The Austin Mini was just one iteration of what would prove to be one of the most popular cars of all time, produced by the British Motor Corporation from the late 1950s.

The Mark I Mini was introduced in 1959 and was sold under two distinct marques operated by BMC; Austin and Morris.

While these models were identical, they did receive marginally different names. At first the Austin edition was known as the Seven, with the intention being that this would recall the much earlier model of the same name.

However, this was dropped in favour of the more distinctive Mini shortly after its launch. Meanwhile Morris was offering it as the Mini-Minor and if you were picking one up in the US or Europe then it would be referred to as the Austin or Morris 850.

The Mark I Mini was built until 1967, at which point it was replaced with the Mark II and it is impossible to list all of the different variants of the Mini that were being produced around the world at this point. Vans, trucks, pickups and many more types of vehicle were beginning to be based on the lovable design of the original.

The Mark III Mini arrived just two years later in 1969 and it would remain in an evolutionary state for the next 30 years until production ceased in 2000. Several other marks emerged, with the Mark VII representing the final iteration of this iconic vehicle to be in production.

Interestingly any branding associated with Austin and Morris was removed once the Mini was no longer produced at the factory in Cowley where it had been built for many years. At this point the Mini marque was distinct enough in its own right to go it alone.

The Austin Mini is seen by many as one of the most influential cars ever produced, with its low cost, imaginative design and effortless personality making it a classic in its own time.

Few other British cars share the same enduring adulation by people from across the world and its legacy lives on in the New Mini.