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This sense of character very soon inspired extensions to the Mini model range, the first being the Clubman, which effectively replaced the Cooper in 1969. An Estate version as well as a Mini Van appeared in the early 1960s, and even saw the arrival of the Wolseley Hornet, often dubbed ‘the luxury Mini’. Even 60,000 units of the Mini Pick-up truck were produced from 1961 onwards!
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One of Mini’s most cherished claims to fame, alongside its well-established touring car career, is the company’s three wins on the famous Monte Carlo Rally between 1964 and 1967 (most famously with Paddy Hopkirk in 1964). Controversy reigned however in 1966 when the top three finishing Minis were disqualified from the results after an official complaint from event competitors Citroen. This consequently gifted the marque a victory on home soil with drivers Ensio Mikander and Pauli Toivonen, the latter of whom – disgusted by the ruling – never drove for Citroen again.
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By 2000 Mini had produced 5.3 million units, though the passing of a generation and tougher competition meant the company struggled to capture the public’s imagination as it once had. After a one-year hiatus though in which production ceased, Mini was taken under the BMW wing, the Bavarian Group keen to see the characterful icon return to its former glory.
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Today, the now re-branded MINI is sold in 80 different countries, is available in six different connotations, and continues to increase its influence across the globe: the company recently signed a seven-year agreement with lifestyle brand Puma, for example. Since its 2001 re-launch, 2.6 million MINI units have been sold worldwide, a record its British descendants would be proud of. Happy birthday MINI!
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– Shots courtesy of MINI
