ShareThisThe original British Mini might not have become the second most influential car of the 20th Century if not for an energy crisis.
Facing a fuel shortage brought on by the Suez Crisis of 1956, British Motor Corporation designed the minuscule motorcar to compete with an adorable array of wheels from Germany known as "bubble cars."
It's not hard to figure out how they got their nicknames. The bubble cars, particularly the Peel Trident, generally resembled soap bubbles affixed to go kart chassis.
According to legend, Leonard Lord, the head of BMC is reported to have declared: "God (expletive) these bloody awful Bubble Cars. We must drive them off the road by designing a proper miniature car."
Drive they did. The closest thing to a bubble car these days is the Smart for Two from corporate parent Mercedes-Benz, while the Mini, in its current form, is a product of BMW. Both German, one might add.
Minis with left-hand drive made it into the U.S. from 1960 to 1967, until stricter federal safety standards made the car's short wheelbase obsolete in 1968.
Used to great effect in comedies starring Rowan Atkinson and caper flicks like "The Italian Job," the Mini won ranking behind the Ford Model T among the most influential cars of the 20th Century in balloting by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation in 1999, two places ahead of the Volkswagen Beetle.
Fifty years after its introduction as a British brand, Mini is considered a different car than the original. Though still produced at Britain's Oxford assembly plant, it is by most estimation a BMW. The original Mini's lifespan was considered terminated in 2000 with its acquisition by BMW. The Oxford plant produced its millionth "New Mini" On April 3, 2007. The milestone took six years, the same period of time it took the original Mini to hit a million.
Many energy crises later, the Mini is again adapting to new economic realities.
In the motor mazes of New York, New Jersey and Los Angeles, a new electric version of the Mini is undergoing field trials in the hands of private customers, municipalities, universities, public utilities, nonprofit and commercial organizations.
BMW Group and the University of California at Davis are teaming to research real-world experiences with the Mini E.
The electric Mini is traveling 100 miles on a single charge in real world conditions, according to drivers' reports. One user reported that he has achieved 141.2 miles on a single charge.
Naturally, BMW has a lot of competition. While the Chevrolet Volt has captured the most attention on the electric front, most automakers are aggressively developing models that will use little, if any, gas on a regular basis.
While the Mini E undergoes its trial runs, various incarnations of the car continue to make fashion statements on roadways worldwide.
I recently drove the Mini Cooper S Hardtop that was powered by a 172-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and rode on 16-inch wheels, a much bigger and more powerful vehicle than the original micro car.
While it had the charm and curb appeal of an attractive toy, it bore a grown-up price tag of $21,950 before options sent the bottom line to $26,950.
While the Mini Cooper S is designed to emulate a go kart, the performance is quite muscular. With a Getrag 6-speed stick the turbocharged Mini moves from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds with a top speed of 139 mph.
The naturally-aspirated engine in the Cooper, also 1.6 liters, features variable valve control and accelerates to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds, with top speed of 126 mph. Both engines fit sideway under the hood, sending power to the front wheels.
Receiving it most recent styling update in 2007, the Mini remains a very retro design, in the interior as well as the iconic body. The various gauges and appurtenances seem to have emerged from Santa's workshop. The two-tone theme is classically British. There's even an Abbey Road version of the car. A Mini in my parking garage featured a Beatles decal on the rear window that seemed somehow perfect for this car.
Despite its charms, Mini and BMW are facing the same collapse of the automotive market as other manufacturers. But adaptation is the key to survival.
"This is a tough time for the automobile industry and no business is immune from its challenges," said Ian Robertson, a BMW executive in charge of sales and marketing. "But MINI is an extremely resilient brand with huge customer appeal and we have seen a strengthening order bank in recent months."
WHAT'S NEW: Styling tweaks, new options.
PLUSES: Charm, fuel economy, performance, collector value.
MINUSES: Capacity, price.
BOTTOM LINE: Uniquely Mini.
(E-mail Richard Williamson at motorfriend(at)sbcglobal.net)
AUTOS TODAY
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