Clever. Personable. Unique. These are the qualities that MINI was founded on, and the very same that define MINI today. The Original Mini (lower case prior to our relaunch in 2002) dared to be different. It was a small, fuel-efficient car, born in 1959 as a creative solution to the threat of rising gas prices during the Suez Oil Crisis. With its space-maximizing transversely-mounted engine and wheels-pushed-out design, it was unlike any other car around. And it wasn’t long before people began to take notice.

Everyone from rock stars to royalty became smitten with the Mini’s combination of quintessential British charm and motoring fun. Youth culture celebrated its convention-defying aesthetic. Families valued the everyday practicality and efficiency it afforded. Motorsport enthusiasts revered its corner-carving agility. The Mini was ahead of its time. It didn’t reinvent the wheel. But it revolutionized the idea of what an automobile could be. Today, similar principles and spirit apply to all five MINI models. With all-new levels of technology, performance, and practicality, we make even a family car fun again.