Background
The original Mini needs no introduction.
One of very few genuinely ground-breaking cars, the Alec Issigonis-designed Mini is rightly praised for its innovative engineering, handsome looks, surprisingly spacious interior and giant-killing handling.
It remained in continuous production for the next four decades, winning praise from all who owned or drove one.
It provided transport for millions of families who might not otherwise have been able to afford to run a modern car and, in competition, it despatched all who were daft enough to compete against it.
It won praise from private owners, professional rally drivers, vanquished competitors, pundits and spectators, all of whom keep it close to their heart, even more than sixty years after it first came into being.
Following the Mini saloon's introduction in August 1959, the van version of BMC's revolutionary small car arrived in January 1960, followed by the pick-up in 1961.
Built on a longer wheelbase than the saloon, the commercial Mini's front-wheel drive and compact independent rear suspension enabled it to match many more-expensive medium-sized vans for interior space.
Identical - apart from the badging - Austin and Morris versions were built for the first nine years, the models being known subsequently as the Mini Van and Mini Pick-Up.
