Gallery: The Many Faces of the Iconic Mini

  • Image may contain Car Vehicle Transportation Automobile Tire Wheel Machine Spoke and Car Wheel
    Erik Chmil
    01

    2-Morris-Mini-Minor

    Since its 1959 debut, the Mini has appeared in countless iterations.
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    British Motor Industry Heritage Trust/Gaydon
    02

    L005949

    The original Mini was the work of Alec Issigonis, British Motor Corporation's technical director.
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    BMW Group Archiv
    03

    Car1

    Issigonis's task: Build a car that would take up little room on the road, yet provide a spacious interior for its passengers and their cargo.
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    BMW Group Archiv
    04

    Car4

    It didn't take long for the Mini to make it to the track—this is the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally.
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    BMW Group Archiv
    05

    8-MINI-Rennen-Racing-Crystal-Palace

    It was common to see multiple Minis on the track, like at this 1966 race, at Britain's Crystal Palace circuit.
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    BMW Group Archiv
    06

    Car3

    The car took on military uses as well. In 1964, BMC created the Mini Moke, a lightweight troop transport vehicle based on the Mini Countryman.
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    BMW Group Archiv
    07

    Car2

    This is the Wildgoose, one of the stranger Minis ever made. The camper van was made by Wildgoose Ltd, which used the Mini Van as a base model. Just a few dozen were built between 1963 and 1968.
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    BMW AG/München/Munich
    08

    5-MINI-Paul-Smith

    Unsurprisingly, the Mini served as a canvas, including for Paul Smith in 1999.
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    Marcus Syring
    09

    4-MINI-Clubman

    Since the Mini's rebirth in the mid-90s, the car's been remade into a wide range of versions, including the Clubman.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Automobile Car Tire Wheel Machine Car Wheel Spoke and Alloy Wheel
    Erik Chmil
    10

    3-MINI-Paceman

    And the 2013 Paceman, a three-door crossover.
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    BMW Group Archive
    11

    Car5

    Since the Mini's revival, BMW has shown no inclination to leave the basic car be. The Mini Superleggera vision is a two-seat convertible that has little in common with its 1959 ancestor.
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