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N0KFQ > TODAY 26.08.10 17:17l 60 Lines 2802 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Aug 26
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From: N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
To : TODAY@WW
Aug 26, 1959:
Mini makes its debut
On this day in 1959, the British Motor Corporation (BMC)
launches its newest car, the small, affordable–at a price tag of
less than $800–Mark I Mini. The diminutive Mini went on to
become one of the best-selling British cars in history.
The story behind the Mini began in August 1956, when President
Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal in
response to the American and British decision to withdraw
funding for a new dam's construction due to Egypt's Communist
ties. The international crisis that followed led to fuel
shortages and gasoline rationing across Europe. Sir Leonard
Lord, head of BMC--formed by the merger of automakers Austin and
Morris in 1952--wanted to produce a British alternative to the
tiny, fuel-efficient German cars that were cornering the market
after the Suez Crisis. He turned to Alec Issigonis, a Turkish
immigrant who as chief engineer at Morris Motors had produced
the Morris Minor, a teapot-shaped cult favorite that had
nonetheless never seriously competed with the Volkswagen
"Beetle" or Fiat's 500 or Cinquecento.
Mini development began in 1957 and took place under a veil of
secrecy; the project was known only as ADO (for Austin Drawing
Office) 15. After about two and a half years–a relatively short
design period–the new car was ready for the approval of Lord,
who immediately signed off on its production.
Launched on August 26, 1959, the new front-wheel-drive car was
priced at around $800 and marketed under two names: Austin Seven
and Morris Mini-Minor. The two vehicles were the same except for
each had a different radiator grille, and by 1962 both were
known simply as the Mini. Issigonis' design, including an engine
mounted sideways to take up less space, had created a surprising
amount of space for a small-bodied car: At only 10 feet long,
the Mini could sit four adults, and had a trunk big enough for a
reasonable amount of luggage. With a starting price of around
$800, the Mini was truly a "people's car," but its popularity
transcended class, and it was also used by affluent Londoners as
a second car to easily maneuver in city traffic.
By the time production was halted in 2000, 5.3 million Minis had
been produced. Around that same time, a panel of 130
international journalists voted the Mini "European Car of the
Century." A high-performance version of the Mini engineered by
the race car builder John Cooper had first been released in
1961; known as the Mini Cooper, it became one of the favorites
of Mini enthusiasts worldwide. In 2003, the Mini Cooper was
updated for a new generation of buyers by the German automaker
BMW.
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