conceptcarz.com

1978 MINI Mayfair

The British Motor Corporation came into existence in 1952 by the merging of two manufacturers, Nuffield Motors and Austin. Nuffield was known for its Morris line of vehicles, while Austin had its 'Seven' model line. The transition for the two manufacturers was difficult and had been forced out of necessity. After World War II, many vehicle manufacturers could not stay in business due to destroyed factories, recovering economies, strained resources, and lack of funds. Combining the two companies was a means to stay in business.
A fuel shortage was occurring. German engineers quickly adapted and began producing fuel-efficient vehicles. Examples include the Volkswagen Beetle. Leonard Lord, Chairman of BMC and former head of Austin, commissioned Sir Alec Issigonis to design a vehicle to compete with the German-made vehicles.

Alec Issigonis was a graduate of Battersea Technical College. After graduation he worked as a draftsman for a plethora of engineering projects. Later, he joined Morris Motors where he was tasked with creating and fitting suspensions to the Morris vehicles.

Issigonis was outfitted with requirements to create a fuel-efficient, affordable, safe vehicle capable of carrying four individuals including luggage. To save on development costs, it was requested that an existing BMC engine be used. What he created was a vehicle that sat atop of 10 inch wheels. By using smaller wheels there was little need for wheel wells.

The car was expected to carry four individuals; the combined weight of the passengers being greater than the entire vehicle. A suspension was needed that could accept this pay-load. With his prior experience creating and working with suspensions, Issigonis designed a rubber cone suspension.

A 950 cc, four cylinder, BMC engine was selected. It was mounted in the front and expected to power the front wheels, a system that was revolutionary at the time. Instead of mounting the engine longitudinally, it was place transversely. The transmission was place under the engine due to space constraints.

When Issigonis presented his designs and recommendations to Lord in 1958, changes were requested. Instead of the 950 cc engine, a 34 horsepower, 848 cc engine would be used, making the vehicle slower but more importantly, more safe. The other request was to make the vehicle two inches wider.

There were two versions of the car when it was first introduced on August 26, 1959. The only difference between the 1959 Austin and Morris versions was their badges.

John Cooper had designed vehicles that successfully won the Formula One championships in 1959 and 1960.

He proposed a marriage between his 1000 cc Formula Junior engine with the Mini. Lord approved the idea and in 1961 the Mini Cooper was born. It was fitted with a 997 cc engine producing 55 horsepower. Later, the Cooper S came into being with the advent of the 970 cc and the 1275 cc engine - the latter capable of 76 horsepower.

From 1964 through 1967 the little car dominated the Monte Carlo Rally. The car easily achieved these victories using a 91 horsepower engine.

Minis became more than just a practical car, they became a fashion statement. This, combined with their practicality, fuel efficiency, and success on the race track, created an overwhelming demand for the little car.

In the 1980's, the Mini was starting to loose momentum. Rover tried to revitalize the Mini brand by creating special editions. In all, there were more than 40 different editions created between 1980 and 2000.

A merger with British Motor Corporation and another company produced the Britsh Leyland Company. Later, it became Rover Group. Currently, it is owned by BMW.

In 2001, BMW introduced the MINI. The MINI currently has three Cooper models. Their main differences being the size of the engine and the horsepower rating. A convertible has also been included to the line-up.


By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2006

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Related Automotive News

The MINI Cooper - the synonym for driving fun for over 60 years

The MINI Cooper - the synonym for driving fun for over 60 years

A glance at history makes it clear why the names of the traditional British brand and the legendary sports car engineer are often mentioned in the same context. Munich. For automotive fans with manual skills, the premises in the London...
London Concours announces cars on display in 2021

London Concours announces cars on display in 2021

Once again, the prestigious event assembles the finest collection of cars ever, in the heart of the City of London London Concours 2021 reveals the full list of nearly 100 spectacular historic and performance cars at Londons HAC from the 8-1...
The World Is Your Oyster!

The World Is Your Oyster!

Provisional dates for the Classics pearl anniversary 2020 event announced 2020 Silverstone Classic scheduled for 31 July to 2 August Building on the successes of last weekends record-breaker Money-saving Early Bird tickets on sale in good time...
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN OXFORD: THE NEW MINI WILL BE PRESENTED ON SIR ALEC ISSIGONIS' 107TH BIRTHDAY

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN OXFORD: THE NEW MINI WILL BE PRESENTED ON SIR ALEC ISSIGONIS' 107TH BIRTHDAY

Oxford. A new era of driving excitement, in-car-infotainment and premium quality in the small car segment is drawing ever closer. The new MINI will be unveiled on 18 November 2013, 107 years to the day since the birth of the man who started an...
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN OXFORD: THE NEW MINI WILL BE PRESENTED ON SIR ALEC ISSIGONIS' 107TH BIRTHDAY

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN OXFORD: THE NEW MINI WILL BE PRESENTED ON SIR ALEC ISSIGONIS' 107TH BIRTHDAY

Oxford. A new era of driving excitement, in-car-infotainment and premium quality in the small car segment is drawing ever closer. The new MINI will be unveiled on 18 November 2013, 107 years to the day since the birth of the man who started an...