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The Mini is a small car that was created and produced by the British Motor Company from 1959 -2000. The first Mini, which came onto the market in 1960, is considered to be a British icon. It had a space-saving layout including front wheel drive. This allows over 80% of the floor plan area to be utilized for passengers and luggage.

The Mini is to England what the Volkswagen Beetle is to Germany and both also enjoyed success and popularity in the United States. In 1999, the Mini was even voted the second most influential vehicle in the 20th Century, just after the Model T from Ford.

Sir Alec Issigonis originally designed the distinctive two-door vehicle. Two different plants in England as well as plants in Australia, Italy, Chile and many others then manufactured it. The Mini also had major updates during its time including the Clubman, the Mark I, the Mark II and the Mark III. Also within the series, buyers could find pick-up trucks, estate cars, vans and a jeep-like vehicle.

The later Mini Cooper was much more sporty and the Mini Cooper S even became a successful rally car. These cars won the Monte Carlo Rally four different times during the years of 1964 -1967. Mini vehicles were first presented under the Morris and Austin names, but they quickly became a brand of their own.

The Mini was designed by a project known as Austin Drawing Office project number 15 or ADO15. The project began due to the fuel shortage that resulted from the Suez Crisis in 1956. Petrol was being rationed and larger cars were no longer doing well on the market. The head of the BMC did not like the standard "German bubble cars" and decided to design a proper mini car that would take over the market.

The British market created a number of special editions of the Mini vehicles over the years, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. The image produced a mass-market item that became very fashionable to drive. That image helped the Mini become an asset as it was transferred over to the BMW brand. It also became very popular in Japan where it was cool to be seen in a retro car. There are plenty of imitators on the market including the ERA Mini Turbo in Japan.

Mini production was largely sold in 2000 when companies were suffering major losses. The Mini name has reverted to the BMW brand and the new cars that come out today are technically unrelated to their predecessors. However, they still have the classic 4-cylinders and front wheel drive configurations as well as the bulldog icon appearance.