Mini Cooper

Mini Cooper

Specs Mentioned:

Make/ Model – Mini Cooper (1968)

Engine – 1275cc, in-line 4-cylinder

Power – 58hp @ 5250 rpm

Torque – 69ft/lbs @ 3000rpm

Top speed – 79mph

The Mini is one of the most iconic cars in automotive history. Head of British Motor Corporation, Leonard Lord, disliked the bubble cars that were prolific during the Suez fuel crisis so much that he vowed to rid the streets of them by designing a ‘proper miniature car’. His brief to designer, Sir Alec Issigonis, was for a car that could be contained within a box that measured 3m x 1.2m x 1.2m, and the passenger compartment should occupy 60% of that length. The engine had to be an existing BMC unit, and therefore superior to the motorcycle -engined bubble cars.

 The Mini was the result and was introduced in 1959. Badged as both Austin and Morris, initially called the Austin Seven or Morris Minor, the Mini was powered by a transversely mounted 850cc four-cylinder engine producing 34 HP powering the front wheels and only weighed 600kg. The Mini was the first successful small car with the technical makeup being the formula for all compact cars to follow.

A revamped Mini as featured was launched at the 1967 British Motor Show, featuring a redesigned front grille and a larger rear window. In 1968, the manual four-speed gear-box now had synchromesh on all four forward ratios.

Original Mini production was in the United Kingdom, and also in Australia. The license for the Mini brand was also sold to Spanish and Italian companies. A variety of Mini models were also made in Pamplona, Spain, starting in 1968, by the Authi company. A total of 429,000 2nd cars were produced.