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.