Austin Mini Cooper
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s,[3][4][5] and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (that allowed 80% of the area of the car's
floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers.
[6] The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary, the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T.[citation needed]
This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by
Sir Alec Issigonis.
[7][8] It was manufactured at the
Longbridge and
Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park / Zetland
British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in
Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (
Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (
Innocenti), Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini
Mark I had three major UK updates: the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations including an
estate car, a
pickup truck, a
van and the
Mini Moke—a
jeep-like buggy. The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were sportier versions that were successful as
rally cars, winning the
Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967, although in 1966 the Mini was disqualified after the finish, along with six other British entrants, which included the first four cars to finish, under a questionable ruling that the cars had used an illegal combination of headlamps and spotlights.
[9] Initially Minis were marketed under the
Austin and
Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor, until Mini became a
marque in its own right in 1969.
[10][11] The Mini was again marketed under the Austin name in the 1980s.
BMW Mini Cooper "Bini"
The car, whose first generation was designed by
Frank Stephenson,
[1] draws inspiration from the
original Mini, which was manufactured by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 to 2000. The name of the car's brand, MINI, is all-capitalised to distinguish it from its predecessor.
[2] Development of the first generation had been done between 1995 and 2001 by
Rover Group in
Gaydon,
United Kingdom and BMW AG in
Munich,
Germany. During this development phase, there was continual contention between the two design groups, especially concerning the positioning of the car; Rover wanted a straight economy car, whilst BMW supported a small, sporting car. Ultimately, BMW prevailed, and in 1999, they assumed control over the entire project following the departure of BMW's
CEO,
Bernd Pischetsrieder.
[3] When BMW divested itself of Rover in 2000, BMW elected to retain the Mini project, and to move the planned production site of the car from Rover's Longbridge plant,
[3] (the former production plant of the traditional Mini) to BMW's Oxford plant in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom (what was historically the Pressed Steel Company body plant).
[4]
The vehicles produced during the 2001 to 2006
model years (unofficially, the "Mk I Mini") included four
hatchback models (referred to by Mini as the Cooper Hardtop): the basic "Mini One", the
diesel-engined "Mini One/D", the sportier "Mini Cooper" and the
supercharged "Mini Cooper S"; in 2005, a
convertible roof option was added to the Mk I line-up. In November 2006, BMW released a re-engineered version of the Mini Hardtop (unofficially the "Mk II Mini") as a 2007 model-year vehicle.
[5] The Mk II is currently
[update] available in the original Hardtop and Convertible body styles (the latter being introduced as a 2009 model). A third Mk II body style, an
estate called the Clubman, was introduced as a 2008 model.
Text and Photos from Web
Yes my friends it's another Mini Cooper post!
To tell you honestly, I was viewing my friend
Rachelle's BiniMini blog that prompted or should I say "
inspired" me to dug up my toy trunk, open some blisters and shoot Minis. As I said previously, I will post more of this well loved diminutive British car. :D
Here are some more examples. I'll dig up for the others in the coming days. ;)
Before
After
Lesney Edition
Superfast
All together
So, do you like the Mini Cooper too?
You may view the Mini album
here.
You may view the Bini album
here.
Thanks for lookin'. ;)
