CHAPTER ONE
BMC’S MINI
The Mini was originally a product of the British Motor Corporation (BMC), which later became a part of British Motor Holdings (BMH) in 1966, and eventually merged with Leyland Motors in 1968 to form British Leyland. It wasn’t until 1969 (ten years after its birth) that Mini became an automotive marque in its own right. During the late 1980s, British Leyland was demolished and Mini joined Rover Group. In 1994, Rover Group was acquired by BMW, which the brand later dissolved in 2000, while retaining the Mini/MINI brand. Today, the MINI division is led by Sebastian Mackensen.
It took just one man to design the ultimate small family car, the very machine that, thanks to its transverse-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, is capable of seating four adults, has a luggage compartment (albeit small) and the ability to bring a smile to each and every one of its drivers’ faces. Little did he know that this little car would go on to become an iconic symbol of British heritage: the Mini was a motoring legend both on the road and on the race circuit.
Britain’s small car was born in response to an economic and political crisis, and it soon became a little car that gave mobility to millions. Sir Alec Issigonis’s baby was created in response to the Middle East crisis when, in September 1956, Colonel Nasser decided to nationalize the Suez Canal and use the Arabs’ control of the world’s oil supplies to hold the rest of the word to ransom. When the Arabs closed their oil pipeline across the Mediterranean, in the ensuing war they blew up the Syrian pipeline that provided 20 per cent of Britain’s petrol supply. This resulted in petrol rationing hitting the UK in December that year, and inevitably, a newly found popularity for small cars across Europe.
Original sketch of the Mini prototype by Alec Issigonis in 1958.NEWSPRESS
A bird’s-eye sketch of the Mini 850, by Alec Issigonis in 1958.MAGIC CAR PICS
Alec Issigonis stands proudly between the Austin Mini 850 cars in 1959.MAGIC CAR PICS
In the period between 1956 and 1957, the sales of 900 to 1000cc cars rocketed. This explains the appearance of German bubble cars in the UK, which could achieve more than 40 miles per gallon (7ltr/100km) – the ideal statistic for families living in a petrol-starved period. At the end of 1955, Leonard Lord invited Issigonis to rejoin BMC after three years at Alvis Motors. Lord Leonard quite frankly despised bubble cars, and is reported to have said to Issigonis in March 1957: ‘God damn these bloody awful bubble cars. We must drive them off the streets by designing a proper small car.’ From that point, BMC’s new car development programme changed from replacing the Morris Minor to producing a new small car.
An engineering team of four draftsmen, a group of student engineers and three talented men, including Chris Kingham from Alvis Motors, Jack Daniels who helped produce the Minor, John Sheppard who was responsible for the design, and Issigonis himself, set about designing and defining the Mini – the XC9003, which later became project ADO15 when development moved to the Austin HQ at Longbridge. Issigonis saw front-wheel drive as the powe
