A full documentary revealing the original Mini's forward thinking design at the time and also where the future of MINI is going, this video was from the year 2003.
When buying my first car, I considered a number of manufacturers and brands. After a test drive of a Gen2 New MINI (R56), I was instantly attracted to the design and driver experience. After some research, I found the Gen1 New MINI (R53) to be even more exciting with its supercharger whine. Later, I have started loving the Classic MINI as well, and hope to get one some day. But rather than being angry at "ze Germans", I would like to thank BMW for beliving in MINI and keeping it alive. The design of the R53 is fantastic. There is room enough for both the Classic and the New MINI in the world.
What a great history the original Morris Cooper and Morris Cooper S had. Not only winning Euro Rally Championships but also great results on the track. Here in Australia the Cooper S took out the first nine placings in the 1966 famous Bathurst 500 (now Bathurst 1000). That's both outright places and Class C places.
Funfact about the classic mini. The devision (est 1975) that made the bodies became an independent company after it was acquired from bmw in 2001. They still make Classic mini shells to this day with the same jig you see in the video. The company is called british motor heritage (not sponsored)
the last Minis were badged Rover and the last official day was the 4th of October 2000. Austin-Morris became BMC, then Leyland over the years. Though in reality the last Mini was built in the June of 2000, but the official ceremony was in October. I know as I was there.
Essentially an earlier composite of the 4-door saloon (on Minivan wheelbase), Barrel Car, Clubman Hatchback and Minki-I/II prototypes, which amongst other things would less labor intensive to build feature Hydragas and a fully de-seamed body as well as an end-on 5-speed transmission as a result of being widened and lengthened by 2-inches (via Minki-II). Likely powered by thoroughly updated Overhead Cam A-Series engines, which thanks to the Mini being significantly improved beforehand in the early-1970s is (like the Metro) easily capable of later switching to 4-cylinder K-Series engines by the mid/late-80s. Without resorting to the extra costs of developing a 3-cylinder K-Series (Minki-I) or suddenly creating a benchmark prototype of a car that by then should have been updated and produced as such decades ago (Minki-I/II). Sure there is the 9X prototype though short of BMC being flushed with cash to afford developing new clean sheet designs or Britain having its own 4-wheeler Microcar or Kei Car class above the 3-wheelers (yet limited by engine size), cannot see how the 9X project can be justified in terms of costs over significantly updating the existing Classic Mini.
It couldnt have been from the year 2000 because the modern mini was placed into the showrooms in 2001 and the narrator says that the modern mini was given the best car of the year award in 2003! Great video tho thanks man!
One of the biggest mistakes that they ever did by selling to BMW . The New Minis are way To Expensive and they are way to high tech for a classic icon that there reputation is now Ruined thanks to BTW.
The classic Mini was never going to continue, regardless of who owned the brand. The car didn't meet any of the crash impact regulations around the world, nor would it have been possible to change the design to maintain the original car, or its character. For me the name Mini ended on the 4th of October 2000 when the last Mini officially rolled off the line in Longbridge. The MINI is a different car for a different market.
I am a MINI fan, I had my first mini in 1979 an 850. J registered 1971. SO on to 2017 I now own a 1971 COOPER S and a 2004 MINI COOPER S R53, the first and last of the real mini's. From 2006 BMW lost all sense of reality, the mini has become fat and ugly powered by peugeot. I deal in classic cars and if any of you guys are looking for an addition to your MINI classic, buy a MINI R53 Cooper S, prices are already rising. A Good R53 will be more expensive than a R56.
The new mini a 100% better german design quality engineering only a fool would think otherwise some of the comments are ludicrous so say the least. Little wonder there is no British car industy left!!!!
the original MINI had a de-stroked Chrysler engine in it, later models run the PSA group block as found in most of the European Hot hatches. BMW doesn't actually build an engine for these cars.
