In 1996, BMW purchased MINI, and they have owned it since since. The Austin Mini and Morris Mini were the two labels under which MINI originally debuted as model names, not as a standalone company. The same company, Leyland, produced these brands. In 1969, MINI became a separate brand and was later acquired by BMW, which introduced the MINI Cooper in 2001.
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Mini (marque)
British automaker Mini (stylized as MINI) was established in 1969. Since 2000, German automaker BMW has bought Mini and has used it to brand a variety of tiny vehicles that are built in the UK, Austria, and the Netherlands. Since 1959, the word “Mini” has been used in the model names of cars. In 1969, the name “Mini” superseded the distinct “Austin Mini” and “Morris Mini” automobile model names, making it a marque in its own right. When BMW purchased Rover Group (formerly British Leyland), which owns Mini among other brands, in 1994, it also acquired the marque.
British Motor Corporation (BMC), which joined British Motor Holdings in 1966, produced a line of compact cars known as the original Mini. In 1968, this joined forces with Leyland Motors to establish British Leyland. British Leyland was divided up in the 1980s, and British Aerospace bought Rover Group, which included Mini, in 1988. Morris Mini-Minor, Austin Seven, Countryman, Moke, 1275GT, and Clubman were all Mini models. Due to a collaboration with racing icon John Cooper, performance versions of these cars bore the name Cooper. Up until 2000, the original Mini was still being produced.
BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994, and when it was split up in 2000, it kept the Mini name.
A brand-new Mini model was introduced by BMW in 2001 after the modern Mini’s development got under way in 1995. The current Mini lineup consists of the three-door hatchback Hardtop/Hatch/Convertible, estate Clubman, five-door crossover Countryman, coupe/roadster, and paceman.
The BMW Plant Oxford in Cowley, England is where the Mini Hatch/Hardtop, Clubman, Coupe, and Roadster are put together. In addition to the Oxford facility, VDL Nedcar in Born, the Netherlands, also houses the assembly of the Mini Hatch/Hardtop and Countryman. Up until 2016, Magna Steyr in Austria built the Paceman. 2012 saw the sale of 301,526 Mini cars globally. Mini automobiles have participated in rallies, and in 1964, 1965, and 1967, the Mini Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally three times. Since 2011, Mini has competed in the World Rally Championship with the Prodrive WRC Team.
Who Produces the MINI Cooper?
Since 2000, BMW Group has owned MINI, yet the company was originally a British one.
The Austin Mini and Morris Mini, which were virtually the same automobile but were sold under different names owned by British Leyland, were the first vehicles to bear the model designation MINI. With the fusion of the Austin and Morris models under one brand in 1969, Mini became its own entity.
BL, now known as Rover Group, even introduced an updated model of the aging hatch in 1996; it was produced until 2000. MINI manufacture continued for a very long time. In the meantime, BMW, which had acquired the brand from Rover Group in 1996, began working on a new design that was unveiled for the 2001 model year.
Today, the BMW Group still controls the MINI brand. In addition to the traditional two-door hatchback, the MINI model lineup now also includes a convertible, a five-door, the Countryman crossover, and the Clubman wagon. At the BMW corporate headquarters in Munich, Germany, MINI research and development is conducted.
Mini Cooper (2006)
For the 2002 model year, MINI debuted its first generation. The two-door hatchback was easily recognized because to its original model-inspired retro styling. The Cooper (R50) and Cooper S (R53) Hatchback were first offered in the first generation MINI, the first “new MINI.”
The John Cooper Works (JCW) parts for the MINI Cooper Convertible and MINI Cooper S Convertible were debuted in Gen1.
This generation’s base Cooper has a Brazilian-made 1.6-liter Tritec engine that produced 115 horsepower. Both a CVT automatic transmission and a five-speed manual transmission were available in the base model. Both contributed to the Cooper’s exceptional fuel efficiency.
The Cooper S model was a performance variant for this generation that had a small supercharger to increase the horsepower to roughly 168. This model also has a paddle-shift automatic or six-speed manual transmission. The S offered a delightful drive and was a deft handling, winning over many aficionados.
With the introduction of the 2005 model year, both the interior and exterior underwent major updates. A wider rear-view mirror, an adjustment to the steering wheel’s spoke count from two to three, and a dashboard conversion from a five-piece to a three-piece were among the interior alterations. A headlight modification and a brake light adjustment were made to the exterior.
The final two years of manufacturing for this first-generation Cooper utilized Getrag manual transmissions with significantly altered gear ratios.
Drive-by-wire electronic throttles were standard on all MINI Coopers in place of the customary mechanical control systems. The S trim’s supercharger made it impossible for the battery to fit, thus the battery was moved to the back of the vehicle, leaving no room for a spare tire. Run-flat tires were thus standard on all S versions.
Before the “Cooper,” the Mini
The Morris Company’s finest engineer, Alec Issigonis, was given a design challenge by Sir Leonard Lord in 1957, leading to the creation of the first Mini. The English automobile industry was confronted with a problem following World War II that may sound familiar to Americans today: cars had grown in size and gasoline prices had skyrocketed. To create a solution, Issigonis collaborated with a small group of engineers. The MINI was a response to the need for a cheap, fuel-efficient vehicle.
The MINI was introduced in 1959 (the Cooper surname would appear later), and it had breakthroughs that continue to influence automotive design today. The wheels were relocated to the frame’s extreme corners to create extra passenger space. Additionally, a transverse engine, which rotates the engine 90 degrees, improves stability by distributing the weight more evenly above the wheels. The combination of these useful design adjustments also improved handling, which contributed to the Mini’s reputation as an incredibly agile vehicle.
The MINI gained popularity because it was affordable and fashionable. The car gained a cult following and became an icon and emblem of the modern era thanks to its classic British appearance, reasonable price, and promise of fun, freedom, and adventure. Around the same time, the Volkswagen Beetle arrived in America and attracted a comparable clientele. The MINI attracted admirers from all walks of life, including celebrities, students, laborers, and politicians. Even Enzo Ferrari, the renowned Italian luxury sports vehicle manufacturer’s founder, owned a MINI.
BMW stopped producing Mini Coopers when?
MINI Cooper is owned by BMW, and it has been thus for a while. BMW purchased MINI Cooper in 2000. The Rover Group previously owned MINI before BMW purchased it. BMW acquired the Rover Group in 1994, and in 2000, BMW disbanded the organization while keeping the MINI moniker.
BMW motors are they used in Mini Coopers?
Who makes engines for Mini Coopers? German automaker BMW is the owner of the MINI Cooper brand. At the Hams Hall Plant near Birmingham, all four-cylinder petrol engines for BMW and Mini Cooper are currently produced in the United Kingdom.
What year did BMW Mini begin?
The Mini Hatch is a family of retro-styled two-door superminihatchback and convertible, as well as (as of 2014) a longer, subcompact 4/5-door hatchback. It is also marketed as the Mini Cooper, Mini One, and simply as the (BMW) Mini. They were debuted by German automaker BMW under the “Mini” brand at the start of 2000. The second generation debuted in 2006, followed by the third generation in 2014, which added a longer 4/5-door hatchback. In 2004, a two-door convertible model was added. In 2008, the second generation was released.
When the Mini brand was still a part of the Rover Group, which was owned by BMW, they showed their Mini hatch concept at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in 1997. The styling of the concept automobile, which was meant to replace the first Mini, garnered positive feedback from the public and underwent additional development. After selling the Rover Group in March 2000 and discontinuing the original Mini the same year, BMW introduced the new Mini (Hatch) in 2001. It was the debut model of the Mini line, which has since become quite successful.
BMW’s 21st century Minis are the opposite of earlier replacements, such as the 1974 Innocenti Mini and the 1980 Austin Metro, which repackaged the Mini’s mechanicals in modernistically styled, slightly larger bodies. Instead, they have pronounced retro-styling and are based on the British originals, but they don’t share any parts or technology with the earlier models. Although it was still regarded as being very small, the 2001 hatchback’s length of 3.63 m (143 in) was 58 cm (22.8 in) or 19% longer than the 1959 Mini’s length of 3.05 m (10.0 ft). Additionally, the 2022 five-door hatch is 68 cm (26.8 in) or about 21% longer than the original 3.30 m (130 in) Mini estate variants, standing at 3.98 m (157 in).
Facility Oxford in Cowley, Oxfordshire, England, and VDL Nedcar (the former DAF/Volvo plant) in Born, the Netherlands, have both produced BMW’s Mini models since July 2014. Since 2015, only the Netherlands has been used for the assembly of the Mini convertible.
Do Minis resemble BMWs?
British automaker Mini (stylized as MINI) was established in 1969 and is now owned by German automaker BMW. Mini is utilized by BMW to produce a variety of tiny cars that are assembled in the UK, Austria, and the Netherlands.
How did BMW acquire MINI?
Midway through the 1990s, BMW acquired the Mini brand as part of its acquisition of the Rover Group. At the time, both BMW and Rover had designs for a new MINI, but it was an American designer working for BMW whose model was ultimately accepted.
Is a Mini Cooper a high-end vehicle?
Although Mini (the Cooper S 5 Door pictured) may not be universally regarded as a luxury brand, it fully measures up in terms of interior materials quality, features that are offered, performance, and cost for the majority of models.
What makes it a MINI Cooper?
Despite the fact that we all adore our MINI cars, there are still some elusive bits of trivia that we have yet to discover. Hopefully a few of those unimportant details are included in our list of “10 Things You Might Not Have Known About MINI” (But Now You Know, or You Will Know When You Finish This List)!
- Ten years after the MINI’s debut, in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II knighted the man who created the Austin MINI, the forerunner of all current MINIs.
- The first MINI Clubman debuted in 1969, and we still have some in stock today, over 50 years later!
- Over the course of 41 years, 5,500,000 MINIs of the original design were made. If something isn’t broken, why fix it?
- 28 people are the most ever to fit inside a MINI. in the past. Never attempt it at home!
- In 1959, the first MINI was sold for PS497, or around $1,838 in US dollars. Despite the expense, everyone had a MINI, including Enzo Ferrari and the average guy living down the street.
- Because the firm has been owned by several parent companies over the years, MINI has gone by many distinct names. BMW’s standalone MINI subsidiary is now stronger than ever.
- Just behind the Ford Model T, the MINI was named the second-most influential car of the 20th century in 1999. Consider that, then keep in mind that the automobile was created in the 20th century, making MINI one of the most influential vehicles ever!
- There was no radio in the original MINI. It had a big ashtray instead. This was due to the fact that the inventor of the MINI smoked a lot and believed that a radio was ultimately superfluous “extravagance.”
- The sporty version of the original MINI was the first vehicle to bear the name MINI Cooper. John Cooper, a Formula 1 vehicle designer, gave the sportier version of the MINI his name in 1961.
- The MINI car is credited as being the source of inspiration for the miniskirt; designer Mary Quant was motivated by the car to develop the skirt. Undoubtedly an enduring legacy!