Back Mini (BMW) Afrikaans ميني (بي إم دبليو) Arabic مينى ARZ Mini (BMW) Azerbaijani Мини (BMW) Bulgarian Mini (BMW) Catalan Mini (Automarke) German MINI Esperanto MINI Spanish مینی (ب‌ام‌و) Persian

Mini (marque)

For other uses of "mini", see mini (disambiguation).

Mini
Product typeCars
OwnerBMW (2000–present)
Produced byBMW
CountryUnited Kingdom
Introduced
  • As a car model 1959 (1959)
  • As a standalone brand 1969 (1969)
Related brandsJohn Cooper Works
MarketsWorldwide
Previous owners
Websitemini.com

Mini (stylised as MINI)[1] is a British automotive brand founded in Oxford in 1969, owned by German multinational automotive company BMW since 2000, and used by them for a range of small cars assembled in the United Kingdom, Austria, Netherlands (until 16 February 2024) and Germany. The word Mini has been used in car model names since 1959, and in 1969 it became a brand in its own right when the name "Mini" replaced the separate "Austin Mini" and "Morris Mini" car model names.[2][3] BMW acquired the brand in 1994 when it bought Rover Group (formerly British Leyland), which owned Mini, among other brands.[4]

The original Mini was a line of British small cars manufactured by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), which in 1966 became part of British Motor Holdings. This merged with Leyland Motors in 1968 to form British Leyland.[5] In the 1980s, British Leyland was broken-up and in 1988 Rover Group, including Mini, was acquired by British Aerospace.[5] Mini models included the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven, the Countryman, Moke, 1275GT and Clubman.[5] Performance versions of these models used the name Cooper, due to a partnership with racing legend John Cooper. The original Mini continued in production until 2000.

In 1994, Rover Group was acquired by BMW, being broken up in 2000 with BMW retaining the Mini brand.[6] Development of a modern successor to the Mini began in 1995 and an entirely new Mini model was launched in 2001 by BMW. The current Mini range includes the Hardtop/Hatch/Convertible (three-door hatchback) and Countryman (five-door crossover).

The Mini Clubman, Coupe and Roadster are assembled at BMW's Plant Oxford in Cowley, England.[7] The Mini Convertible and the second generation of the Countryman were assembled at VDL Nedcar in Born (Netherlands) till 16 February 2024. The Mini 3-door Hatch/Hardtop is assembled at both plants,[8] with the 5-door being exclusively assembled at Oxford.[9] The Paceman was until 2016 assembled by Magna Steyr in Austria.[10] A total of 301,526 Mini vehicles were sold worldwide in 2012.[11]

The third generation of the Mini Countryman is produced in Germany at BMW's Leipzig plant.[12]

Mini vehicles have been active in rallying and the Mini Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally on three occasions, in 1964, 1965 and 1967. Mini has participated in the World Rally Championship since 2011 through the Prodrive WRC Team.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mini, modern icon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945–1970, 1986
  3. ^ Adams, Keith; Ian Nicholls. "Mini development story Pt.2". AROnline. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011.
  4. ^ Prosser, Dan (10 November 2010). "MINI joins the World Rally Championship". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Reed, Chris (1994). Complete Mini: 35 Years of Production History, Model Changes, Performance Data. Croydon: MRP. ISBN 0-947981-88-8.
  6. ^ Cobb, James G. (15 September 2000). "New Mini: Retro in a Smaller Role". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  7. ^ "Millionth Mini produced in Oxford". BBC News. 4 April 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  8. ^ "VDL Nedcar to produce the new MINI Countryman".
  9. ^ "The new MINI 5-door Hatch rolls off the lines at Oxford". BMW Press Group.
  10. ^ "Mini Countryman (2010): first official pictures". Car Magazine. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  11. ^ "BMW Group posts highest sales ever in 2012". BMW Group. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  12. ^ "A MINI made in Germany : The new Mini Countryman". Mini.

Developed by StudentB