Mini

Rating 5.0 (votes: 1)

Clubman

Convertible

Cooper

Countryman

Countryman S E

Coupe

Hardtop 2 Door

Hardtop 4 Door

John Cooper Works GP

Paceman

Roadster

Owning a MINI

Advantages:
  • Better mileage. Comparing to bigger vehicles MINI cars consume less petrol. This helps to cut down spends for traveling and makes the cars more environmentally-friendly as well.
  • Lower price. MINI cars cost less than bigger cars. Yet, they have a nice design and high-quality. This makes them the number one solution for many drivers.
  • Good maneuver. The MINI cars need a very little place to park. They are easier to drive and can be a good solution for busy roads.
  • Reliability. MINI cars have a simple design and are easier to repair. That makes them more reliable.
Disadvantages:
  • Limited dealership chain. MINI is presented on all continents. However, it’s still less popular than the bigger-car brands and doesn’t have official offices in all countries. That’s the reason why a purchase and warranty service may become a problem sometimes.
  • Expensive service. When the warranty is over, the repairmen of the MINI car costs more than the fixing of bigger cars. Moreover, parts of the car are impossible to replace with non-original details.
  • Consummation of expensive fuel. MINI cars depend on fuel quality and need the most expensive petrol.

History

The first two-door MINI car was presented in 1959 by the British Motor Corporation. The cars became popular in Europe and the USA, reaching their maximum in the 1960s. The first MINI designer was Sir Alec Issigonis. He invented a front-wheel-drive layout that saved lots of space. The innovative layout allowed 80% of the car room to be taken by passengers and luggage.

In 1969 MINI became an independent car brand. MINI cars were often compared to Volkswagen Beetle. Yet, MINI had overgrown Volkswagen’s popularity, becoming the second world’s influential car in 1999. Also, MINI cars become famous as sports vehicles, after winning the Monte Carlo Rally 4 times in the period of 1964 – 1967.

MINI was bought by BMW in 1994. The BMW engineers changed the design of MINI cars greatly, making them have some original BMW features. In 2005 BMW invested £100 million in the British MINI factory in Oxford. The investment alongside the employment of 200 more people resulted in a 20% increase of the output.

Five years later BMW invested £500 million in the UK factory and announced the expansion of the MINI model range up to seven new models. In 2017 the company started to work on creating the first MINI electro-mobile that was ready until 2019.

Now MINI stays the most recognizable producer of small-sized cars. There are around 5.5 million MINI cars have been sold globally. The cars of the brand have won over ten major awards. They were also chosen for Hollywood films and became a prototype for creating smaller versions of popular car models of other producers.

Company's Profile

Year of Incorporation: 1959

Founder: British Motor Corporation

Key people: Oliver Zipse, Norbert Reithofer

Location of headquarters: UK

Location of factories: England, Netherlands

Company’s slogan: Is it love?

Types of produced cars: two- and four-door cars