Mini celebrates 60 amazing years of this iconic car, from its revolutionary introduction to the popularity of its new-generation models. The first two-door Mini, introduced in 1959 and built until 2000, revolutionized automotive design with its innovative front-wheel-drive layout that made the car appear bigger on the inside than the outside. In 1999, the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century, behind the Ford Model T. Designed for British Motor Corporation (BMC) by Sir Alec Issigonis and manufactured in England, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Chile, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia, the Mini was as successful in competition as it was on the street, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through 1967. Originally built by BMC, the Mini’s later parent company, Rover, was acquired by BMW in 1994. In 2000, BMW sold most of the Rover Group but retained the Mini brand. The last and 5,387,862nd original Mini rolled off the production line in October 2000. In July 2001, BMW launched production of the new-generation of Mini which was soon joined by Countryman, Clubman, convertible, Cooper Works, and numerous special editions. Nearly 20 years later, the new Minis remain as popular as the original from 1959.

Witness the revival of the immortal Mini Cooper! This miracle of compact packaging and innovative engineering design has been updated as a modern car with hip new styling and a legitimate pedigree. Explore the development of the Mini Cooper and learn how BMW paid homage to its ideal while creating a sophisticated, exciting and practical new car for the ages.

The essential companion to Cooper and Cooper S models from the 997cc Mkl to the late 1275cc MkIII, including the Italian Innocentis, the Spanish-built Authis, Australian versions, and the Rover Coopers. Exhaustive research yields a wealth of heretofore unpublished information.

If there ever was a vision for success, it was the John Cooper brainchild-take an ordinary Mini with its shoe-box size and shape, its exaggerated roadholding and steering, and its already apparent popularity, and make it go faster. This is a strong, detailed development story of that famous, lovable roller-skate, the Mini Cooper. Included are contemporary, nostalgic anecdotes and a mass of interesting photographs, some specially shot in color, to pay tribute to that extrovert of extrovert Minis.About the AuthorJeremy Walton is a well known British journalist who as a school boy visited an Austin showroom to see the first Mini in 1959. Hugely experienced in the field he has authored many books on Ford, BMW, and the iconic Mini. He lives in Soberton, Hampshire, England.

This book describes the birth, development, and rallying career of the BMC Mini-Cooper/Mini-Cooper in the 1960s, providing a compact and authoritative history of where, when and how it became so important to the sport.

Britain's mighty atom, the Mini Cooper, has a huge reputation out of all proportion to its size. The Mini was created by the fertile mind of Alec Issigonis and modified by John Cooper to become known as the Mini Cooper in 1961. Giant killing in motorsport, particularly in the Monte Carlo Rally, built the enduring Mini Cooper legend and today the car is back in production and popular around the world. 1994 will, once again, see Paddy Hopkirk campaigning a Mini Cooper in the Monte!

Discover Great Britain's Most Popular Car Ever Which Was Designed To Be Extremely Gas Efficient During That Country's Gas Shortage In 1956.