If there is one vehicle globally that can be said to have set the design and engineering sectors of the automobile industry hurtling towards basic acceptance of small front wheel drive cars - it can be said to be the Austin Mini project. Mini's made the concept of small "cars" acceptable - both mechanically , functionally on the roads and highways of Britain , North America and indeed the global auto market. Indeed the Japanese automakers - be it Toyota, Nissan , Mazda or Subaru readily admit that their first model and business models that they learned from in the auto trade were the British automakers. What other roadside car would of been their stalwart model - nothing else but the Austin Mini models with their front wheel drive , transversely mounted 4 cycle engine that were both simple , economical and ultimately lovable.
In the beginning it seems that the venerable Austin Mini did not even have its later badge of fame - its moniker of "Mini". The vehicle was initially introduced as the Austin Se7en and the Morris ( not the Austin factory branded ) Mini-Minor. The only distinction between the Austin factory output model and the Morris branded product being not any major body or mechanical components only the badge and grill of the vehicles. Talk about a forerunner and pre telling of the auto industry trends to come. In later years when GM Auto engineers being asked the difference between a 1982 compact Cadillac Cimarron in 1982 and its General Motors cousins - the Chevrolet Cavalier, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, Pontiac J200 models would be told that in essence the only difference was in the price tag of the new vehicle at their local dealership. Its surprising that in the western prairie provinces of Canada car auto purchasing markets ,auto purchasers seem to prefer smaller import type cars such as or Volkswagen VW "bugs" & now the likes of South Korean Kia models. With the mountain , non-flat prairie terrains , you might think larger vehicles such as SUVs would rule the roost. Yet in Northwestern Ontario or the city of Winnipeg this may well be the case. Yet go up north the more rural rugged farming,mining & pulp & paper areas and you will see a lot more larger vehicles - trucks and large non-crossover Sports Utility Vehicles -on the roads and highways. Yet as people travel and even rent cars on their overseas trips they drive test & find alternative auto layouts and preferences to their pleasure.
Initially the car was released in two almost identical variations - an Austin badged product , and an identical product introduced into the marketplace as a "Mini Minor". It seems that the two products were produced at two different factories and divisions in the U.K. - the Austin and Morris automotive factories. Part of this decision were production allotments - some centered on consumer marketing preferences. Just as in Canada and in the US where similar products from different automotive divisions of the same manufacturers had downright die hard fans and loyalists. In the same way that some auto buyers and consumers were die-hard Ford or Mercury "men", while others preferred similar Pontiac products over Chevy branded autos - auto enthusiasts might swear by their nearly identical Austin Se7en's or Morris Mini-Minors.
The Austin Mini - as the product eventually came to be known as - entered full and single factory product name and one single solitary car "badge", at the end of the 1960's decade. Now it was the Austin "Mini" and nothing but. Yet the Mini has had not one form - unlike the Ford Model T - that came in any color you wanted as long as it was black. The mini itself has come in many differing and varied forms - from the standard 2 door Saloon , to "Club" station wagons. Many of the cars were painted with one color for the body, and then a white roof. Owner's of the vehicles , ever loyal , formed clubs and gave gentle honks of recognition to each other while driving on the roads and highways.
Hence it is no accident that the Austin Mini became such a favored and revered role model for future designs and implementations along the path of the development of smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles.
In the beginning it seems that the venerable Austin Mini did not even have its later badge of fame - its moniker of "Mini". The vehicle was initially introduced as the Austin Se7en and the Morris ( not the Austin factory branded ) Mini-Minor. The only distinction between the Austin factory output model and the Morris branded product being not any major body or mechanical components only the badge and grill of the vehicles. Talk about a forerunner and pre telling of the auto industry trends to come. In later years when GM Auto engineers being asked the difference between a 1982 compact Cadillac Cimarron in 1982 and its General Motors cousins - the Chevrolet Cavalier, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, Pontiac J200 models would be told that in essence the only difference was in the price tag of the new vehicle at their local dealership. Its surprising that in the western prairie provinces of Canada car auto purchasing markets ,auto purchasers seem to prefer smaller import type cars such as or Volkswagen VW "bugs" & now the likes of South Korean Kia models. With the mountain , non-flat prairie terrains , you might think larger vehicles such as SUVs would rule the roost. Yet in Northwestern Ontario or the city of Winnipeg this may well be the case. Yet go up north the more rural rugged farming,mining & pulp & paper areas and you will see a lot more larger vehicles - trucks and large non-crossover Sports Utility Vehicles -on the roads and highways. Yet as people travel and even rent cars on their overseas trips they drive test & find alternative auto layouts and preferences to their pleasure.
Initially the car was released in two almost identical variations - an Austin badged product , and an identical product introduced into the marketplace as a "Mini Minor". It seems that the two products were produced at two different factories and divisions in the U.K. - the Austin and Morris automotive factories. Part of this decision were production allotments - some centered on consumer marketing preferences. Just as in Canada and in the US where similar products from different automotive divisions of the same manufacturers had downright die hard fans and loyalists. In the same way that some auto buyers and consumers were die-hard Ford or Mercury "men", while others preferred similar Pontiac products over Chevy branded autos - auto enthusiasts might swear by their nearly identical Austin Se7en's or Morris Mini-Minors.
The Austin Mini - as the product eventually came to be known as - entered full and single factory product name and one single solitary car "badge", at the end of the 1960's decade. Now it was the Austin "Mini" and nothing but. Yet the Mini has had not one form - unlike the Ford Model T - that came in any color you wanted as long as it was black. The mini itself has come in many differing and varied forms - from the standard 2 door Saloon , to "Club" station wagons. Many of the cars were painted with one color for the body, and then a white roof. Owner's of the vehicles , ever loyal , formed clubs and gave gentle honks of recognition to each other while driving on the roads and highways.
Hence it is no accident that the Austin Mini became such a favored and revered role model for future designs and implementations along the path of the development of smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles.
About the Author:
I 1998, BMW set out on creating the production Mini. The first aspect that was considered was the design, which was chosen from 15 full-sized design studies. Five of these designs came from BMW Germany, another five from BMW Designworks in California, four from Rover and one from an outside studio in Italy. The chosen design was from BMW Designworks.
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