The First production Mini was shown to the press in April 1959. By August several thousand vehicles had been produced.
In 1964 the MK I got a new suspension design using the "hydrolastic" system. This created a softer ride, but was criticized by many for being too expensive and altering the handling of the car. The original rubber suspension returned in 1971 and was used to the end.
Stories abounded to build a myth around the Mini. Sales were low; it wasn't profitable because it was sold at less than the production costs. Some even said that this was due to an accounting error.
Issigonis, the Mini's designer, was reported to be working on a replacement for the original Mini that was supposed to be shorter and more powerful than the MK I, but due to management decisions at BMC it was never built. Instead of that the Mk II was released, with a redesigned front grille and a larger rear window among other cosmetic changes. The MK II got famous by staring in the 1969 film "The Italian Job".
The Mk III Mini had a series of body modifications, such as larger doors with concealed hinges, the loss of the original hinged number plate on the boot lid and larger rear side windows.
The later MKs, IV to VII featured mainly technical modifications that included a front rubber mounted sub-frame with single tower bolts, twin stalk indicators, larger foot pedals, 8.4 inch brake discs and plastic wheel arches. Beginning with 1990 engine mounting points were moved forward to accommodate 78 cui power units.
To add to the car's fashion status, there were several "special editions" released, particularly the Sidewalk.
In 1994, BMW became proud owners of the marque when they bought Rover. Under BMW supervision the Mini received an airbag to comply with European safety legislation. Because the Rover Group was still suffering massive losses by the year 2000, BMW decided to sell MG, Rover and Land Rover and only kept the Mini brand in order to produce a new model with that name.
The final Mini MK VII was produced in October 2000 and was the last of 5.3 million cars manufactured and sold all over the world. Once the last car had rolled from the production line, BMW, announced a successor called the MINI.
The MINI shares the FWD architecture of its predecessor, but is no longer an affordable vehicle. It seems to have also inherited the sporty and luxurious genes of the BMW premium brand. It is also around 21in longer, 12in wider and 900lbs heavier.
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Whether you currently own a Mini or you are considering buying a model from
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your premium.
Insurance group ratings take into account performance, security, damage and parts costs, new
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find is that cars in lower insurance groups attract a lower premium, whilst cars in higher
insurance groups attract a higher premium - usually because they are high performance models
or have high repair or replacement costs. Just choose a model to check its insurance group ratings.