the history of mini cooper

Sir Alec Issigonis' original Mini of 1959 set new standards in design and engineering. Issigonis produced his masterpiece as an answer to the European fuel crisis of the late 1950s.

An automotive icon, his design lasted decades in virtually original form. His revolutionary concept of a transverse engine with submounted transmission allowed compact external dimensions with maximum interior space.

The front‑wheel drive, wheel‑at-each‑corner design was not only space-efficient, but was soon to prove extremely roadworthy. In 1961, the Mini Cooper, engineered by race car constructor the late John Cooper, was launched. This car set new motor sport standards and took triple Monte Carlo rally wins between 1964 and 1967 amongst a host of competitive titles. The Cooper name has been closely associated with performance Minis ever since and appropriately the MINI Cooper, was the first car in the new MINI range to be unveiled.

The car became Britain’s best-ever selling vehicle with over 5.3 million produced. The first Morris Mini-Minor was made in Oxford, the home of the new MINI and Minis have been made in Europe, South America and Australia.

the classic interior of mini cooper

Fifty years ago today, the first Mini rolled off the production line at Cowley, now called “Plant Oxford”. For the first time in half a century that very car is returning to its birthplace for a celebration.
It’s called “The Mini Minor”. It sports a lustrous paintjob - finished in Old English White – and a somewhat prescient registration number: 621 AOK. And now, it’s coming home to Plant Oxford to mark its birthday in style.

Plant Oxford built 602,817 Minis from 1959 to 1968, before production was moved to Longbridge. Since 2001, more than 1.4 million new MINIs have been built at the production facility. In total, more than six million classic and new MINIs have been sold since the car first went on sale in 1959.