The forerunner of today's small cars
The model that appeared in 1959 was to prove to be the concept for the modern small cars of the future. One wheel in each corner, transverse engine with front wheel drive. The first model was produced from 1959 to 1966. It is easily recognizable by its sickle-shaped grill. The models from 1968 got a grill shaped like a more square trapezoid. The Mk II, which was produced between 1967-1970, is recognizable by the fact that it still had sliding windows at the front. Windows that could be opened with a crank did not come until mk III. Then the deep door pockets that helped to give a good sense of space inside the compartment also disappeared, and on the outside it got more contemporary door handles. Models from mk III onwards can be difficult to tell apart, as many have been upgraded in recent times.
Variants
The Austin and Morris Minis were identical apart from the logo. Both brands could also be had in variants such as van, pickup and station wagon. These were made on a slightly extended chassis. The station wagons were called Austin Countryman and Morris Traveler - and could be supplied with recessed panels in ash wood. One variant of which variants are still being built today is the Mini Moke – an open beach car à la Citroen Méhari. BMC and later British Leyland produced Mini under several of their brands - so-called "badge engineering". The Mini models with Riley and Wolseley fronts had a higher level of interior luxury. The Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet were two models with an extended luggage compartment - a so-called "three-box" design.
In the 60s and 70s there were also car manufacturers who built their own models based on Mini chassis with engines from Mini. We have seen Mini Marcos, Mini Jem og Unipower GT – all made for sporty driving. The Mini Marcos and Mini Jem have actually been driven at over 200 km/h on the track.
No "real" convertible variants of Mini were made until 1993 when the company was managed under the Rover Group. But there were several 3rd party dealers who made "conversion kits" to convert production cars into Mini.
Mini Convertible
Mini Van/Pickup
Station wagons
Mini Moke
Wolseley Hornet
Riley Elf
Unipower GT
Mini Jem
About the pictures
Pictures of Mini
The main photo was taken on the street in Kensington, London. The photos of the 1959 model were taken at the London Concours 2019. It is about something as rare as a 1959 Morris Mini-Minor with automatic transmission! The white car without body joints was parked in Mayfair, London. The white car is a 1972 Morris Mini 1000 Automat that was parked in Chelsea, London, 2024. The car with the registration number "731 HOP" is one of the two first editions of the Mini Cooper S from 1963. The car played an important role in the British TV series "Danger Man". The two Mini 1275s (blue and red) were photographed at a car show at the Brooklands Museum, 2023. The front photo of the green car with the American bumper was parked on the street in Kensington.
Bonus pictures
The yellow car with the armchair on the roof belongs to "Mr Bean" and was photographed at the Oslo Motor Show in 2019. Two photos of two light blue Mini Classics were photographed in Saint Cyprien in the South of France ahead of a classic car rally. Two photos from Perpignan of red cars were taken from a car show where Mini owners were encouraged to show off their cars on the occasion of the Mini's 60th anniversary. The gray-green Austin Mini Classic with classic British plates was photographed in Hertfordshire. If I'm not mistaken, the "suffix D" means that it is a 1966 model. The green mk II with a white roof was photographed on the occasion of Cars and coffee at Øvrevoll Galopp outside Oslo. The rusty engine compartment is from a rusted-out auction car at London Classic Car in 2020. Blue and red Mini 1275 - and white Mini in profile are featured under "Images of Mini".
Other variants of the Mini
The red convertible is photographed outside Telenor Arena Fornebu. It orange The convertible was photographed at Hobbybilens dag in Hof 2021. The photo of the Mini Pickup was taken at Cars & Coffee at Skui gård in Bærum, 2022. The station wagon, an Austin Countryman, was photographed at a car show in Perpignan, France. The photo of the Wolseley Hornet comes from a brochure/advertisement (source: Anders de Lange). The photo of an original Mini Moke is pictured in Chelsea, London (source: Mette Lium). The Unipower GT is a rare edition based on the Mini. It was photographed at the London Classic Car Show, 2023. The Riley Elf (Mini with a "butt") was photographed at a car show at Brooklands Museum, England. The photos of the low-slung Mini Jem come from a car show at Brooklands Museum, 2023.
Click on an image to view in a larger format.
Copyright notice
See
