Posted 07 March 2005 - 08:19 AM
The mini story of the Mini
Written by: Miguel Plano
In 1999, the Mini came to it’s 40th Birthday and was elected as the World’s second car of the Century, one of the greatest designs of Automobile Engineering and becomes one of the classic designs of the twentieth century.
His designer was Sir Alec Issigonis, (1906-1988), born in Smyrna, Turkey, of Greek father and German mother. In 1923, he arrives to England to study Engineering. After a variety of jobs as an Automobile engineer, in 1936 he joins the Morris Motor Design Team (which would later become the BMC) as a Suspension designer. During the Second World War, he commences the design of a compact car, which would become the Morris Minor, which was launched in 1948 with great success. In 1950 Issigonis experiments with a Morris minor prototype with front wheel drive which is discarded and never enters the production line, but later the idea would be used in the Mini. In 1955 Issigonis return to the BMC (British Motor Corporation) after working for three years for Alvis , is nominated chief of Design by Leonard Lord (at the time president of the BMC).
When the Suez Crisis Strikes, Leonard Lord sees the necessity of creating a compact car for the BMC, so in March of 1957 he orders Issigonis to stop all his projects, to focus on the production of a compact car with the only requisite of using already existent parts of the BMC to reduce costs.
The idea was to build a small-dimension vehicle with capacity for four adults and their respective luggage. The formula to achieve such a goal , was a model with independent suspension on all four wheels, transverse engine with the gearbox placed in the carter working as an unit, front wheel drive and, radiator mounted to the left, reducing dimensions notably to a 3.05m width by 1.41m in length, and 1.35m tall. The Engine used, was the veteran A-Series engine, which was previously used in the Austin A37 and the Morris Minor.
After 2 years of gestation, the Morris Mini Minor is shown to the press in August 26th of 1959, creating a great wave within the press and public. They are commercialized as Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor (later it would change to Austin Mini and Morris Mini).
It is a car of excellent stability in any terrain, but it’s modest engine of 848cc with 34hp, made it less feasible than many other cars for automobile racing, even though there were those interested in modifying it.
One of them was John Cooper (1923 -2000), who achieved the Formula 1 Championship of Constructors on 1959 & 1960, who was a friend to Issigonis and saw the potential for competence within the Mini. John spoke to Issigonis about the possibility of building a Mini of higher endurance and which could become competitive. Hence commenced the tests, and in October 1961, the Mini Coopers were born. They enter the market as Austin and Morris, with front disc breaks, a 997cc engine, double carburetor, and Modified camshaft and Header. Such combination make 55hp generating a car much more apt for the racing world.
The BMC takes this project so seriously that creates the first Official Team for Rallyes, hires pilots and copilots, among whom the "Flying Finns", Rauno Aaltonen, Timo Mäkinen and Paddy Hopkirk.
By then the Minis where already fast and Success kept knocking their door. But Power was becoming a need to win competences of World recognition, so, in 1963 the engine, besides being improved, is augmented to 1071cc. which provides a higher power of up to 70hp. This version called Cooper S, (the S stands for Special) which Takes Paddy Hopkirk and Henry Liddon to the first place (general) in the Monte Carlo Rallye of 1964.
Rapidly, the Engine of the Cooper S becomes increased to 1275cc further to a 78 hp and in 1965 wins the Monte Carlo Rallye for the second time with Timo Mäkinen on the wheel.
History repeats itself in 1966 when 3 Morris Mini Cooper S accomplished first second and third places in the Monte Carlo Rallye with Mäkinen, Aaltonen and Hopkirk respectively. The French were furious given the fact that the same British Team, took, for the third time in a row, the first place in the prestigious Rally, so, the judges of the event investigated the Minis with immense depth looking for any excuse to disqualify them. After various hours of excruciating search, they found that the frontal front lights and the spotlights used halogen bulbs of simple filament, by that reason, they did not meet with French traffic regulations. The Mini Cooper S, which ended respectively in 1,2,3 were disqualified, as well as Roger Clark in a Ford Lotus-Cortina who had come in fourth. Et Voila! Citroën has won! This disqualification has been one of the soundest scandals of Rally History.
But in 1967, Vengeance was sweet, When Rauno Aaltonen wins again the Monte Carlo Rallye, giving it, it’s third official victory at Monte Carlo. In 1968, 3 Mini Cooper S, came in 3-4-5, given the fact that they find themselves in a most Handicapped situation against the new 911S Porsches and the Ford Escorts.
Minis during the 60s, won more than 25 Rallyes of first line and uncountable National Rallyes, as well as in track racing, where their victories went beyond counting. In this days in the Vintage Racing Category we can see the Minis running just as fast as they did back in the 60s, against Fords, Mustangs, Corvettes, Austin-Healeys, MGs, Triumphs, and other more powerful cars, but Mini, almost always, leads such races.
In October 1967 the MkII is introduced, which had a wider rear screen, a larger front grille and it’s taillights were rectangular. This is the rarest version of the Mini, since two years later, The BMC becomes the BLMC (British Leyland Motor Corporation) and the is shown to the Public the MkIII. The MkIII is an improved version of the MkII, but the most notorious changes occur in the front doors since they already slided the windows downward, now they rolled down, as well as the obvious change of the outward articulations. In 1971, The Coopers, walk out of production. In 1969, there’s an attempt to modernise the mini by creating the Clubman, who’s greatest exponent is the 1275GT. This model, being a real mini is not well received by the public and ceases it’s production by 1980.
In 1980 The BLMC changes it’s name to Austin Morris Group, the Minis are renamed with the name: Austin Mini, and the tires go from 10’ to 12’. In 1988 the name is changed to Rover Group and the Name becomes Rover Mini until production came to an end.
In 1990 the return of the legendary Cooper arrives and with a 1275cc and a 61hp, the fastest Mini since the Cooper S ceased production.
A year later the 1275cc becomes fuel injected and John Cooper sells the Conversion Kit Approved by Rover, which accomplishes an 80hp. The MkIII stays in production until 1996, when Rover develops the MkIV. Amongst the changes are Airbag for the Driver’s seat, Steel Bars for Side-crash protection, but the most significant change was the re-positioning of the Radiator to the front. It’s greatest exponent is the John Cooper S Works with 90hp. More than 5’400.000 Minis were produced in the entire world.
In 1980 there was an Attempt to replace the Mini with the Austin Mini Metro which later became the Rover 100, and although it had relative success, people still kept yearning their Mini. Mini was withdrawn from production in September 18, year 2000, and it’s successor, BMW New MINI Cooper which was launched in 2001, becomes itself a cute car, remaining itself, and never becoming a real Mini, only to bear the name.
In Colombia Minis have made history with Humberto Escobar at the wheel of his Cooper S, whom in 125 races, won 123, and with Adel Kassem and Iván Jiménez amid others, where national champions in a variety of opportunities. The first Mini who raced in Colombia was the one of Humberto Correa in Bogotá in the Ciruito San Diego of 1961. Other enthusiast like Cárlos Uribe, Henry Moore, José R. Ortiz and Jaime Durán drove a Mini too.
7 Years ago The Mini Cords arrived to Colombia, which revived the passion for the mini in our country. The Mini Cord production was extremely small since only 6 Minis where produced a day (in average). They had two basic Models, The Mini Cord SB and the Mini Cord FA, with air conditioning, in 1992 and 1993. After a period of closure of the Facorca Factory, in 1994 there was an attempt to re-open it they had a small number of Mini Cord JC Cooper and Mini Cord JC Cabriolet. For internal problems, the reopen of the factory is cancelled.
In Chile and Uruguay there were small Mini productions with fiberglass body at the end of the 60s. Minis where also produced in Belgium (1972-1981), Australia (1961-1978), In Italy by Innocenti (1965-1975), in Spain by Authi - Automóviles de turismo hispano-Ingleses (Hispanic-English touring cars) (1968-1975), and in South Africa in the 70s.
There are other Mini models that are fewly known within our media like the Riley Elf and the Wolseley Hornet which are a luxury version of the mini launched in 1961, the Pick-up and the Van which are the commercial vehicles, the Moke, a mini multi-utility all-terrain vehicle, the Austin Countryman, Morris Traveler and the Clubman Estate (Estates) and the Mini Clubman which has a radical change is in the front.
The Mini has always inspired a great deal of admiration towards great characters of the world, Niki Lauda drives a Mini daily; Enzo Ferrari, when yearning for fun, went up to the hills in one of his Coopers; Steve McQueen loved his’, John Lennon gave it a spin while being depressed, he had a black Mini); the favorite car of the British Police.
The year 2000 was a sad year for Mini Fans. The 14th of September the last Mini ran out from the Longbridge plant, and on the 24th of December, the Motor world came to a great loss, the death of John Cooper. The Mini dies, John Cooper dies.
What other car, has enjoyed such popularity and has triumphed despite all the factors against it, once, and then again?
