Classic Mini Cooper Cars

AC Schnitzer MINI Cooper R57 Convertible!

2010-12-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

MINI Cooper

AC Schnitzer MINI Cooper R57 Convertible!

Picture Of

MINI Cooper Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars

MINI Cooper Cars Parts 1

At the beginning of 2007 Hamann created a special aerodynamic kit for Mini R56. After a year and a half the car tuning company completes this tuning package with performance improvements for all engines that equip this small speedy car. For Mini Cooper S the guys from Hamann modified the control unit and the 1.6 turbo engine can develop now 204 HP. They also offer a stronger kit for this Cooper S called SportKit CS 230 that will upgrade the car’s engine cooling unit and it also has a new intercooler and exhaust system. This performance kit will take the car to 230 HP and 330 Nm.

Picture Of

Cooper R57 Cars

Picture Of

Cooper R57 Cars

Picture Of

Cooper R57 Cars

MF Exclusive: MINI will be taking the “Always Open” slogan to new levels with the 2009 MINI Convertible. As part of the advertising strategy, MINI is developing a gauge in the car that will tell you the percentage of time you’ve had the roof down. The hope is that it will encourage owners to live the “open” lifestyle even further. Expect this gauge to be placed somewhere near the tachometer.

Picture Of

R57 Convertible Cars

We’ve also learned that MINI will be leaving the top design essentially unchanged with one notable exception. Based on recent insider information (and backed-up by spy photos), MINI will be doing away with the roll-hoops seen in the R52. Instead we can expect a pop-up system similar to the one found on the BMW 3 Series convertible. Replacing the roll-hoops in favor of a pop-up system would go a long way in making the word “open” a bit more meaningful.

Picture Of

R57 Convertible Cars

AC Schnitzer has given the MINI Cooper R57 convertible a ton of summer loving

Picture Of

R57 Convertible Cars

Picture Of

R57 Convertible Cars

Ready to bare all with the new and improved R57 roofless variety, AC Schnitzer has treated us to some welcome goodies. Everything from a limited slip differential, a height adjustable sports suspension, and an aluminum strut brace for the front axle are on the menu.

Picture Of

R57 Convertible Cars

Then to ensure you stand out from the zillion other MINI owners they have developed a sport exhaust system with chrome accents, a wide selection of wheel and tyre combos, a new front spoiler and rear skirt and plenty of decal choices. Because the interior will be on show too, AC Schnitzer has laid on an aluminum gear knob and pedals as well as velour floor mats which of course will stay pristine like the rest of the car.

And what of the performance, I hear you holler - well that is been boosted to a healthy 208bhp from 175bhp so you will certainly have the edge over your contemporaries.

Related : Mini Van ~ Mini Van (1960–1982)
Related : MINI Cooper Cars ~ Nowack Motors MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper Cars JCW

MINI Cooper Cars Models Prior Design Mini Cooper S Parts 1

2010-11-28T04:25:00.000-08:00

MINI Cooper Cars Models Prior Design Mini Cooper S Parts 1

Picture Of

MINI Cooper Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars

MINI Cooper Cars Parts 1

Mini Cooper S is a sportier version of the old Mini Cooper with a new engine and a stiffer suspension. The car can’t reach incredible speeds but for it can accelerate really fast and it’s great handling makes it one of the most easy and fun to drive cars. People used to say that Mini Cooper “handles like a go-cart” and we think it’s easier to park than a motorcycle. The guys from Prior Design made a special styling kit for this tiny car which makes it look more aggressive. The new body kit is made from new front and rear spoilers, wide side skirts and the car also received new rims equipped with wide tires and a lovely body paint.

Prior Design A styling kit is now available from the tuners at Prior-Design. The bodykit includes a front bumper (429 Euro) which is designed cleverly and gives the chance to transfer the original MINI fog lights, plus improves the airflow and adds more aggressive look to the car, a rear diffuser (419 euros) which allows you to install either center or left/right exhaust system, and side skirts (349 euros) which gives a harmonious relationship between the front and the rear parts of the kit.

Tuning specialists from Prior Design have released a new aerodynamic package for the Cars giving the small hatchback a more aggressive aspect.

On the modification list for the Prior Design Cars we find the new front bumper that was developed so that the car's original fog lights were maintained, new side skirts, and a rear diffuser that allows center or left / right positioning for the exhaust system.

The overall exterior look is completed by a set of black stock rims and the Prior Design MINI Cooper S body kit comes with a 1197 Euros price tag.

Classic MINI Cooper Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)
Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models Classic Mini Cars Arden Mini Cooper S Parts 1

Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models Classic Mini Cars Arden Mini Cooper S Parts 1

2010-11-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models Classic Mini Cars Arden Mini Cooper S Parts 1

Picture Of

MINI Cooper Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars

Classic Cooper Cars Parts 1

Arden is a German car tuning company well known for modifying British cars, mainly Jaguars and Land Rovers. They are now expanding their business by reaching out to Mini lovers, and tuned this Mini Cooper S. Their first project is going to be tuning the S model based off their very own Cup race car, which will be racing in this year’s Mini Challenge. The driver, E. Piro will enjoy high quality materials like Connolly leathers, premium woods, and carbon fiber decorating the interior. What makes Arden special is that they process all these materials by hand in their upholstery department.

AC Schnitzer Mini Cooper R57 Convertible Parts 1
Nowack Motors MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper Cars JCW

Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models AC Schnitzer Mini Cooper R57 Convertible Parts 1

2010-11-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models AC Schnitzer Mini Cooper R57 Convertible Parts 1

Picture Of

MINI Cooper Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars

MINI Cooper Cars Parts 1

MINI Cooper cars tuning specialists from Germany, AC Schnitzer have customized the sleek Mini Cooper R57 Convertible and it turned out quite well. The tuning program created a complete body kit package including a new front spoiler, rear skirt, and decals to make it unique. Also adding to the exterior of the Mini Cooper R57 Convertible, are several wheel packages available to choose from to fit your look. Under the hood, the German tuners tweaked the computer to increase its horsepower from 175 to 208 hp. AC Schnitzer MINI Cooper Cars also tuned the suspension while adding aftermarket parts, and even adding a few accessories to the interior.

AC Schnitzer is based in Aachen, Germany (AC is the numberplate moniker for the area) and although better known for tuning BMWs it has also been turning its attention to Minis in recent times. Schnitzer is responsible for the design and set-up of its creations, but sources the parts from well-established suppliers. So the springs are Eibach, the dampers Bilstein, the exhaust Remus (like the Corsa’s) and the body parts are produced by the same supplier BMW uses, so they don’t look like they’ve been grafted on by a colour-blind art student.

Sitting in the workshop, the 25mm lower ride height, 18in wheels and front and rear spoilers certainly give the MINI Cooper S a completely different demeanour. If you put slicks on it you’d think it was a Mini Cars Challenge racer in prep. Schnitzer’s test driver, Manfred Wollgarten (Ring meister and possessor of that immutable cool that certain ageing racing drivers seem to have), has arranged for a standard MINI Cooper S to join us by way of comparison. So we head out towards the autobahn for the first few miles.

Picture Of

MINI Cooper Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)
Nowack Motors MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper Cars JCW

Used Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models Arden Mini Cooper Equipe Parts 1

2010-11-10T16:33:00.000-08:00

Used Classic MINI Cooper Cars Models Arden Mini Cooper Equipe Parts 1

Picture Of

Classic MINI Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars

Classic Cooper MINI Cars Parts 1

The German Car tuning firm Arden has customized the Mini Cooper Equipe for the 40th anniversary of the Equipe model. Naming it the Mini Cooper Equipe 2009, the special edition features a few exterior styling upgrades. A chrome grille was fitted on the front, and a stainless steel mesh insert was placed in the rear bumper. The revised exterior includes aluminum 18 inch wheels with an interesting 9-spoke design. Inside the Mini Cooper Equipe is a sharp two-tone color scheme with hand stitched leather seats, dashboard, and steering wheel. Arden also added equipment and tuning to the engine to increase the performance numbers.

Picture Of

Classic MINI Cars

Picture Of

Classic MINI Cooper Cars

Classic MINI Cooper Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)
Classic MINI Cooper S - Nowack Motors Mini Cooper S and JCW

Prior Design Mini Cooper S - Classic Mini Cars

2010-10-22T01:24:00.001-07:00

Classic Mini Cars Prior Design Mini Cooper S

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

Fresh off the car tuning market is the Mini Cooper S by Prior Design, and it features several exterior modifications to make it one of a kind. Prior Design only focused on styling the Mini car, so they went with a body kit and a red and black color scheme that looks bold. The new body kit for the Mini Cooper S consists of many pieces, one being a new front bumper for 429 euros that allows swapping of the original fog lights. Along with the good looks, the front bumper increases airflow and adds an aggressive look for such a small sports car. Down the sides are new side skirts priced at 349 euros, and they deliver a smooth look from the front to the rear of the vehicle. Underneath is a diffuser that can be mounted center, right, or left of the exhaust system, and it is available for 419 euros.

Nowack Motors Mini Cooper S and JCW Car
Classic Mini Cars - Mini Moke (1964–1989)
Classic Mini Cars - Mark II Mini (1967–1973)
Classic Mini Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)

Nowack Motors Mini Cooper S and JCW Car

2010-09-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars Nowack Motors Mini Cooper S and JCW

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

The German tuners at Nowack Motors have released an upgrade package for the Mini Cooper S and Mini Cooper S JCW to make the mini sports car a blast to drive. The tuning company has released the kits in three stages, N210, N230, and N260, which each state the horsepower figures in their names. For the first stage of tuning, the Nowack engineers installed an ECU upgrade and a free flowing air filter to bring the number to 210 PS. The Mini Cooper N230 package gains an addition 20 horsepower from the remapped ECU and a new stainless steel exhaust system.

Classic Mini Cars - Mini Moke (1964–1989)

2010-06-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars - Mini Moke (1964–1989)

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

A utility vehicle intended for the British Army, for whom a few twin-engined 4-wheel-drive versions were also built. Although the 4WD Moke could climb a 1:2 gradient, it lacked enough ground clearance for military use. The single-engined front-wheel-drive Moke enjoyed some popularity in civilian production. About 50,000 were made in total, from 1964 to 1968 in the UK, 1966 to 1982 in Australia and 1983 to 1989 in Portugal. The car featured in the cult 1967 TV series The Prisoner, and is popular in holiday locations such as Barbados and Macau, where Mokes were used as police cars. Mokes were also available to rent there as recently as March 2006. "Moke" is archaic British slang for a donkey.

Classic Mini Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)

2010-06-23T03:40:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars - Mini Van (1960–1982)

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

A commercial panel van rated at ¼-ton load capacity. Built on the longer Traveller chassis but without side windows, it proved popular in 1960s Britain as a cheaper alternative to the car. it was classed as a commercial vehicle and as such carried no sales tax. A set of simple stamped steel slots served in place of a more costly chrome grille. The Mini Van was renamed as the Mini 95 in 1978, the number representing the gross vehicle weight of 0.95 tons. 521,494 were built. Despite this renaming, the motoring public continued to call it the Mini Van, as a result of which the class of vehicles known as minivans in other countries are referred to in Britain as MPVs.

Classic Mini Cars - Morris Mini Traveller and Austin Mini Countryman (1961–1969)

2010-06-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars - Morris Mini Traveller and Austin Mini Countryman (1961–1969)

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

Two-door estate cars with double "barn"-style rear doors. Both were built on a slightly longer chassis of 84 inch (2.14 m) compared to 80.25 inch (2.04 m) for the saloon.

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

The luxury models had decorative, non-structural wood inserts in the rear body which gave the car a similar appearance to the larger Morris Minor estate which had some of the look of an American-style 1950s Woodie. Approximately 108,000 Austin Mini Countrymen and 99,000 Morris Mini Travellers were built.

Classic Mini Cars - Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf (1961–1969)

2010-06-13T03:05:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars - Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf (1961–1969)

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

Built as more luxurious versions of the Mini, both the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf had longer, slightly finned rear wings and larger boots that gave the cars a more traditional "three-box" look. Front-end treatment, which incorporated each marque's traditional upright grille design, also contributed to a less utilitarian appearance. The cars had larger-diameter chrome hubcaps than the Austin and Morris Minis, and additional chrome accents, bumper overriders and wood-veneer dashboards. The Riley was the more expensive of the two cars. The name "Wolseley Hornet" was first used on a 1930s sports car, while the name "Elf" recalled the Riley Sprite and Imp sports cars, also of the 1930s. The full-width dashboard was a differentiator between the Elf and Hornet. This better dashboard was the idea of Christopher Milner the Sales Manager for Riley.

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

Both cars went through three versions. Initially, they used the 848 cc engine, changing to a single carburettor version of the Cooper's 998 cc power unit in the Mark II in 1963. The MKIII facelift of 1966 brought wind-up windows and fresh-air fascia vents; also concealed door hinges two years before these were seen on the mainstream Mini. 30,912 Riley Elfs and 28,455 Wolseley Hornets were built.

Classic Mini Cars - Mark II Mini (1967–1973)

2010-06-08T02:23:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars - Mark II Mini (1967–1973)

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

The Mark II Classic Mini Cars featured a redesigned grille which remained with the car from that point on. Also, a larger rear window and numerous cosmetic changes were introduced. 429,000 Mark II Minis were made.

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

A bewildering variety of Mini types were made in Pamplona, Spain, by the Authi company from 1968 onwards, mostly under the Morris name.

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

The Mini was arguably the star of the 1969 film The Italian Job, which features a car chase in which a gang of thieves drive three Minis down staircases, through storm drains, over buildings and finally into the back of a moving bus. This film was remade in 2003 using the new MINI.

Classic Mini Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) The End Part

2010-06-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) The End Part

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

From October 1965 the option of an Automotive Products (AP) designed four-speed automatic transmission became available. Cars fitted with this became the Mini-Matic

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

Slow at the outset, Mark I sales strengthened across most of the model lines in the 1960s, and production totalled 1,190,000. Sold at almost below cost, the basic Mini made very little money for its owners. However, it still did make a small profit. Ford once took a Mini away and completely dismantled it, possibly to see if they could offer an alternative. It was their opinion though, that they could not sell it at BMC's price. Ford determined that the BMC must have been losing around 30 pounds per car. BMC insisted that the way company overheads were shared out, the Mini always made money. Larger profits came from the popular De Luxe models and from optional extras such as seat belts, door mirrors, a heater and a radio, which would be considered necessities on modern cars, as well as the various "Cooper" and "Cooper S" models, to be discussed later.

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

The Mini etched its place into popular culture in the 1960s with well-publicised purchases by film and music stars.

Classic Mini Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 2

2010-05-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 2

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

Until 1962, the cars appeared as the Austin 850 and Morris 850 in North America and France, and in Denmark as the Austin Partner (until 1964) and Morris Mascot (until 1981). The name Mini was first used domestically by BMC for Austin's version in 1961, when the Austin Seven was rebranded as the Austin Mini, somewhat to the surprise of the Sharps Commercials car company (later known as Bond Cars Ltd) who had been using the name Minicar for their three-wheeled vehicles since 1949. However, legal action was somehow averted, and BMC used the name Mini thereafter.

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

In 1964, the suspension of the cars was replaced by another Moulton design, the hydrolastic system. The new suspension gave a softer ride but it also increased weight and production cost and, in the minds of many enthusiasts, spoiled the handling characteristics for which the Mini was so famous. In 1971, the original rubber suspension reappeared and was retained for the remaining life of the Mini.

Classic Mini Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 1

2010-05-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

Classic Mini Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 1

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

The production version of the Mini was demonstrated to the press in April 1959, and by August several thousand cars had been produced ready for the first sales.

Picture Of Classic Mini Cars

The name Mini did not appear by itself immediately—the first models being marketed under two of BMC's brand names, Austin and Morris. The name Austin Seven (sometimes written as SE7EN in early publicity material) recalled the popular small Austin 7 of the 1920s and 1930s. The other name used until 1967 in the United Kingdom (and in Commonwealth countries such as Australia), Morris Mini-Minor, seems to have been a play on words. The Morris Minor was a well known and successful car, with the word minor being Latin for "smaller" so an abbreviation of the Latin word for "smallest"—minimus—was used for the new even smaller car. It was originally going to be called the Austin Newmarket.

Design and development Part 3

2010-05-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

Design and development Part 3

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 1

Sliding windows allowed storage pockets in the hollow doors; reportedly Issigonis sized them to fit a bottle of Gordon's Gin. The boot lid was hinged at the bottom so that the car could be driven with it open to increase luggage space. On early cars the number plate was hinged at the top so that it could swing down to remain visible when the boot lid was open. This feature was later discontinued after it was discovered that exhaust gases could leak into the cockpit when the boot was open.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 2

The Mini was designed as a monocoque shell with welded seams visible on the outside of the car running down the A and C pillars, and between the body and the floor pan. To further simplify construction, the hinges for the doors and boot lid were mounted externally.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 3

Production models differed from the prototypes by the addition of front and rear subframes to the unibody to take the suspension loads, and by having the engine mounted the other way round, with the carburettor at the back rather than at the front. This layout required an extra gear between engine and transmission to reverse the direction of rotation at the input to the transmission. Having the carburettor behind the engine reduced carburettor icing, but the distributor was then exposed to water coming in through the grille. The engine size was reduced from 948 cc to 848 cc; this, in conjunction with a small increase in the car's width, cut the top speed from 90 mph (145 km/h) to a more reasonable (for the time) 72 mph (116 km/h).

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 4

Despite its utilitarian origins, the classic Mini shape had become so well known that by the 1990s, Rover Group—the heirs to BMC—were able to register its design as a trade mark in its own right.

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 1
The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 2
A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Classic Mini Cars

Design and development Part 2

2010-05-14T00:09:00.000-07:00

Design And development

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 1

The suspension system, designed by Issigonis's friend Dr. Alex Moulton at Moulton Developments Limited, used compact rubber cones instead of conventional springs. This ingenious space-saving design also featured rising progressive-rate springing of the cones, and provided some natural damping. Built into the subframes, the rubber cone system gave a raw and bumpy ride which was accentuated by the woven-webbing seats, but the rigidity of the rubber cones, together with the wheels being pushed out to the corners of the car, gave the Mini go kart-like handling that would become famous.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 2

Initially an interconnected fluid system was planned—similar to the one that Alec Issigonis and Alex Moulton were working on in the mid-1950s at Alvis. They had assessed the mechanically interconnected Citroen 2CV suspension at that time (according to an interview by Moulton with CAR magazine in the late 1990s), which inspired the design of the Hydrolastic suspension system for the Mini and Morris/Austin 1100, to try to keep the benefits of the 2CV system (ride comfort, body levelling, keeping the roadwheel under good control and the tyre in contact with the road), but with added roll stiffness that the 2CV was very much lacking. The short development time of the car meant this was not ready in time for the Mini's launch. The system intended for the Mini was further developed and the hydrolastic system was first used on the Morris 1100, launched in 1962; the Mini gained the system later in 1964. Ten-inch (254 mm) wheels were specified, so new tyres had to be developed, the initial contract going to Dunlop. Issigonis went to Dunlop stating that he wanted even smaller, 8 in (203 mm) wheels (even though he had already settled on ten-inch). An agreement was made on the ten-inch size, after Dunlop choked on the eight-inch proposition.

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 1
The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 2
A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Classic Mini Cars

Design and development Part 1

2010-05-09T02:10:00.000-07:00

Design And development

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 1

Designed as project ADO15 (Austin Drawing Office project number 15), the Mini came about because of a fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis. Petrol was once again rationed in the UK, sales of large cars slumped, the market for German Bubble cars boomed. Leonard Lord, the somewhat autocratic head of BMC, reportedly decreed: 'God damn these bloody awful Bubble Cars. We must drive them off the road by designing a proper miniature car'. He laid down some basic design requirements: the car should be contained within a box that measured 10 × 4 × 4 ft (3 × 1.2 × 1.2 m); and the passenger accommodation should occupy 6 ft (1.8 m) of the 10 ft (3 m) length; and the engine, for reasons of cost, should be an existing unit. Issigonis, who had been working for Alvis, had been recruited back to BMC in 1955 and, with his skills in designing small cars, was a natural for the task. The team that designed the Mini was remarkably small: as well as Issigonis, there was Jack Daniels (who had worked with him on the Morris Minor), Chris Kingham (who had been with him at Alvis), two engineering students and four draughtsmen. Together, by October 1957, they had designed and built the original prototype, which was affectionately named "The Orange Box" because of its colour.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 2

The ADO15 used a conventional BMC A-Series four-cylinder water-cooled engine, but departed from tradition by mounting it transversely, with the engine-oil-lubricated, four-speed transmission in the sump, and by employing front-wheel drive. Almost all small front-wheel-drive cars developed since have used a similar configuration, except with the transmission usually separately enclosed rather than using the engine oil. The radiator was mounted at the left side of the car so that the engine-mounted fan could be retained, but with reversed pitch so that it blew air into the natural low pressure area under the front wing. This location saved precious vehicle length, but had the disadvantage of feeding the radiator with air that had been heated by passing over the engine. It also exposed the entire ignition system to the direct ingress of rainwater through the grille.

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 1
The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 2
A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Classic Mini Cars

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Classic Mini Cars

2010-05-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Classic Mini Cars

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 1

The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered an icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (that allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers.The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary, the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 2

This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis. It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park / Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates: the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations including an estate car, a pickup truck, a van and the Mini Moke—a jeep-like buggy. The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were sportier versions that were successful as rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through to 1967, although in 1966 the Mini was disqualified after the finish, along with six other British entrants, which included the first four cars to finish, under a questionable ruling that the cars had used an illegal combination of headlamps and spotlights. Initially Minis were marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor, until Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969. The Mini was again marketed under the Austin name in the 1980s.

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 1
The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 2

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 2

2010-05-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 1

By the millennium, Rover had encountered financial problems and the Mini line was completely taken over by BMW, with Rover's other Marques, MG and Land Rover being sold to Pheonix and Ford respectively. The Mini Cooper continued to be produced by Rover on a temporary basis until the last ever Mini Cooper was produced on October 4 2000 - a red Cooper Sport - which was presented to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 2

The Mini Cooper was no longer. The Mini Cooper is dead, long live the MINI Cooper. Of course BMW had plans to revamp the Mini, now known as 'MINI', and the Cooper was to be dragged into the new millennium in style.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 3

The MINI Cooper is mechanically and technically unrelated to the original Cooper but bears distinct aesthetic similarities as well as some mechanical ones including front-wheel drive and the transverse four cylinder engine model.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 4

The new Cooper and Cooper S became instant successes, escalated by the remake of the classic film, The Italian Job, which paid homage to the original film and featured three super charged Cooper S's which got the juices flowing of car enthusiast across the globe.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 5

Of course there were purists who did not agree with BMW discounting production of the 'old' Mini and those who criticised the MINI as being a small BMW with no soul or character, but you only have to look at the numbers to see what a success the MINI, and in particular the MINI Cooper has been.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 6

After only six years of production at MINI's Oxford plant, the one millionth MINI was produced, and it remains one of the most prudent cars you can buy as it depreciates at a considerably lesser rate than many other cars.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 7

John Cooper was right to follow his heart and bypass his friend Issigonis in order to push through the production of what is today an iconic motor car.

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 1

2010-04-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars

It's one of the most iconic cars in the world, but how did the Mini Cooper come to fruition? The inventor of the Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis, had always intended on the Mini being the car for the everyman, but his good friend John Cooper, who owned the Cooper Car Company specialising in Formula 1 and rally car design, had the foresight to see that the Mini would be suited to motorsport so Cooper approached Issigonis with his ideas, but Issigonis was reluctant as he had never intended his brain child for racing.

Cooper was determined to have his way so approached BMC, they approved and commissioned the idea and the rest is history... The first Mini Cooper's stuck to Issigonis's model of being a small and economic car, but with that extra poke up the backside which it into one of the most popular sports cars in history.

Picture of Mini Cooper Classic Car

After the Mini Cooper became so popular since hitting the market in 1961, two years later Cooper designed a more powerful Cooper, the Mini Cooper S, which won the Monte Carlo Rally three times between 1964-67 which added to the acclaim of the little hot hatch.

Picture of Mini Cooper Car

Through the years various different models of the Mini Cooper have been produced as the motoring trade evolved along with innovations in mechanical engineering, design and technology. And of course the Mini Cooper became a British icon, synonymous with British cinema following the Italian Job and was also incredibly popular with some of the world's most famous celebrities including John Lennon and Steve McQueen.

The History Of The Classic Mini Cars Part 2