The creation of the Austin Mini has been one of the remarkable milestones noted in the entire automotive world. Its mere presence has been everywhere all through out the mid 20th century in England and in other parts of the globe, eventually ended up as an icon of the 60′s. The production of this diminutive model become unstoppable ever since it was introduced. It was just in 2000 that the production was halted and run by another company.
The history of the Austin Mini begun in August 26, 1959 by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), the making of this car model was the company’s proposed solution to fuel rationing brought about by the Suez crisis. At first, car enthusiasts are ambivalent of the Mini’s small car size and radical features, but as soon as they realized that it’s not just a car, Austin Mini become a part of life and beyond. The Austin Mini soon established its brand name and had set some influence not only in the automotive world but in the fashion arena as well. There have been rumors that the 60′s fashion mini skirt was inspired by this small car icon. The original car design was drafted by Sir Alec Issigonis. Despite of its small size, the maker was certain that the interior space would not be compromised and enough would be allotted to 4 adult passengers and luggage. In order to maximize the space to accommodate passengers, he had employed a front-wheel drive and a transverse engine; the use of the small 10 inch wheels and the compact suspension are also two of the space saving trick Sir Alec had implemented.
The original layout of the Austin Mini was made by Sir Alec Issigonis. He constructed the layout together with his mission to make a small car that will able to accommodate four typical adult passenger and luggage. Most of the floor space was maximized to use for passenger and luggage space. Although the size of the car is small, it has been a challenge for Sir Alec to find ways to save enough space, one of the strategies he implemented was making use of 4 tiny 10 inch wheels. The diminutive auto was assembled on several factories across the globe including Australia, Belgium and Spain. Its worldwide popularity grew while leaving its huge contribution to the automotive world. It was just a typical small sized family car for others, but the charm of this car had caught millions of car aficionados around the world. There is more on this car that an ordinary user could see; Austin Mini established its name and become a fashion/lifestyle statement and generally, as an icon. This had sold 53 millions units all throughout its lifetime and made itself to the top.
The Austin Mini had gone through different updates and had made many variations from the time it was launched. A year after it was introduced, they have released a pick up version of the Mini. Afterwards, a luxury line under the Wolseley Homet and Riley Elf badges. An athletic Mini version was also made and had been successful in several rally events. The Mini Cooper S become the first sports car version of the Mini which was created with the help of John Cooper.
After four long decades of market presence, new car models have arrived and Austin Mini’s production declined and unfortunately, ceased. However, the Mini’s legacy did not stop as the brand name and all accompanying rights of Mini were bought by BMW. The company resurrected the Mini and made its comeback in 2001, leaving some of its old features behind. Today, the company promotes one model in the range, with modern designs to choose from such as Clubman and convertible. In 2008, next generation MINIs were launched with stylish looks perfectly matching the modern lifestyle of the modern age. Thoroughly re-engineered in a contemporary manner, the MINI, as it new label become one of the most wanted small car.