Mini
| Designer | Sir Alec Issigonis / John Cooper |
| Dates | 1959 - Present |
Description
The size of the original Mini was 10 x 4 x 4 feet and was influenced by the German "Bubble cars". It is instantly recognised due to its very individual car design. It had a new suspension system which used compact rubber cones instead of the conventional springs. This system did lead to a bumpy ride but this rigidty gave the mini its famous go-kart like handling. The colours of the Mini were of a wide variety often mixing a colours, for example blue with a white roof, and with some even sporting stripes and checkered patterns which was a new aesthetic design element. In 1959 the prices of the Mini ranged from £497 to £623. The new MINI price ranges from around £11,000 to £14,000.
A Personal View
Being the most popular British-made car ever, the Mini throughout the ages has had not just a memorable iconic shape but an iconic impact on society. During the 1960's there was a boom in the market for the automobile, not just for the functionability of it during the European fuel crisis of the late 1950's, but because of the newand unique style of design. The new Mini Cooper has grabbed worldwide attention for its clever styling, excellent handling and ergonomics, given that it is still a reasonably small car, however not in price compared with similar ones in size available today. The Mini, both the classic and the new, have been known to have fashion statement status both in the 1960's, 70's and the present day. The Mini colour scheme can even be seen as a trademark with its stripes and checkered designs. The design of the Mini allows it to use colour schemes which would not normally conform to the ideals of an aesthetically beautiful car. For example, one new MINI convertible uses a dark green body with a brown retractable roof. These colours are a representation of old english country style, which isn't hugely popular in this day and age but the reputation of the MINI challenges that.
Context
The classic Mini was discontinued in the year 2000 after a decade of being outdated by the new Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Chevette, Chrysler Sunbeam, Volkswagen Polo and Renault 5. Evidence of the Mini's imminent demise surfaced again in 1980 with the launch of the Austin Mini-Metro. Although production of the Mini continued after the Metro's launch, production volumes had reached an all time low. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the British market enjoyed numerous "special editions" of the Mini, which shifted the car from a mass-market item into a fashionable icon. These are still in circulation today and are considered collectors items. The final Mini's manufactured consisted of the Mini Classic Seven, the Mini Classic Cooper, the Mini Classic Cooper Sport and - for overseas European markets -the Mini Knightsbridge. A total of 5,387,862 cars had been manufactured during the era of the Mini. After the company was taken over by BMW, it took less than a year for them to have designed a new modern style MINI which became a worldwide success. The success of the new MINI after being faded out after 45 years just goes to show that the design is indeed iconic.
Links
http://www.mini.com - The International Mini Website
http://www.minicooperforums.com/bmw/mini-cooper-history.asp - The Mini - From Past To Present
| Author: | Nisha Jaye | Date: | March 2008 |