr. Alex Moulton at Moulton Developments Limited, used compact rubber cones instead of conventional springs. This ingenious space-saving design also featured rising progressive rate springing of the cones, and provided some natural damping force. Built into the sub frames, the rubber cone system gave a raw and bumpy ride which was accentuated by the woven-webbing seats, but the rigidity of the rubber cones, together with the wheels being pushed out to the corners of the car, gave the Mini go kart-like handling that would become famous.

Initially an interconnected fluid system was planned — similar to the one which Alec Issigonis and Alex Moulton were working on in the mid-1950s at Alvis. They had assessed the mechanically interconnected Citroen 2CV suspension at that time (according to an interview by Moulton with CAR magazine in the late 1990s), which inspired the design of the Hydrolastic suspension system for the Mini and Austin 1100, to try to keep the benefits of the 2CV system (ride comfort, body levelling, keeping the road wheel under good control and the tyre in contact with the road), but with added roll stiffness that the 2CV was very much lacking.

Click here to read Revolutionary Design of Mini Car (Part II)

The Creator of Mini Car

The Mini's creator, the late, great Sir Alec Issigonis, was a genius. Sir Alec Issigonis' Mini was launched on 26th August 1959, changing the face of the car industry forever. The Mini was entirely his work and not the work of a whole team as happens today. The world's favorite small car stayed in continuous production, largely unchanged, until the year 2000.

He designed the Mini to be a small, cheap, economic wee car with safe handling...little did he know that the car would go on for 40 historic years. It was a small cheap run-around in the time of a fuel crisis, a fashion icon in the sixties, and a legend on the race tracks of the world, having won the British and European Saloon car championships, and the celebrated Monte Carlo rally three times then back to being an economy car before finally ending up as an ultra-cool "retro" car for the 90s with a huge following from people of all ages.

He had a marvellous ability to visualise the completed car during its design stages. There are many examples of this, such as the one where an engineer asked him what size to make the wheels. Issigonis held his hands apart and said "this big"...the engineer measured the distance between his hands - 10 inches - and made the wheels exactly that size!

Casual sketches made my Issigonis could almost be used as blueprints by the engineers assembling the first prototypes. He called himself "The Ironmonger" because he preferred to be hands-on rather than paper-based. "Market research is bunk" he said..."the public don't know what they want, it is my job to tell them". with more than 5.25 million Minis produced, who can argue? Sir Alec designed many other successful cars including the legendary Morris Minor and Austin 1100/1300 range.

Design and development of Mini Car

During the year 1956, in response to fuel rationing brought on by the Suez Crisis, Greek-British car designer Alec Issigonis is told by his employers at BMC (British Motor Corporation) to bring his latest small mini car project, codenamed XC/9003, to fruition as soon as possible.

After a year, 1957, the first prototypes of the small car begin testing, gaining a new codename, ADO15. Designed as project ADO15 (Austin Drawing Office project number 15), the Mini came about because of a fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis. Petrol was once again rationed in the UK, sales of large cars slumped, the market for German Bubble cars boomed.

Leonard Lord, the somewhat autocratic head of BMC, reportedly decreed: 'God damn these bloody awful Bubble Cars. We must drive them off the road by designing a proper miniature car'. He laid down some basic design requirements: the Mini car should be contained within a box that measured 10 × 4 × 4 ft (3 × 1.2 × 1.2 m); and the passenger accommodation should occupy 6 ft (1.8 m) of the 10 ft (3 m) length; and the engine, for reasons of cost, should be an existing unit.

Issigonis, who had been working for Alvis, had been recruited back to BMC in 1955 and, with his skills in designing small cars, was a natural for the task. The team that designed the Mini was remarkably small: as well as Issigonis, there was Jack Daniels (who had worked with him on the Morris Minor), Chris Kingham (who had been with him at Alvis), two engineering students and four draughtsmen. Together, by October 1957, they had designed and built the original prototype, which was affectionately named 'The Orange Box' because of its colour.

The ADO15 used a conventional BMC A-Series four-cylinder water-cooled engine, but departed from tradition by mounting it transversely, with the engine-oil-lubricated, four-speed transmission in the sump, and by employing front-wheel drive. Almost all small front-wheel-drive cars developed since have used a similar configuration. The radiator was mounted at the left side of the car so that the engine-mounted fan could be retained, but with reversed pitch so that it blew air into the natural low pressure area under the front wing. This location saved precious vehicle length, but had the disadvantage of feeding the radiator with air that had been heated by passing over the engine.