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On 26th August 2012, MINI celebrates its 53rd birthday. Now while media tradition dictates we offer you a brief history of the brand, crankandpiston thought it would go one better.
THREE of you lucky people out there could win a free weekend MINI test drive, very kindly provided by MINI Middle East.
To win, all you need to do is answer this simple question:
Whom did the British Motor Company task with designing the original Mini back in late-1956?
The answer you’re looking for is hidden somewhere in the following story. THREE winners will be selected at random come the closing date on Thursday 30th August. This competition applies to UAE residents only. Answers must be submitted in the comments box below. Any answers received by other means will NOT be eligible. Winners will be contacted shortly after the closing date.
One of our lucky winners will also be eligible to win a free MINI goody bag by submitting their best photograph from their MINI experience. Details to follow. Best of luck!
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“You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”
This oft-quoted exclamation from Michael Caine remains a defining moment of one of Britain’s best-loved comedy films, The Italian Job. For many though, the star of the 1969 movie remains the Mini Cooper, given its character and sense of fun (and a car chase that apparently did quite well). Today, 53 years to the day that the 1960s British icon first went into production, this remains the case.
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In late-1956, Sir Alexander (Alec) Issigonis – an Englishman of Greek origin – was tasked by the chairman of the British Motor Company (BMC) Leonard Lord to design a ‘proper small car’, one that was affordable during a time of high fuel prices but one that maximised available cabin space. It would effectively be Britain’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle.
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Genesis was unveiled on 26th August 1959, albeit marketed as the Morris Mini Minor and/or the Austin Seven (it would be another ten years before ‘Mini’ became a household name in its own right). Quirky styling, an intelligent front engine front wheel drive layout, an easily manouevrable 3.05m in length, and the second cheapest car on the British market at just $784 meant the Mini took the nation by storm. Within two years, the sportier Cooper and Cooper S models had already been unveiled to meet growing demand.
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It was not until 1967 however that the ‘face of Mini’ (that oh-so-recognizable front grille) made its debut on the MkII iteration. A new 988cc engine in the updated model replaced the preceding 848cc powerplant, and offered (ahem) a ‘more powerful’ 38hp. Already the Mini had produced more than 1.1 million units, and within three years a further 429,000 MkII variants would roll off the production line. Still dirt cheap, industry competitors were bewildered how the British company made any profit at all.
