The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 1

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars

It's one of the most iconic cars in the world, but how did the Mini Cooper come to fruition? The inventor of the Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis, had always intended on the Mini being the car for the everyman, but his good friend John Cooper, who owned the Cooper Car Company specialising in Formula 1 and rally car design, had the foresight to see that the Mini would be suited to motorsport so Cooper approached Issigonis with his ideas, but Issigonis was reluctant as he had never intended his brain child for racing.

Cooper was determined to have his way so approached BMC, they approved and commissioned the idea and the rest is history... The first Mini Cooper's stuck to Issigonis's model of being a small and economic car, but with that extra poke up the backside which it into one of the most popular sports cars in history.

Picture of Mini Cooper Classic Car

After the Mini Cooper became so popular since hitting the market in 1961, two years later Cooper designed a more powerful Cooper, the Mini Cooper S, which won the Monte Carlo Rally three times between 1964-67 which added to the acclaim of the little hot hatch.

Picture of Mini Cooper Car

Through the years various different models of the Mini Cooper have been produced as the motoring trade evolved along with innovations in mechanical engineering, design and technology. And of course the Mini Cooper became a British icon, synonymous with British cinema following the Italian Job and was also incredibly popular with some of the world's most famous celebrities including John Lennon and Steve McQueen.

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 2