What’s the Greatest Machine of the 1960s…the Morris Mini-Minor?

THE MORRIS MINI-MINOR (1959)

Introduced in 1959, the Mini is a small economy car manufactured by the British Motor Corporation - widely considered a British icon of the 1960s.

Its innovative and space-saving layout - particularly its space-saving transverse engine front-wheel drive layout - allowed 80% of the car’s floorpan to be used for whatever the driver and passengers wished, which in turn became a huge influence on a whole generation of car manufacturers.

Its distinctive design was formulated by Sir Alec Issigonis for the British Motor Corporation, and was made at several manufacturing plants around the world: England, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Chile, Italy, Malta, Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia. Over the years, the Mini has had three major updates - the Mark II, the Clubman and the Mark III.

WHAT MAKES IT GREAT… The Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century in 1999, coming just behind the Ford Model T but ahead of the Volkswagen Beetle and the Citroën DS.

TIME WARP… Perhaps one of the most culturally significant uses of the Mini can be found in the 1969 film The Italian Job, famous for its trio of Minis in its epic closing car chase.

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