The Classic British Mini - A Brief History

The Classic British Mini was the first car in Great Britain that could be correctly termed as "mass produced" and its aim was to mobilise the working population. Growing demand for bubble cars such as the Messerschmitt, the rising cost of fuel and the British Government required a response. The Germans had the Beetle, the French had the 2CV, the Italians had the Topolino - the British were getting the Mini!
Produced and launched in 1959 in the UK the first minis were Austin and Morris badged and were eventually assembled across the globe in Europe, Canada, Africa, South America and Australia.
The legendary designer Alec Issignonis was the man behind the Classic British Mini and designed a great little four seat saloon with a front-drive engine with an integral gearbox in the sump. Featuring a monocoque steel body shell held together chiefly by spot-welds the car had separate mounted sub-frames with the front and rear drive-train components. For a small car the interior was fairly spacious as the engine and standard 3.5x10 steel wheels took up very little room.
A major factor in the Classic British Mini becoming the must have car for the stars of the 1960's was John Cooper. From 1961 John Cooper convinced BMC to produce fast Minis bearing his name and the lightweight car produced some giant-killing performances in racing and rallying. The Classic British Mini developed a popular 'scene' and its patrons included the royal family, film stars from around the world and many people who had never owned a new car previously.
The first Mini Clubs were based on motorsport and the oldest dates back to 1966. Many Mini clubs have started since the early days and they are mainly a social scene for their members and there are hundreds of clubs across the globe. The Classic British Mini saw the launch of a massive maintenance and tuning industry as a response to owners needs to keep their cars on the road for the cheapest price possible.
The largest Mini shows are found in the UK and most of them are organised by Mini clubs. Every year the major N American Mini events are Mini Meet East and Mini Meet West. The European International Mini Meeting happens in a different country every year and comes to England every fifth year.
The Classic British Mini still has an important motorsport scene including drag racing, auto-grass and rallying.

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