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N0KFQ > TODAY 26.08.15 18:19l 59 Lines 2740 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Aug 26
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Sent: 150826/1611Z 64970@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.4.63
1959
Mini makes its debut
On this day in 1959, the British Motor Corporation (BMC) launches
its newest car, the small, affordable-at a price tag of less than
$800-Mark I Mini. The diminutive Mini went on to become one of
the best-selling British cars in history.
The story behind the Mini began in August 1956, when President
Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal in
response to the American and British decision to withdraw funding
for a new dam's construction due to Egypt's Communist ties. The
international crisis that followed led to fuel shortages and
gasoline rationing across Europe. Sir Leonard Lord, head of
BMC-formed by the merger of automakers Austin and Morris in
1952-wanted to produce a British alternative to the tiny,
fuel-efficient German cars that were cornering the market after
the Suez Crisis. He turned to Alec Issigonis, a Turkish immigrant
who as chief engineer at Morris Motors had produced the Morris
Minor, a teapot-shaped cult favorite that had nonetheless never
seriously competed with the Volkswagen "Beetle" or Fiat's 500 or
Cinquecento.
Mini development began in 1957 and took place under a veil of
secrecy; the project was known only as ADO (for Austin Drawing
Office) 15. After about two and a half years-a relatively short
design period-the new car was ready for the approval of Lord, who
immediately signed off on its production.
Launched on August 26, 1959, the new front-wheel-drive car was
priced at around $800 and marketed under two names: Austin Seven
and Morris Mini-Minor. The two vehicles were the same except for
each had a different radiator grille, and by 1962 both were known
simply as the Mini. Issigonis' design, including an engine
mounted sideways to take up less space, had created a surprising
amount of space for a small-bodied car: At only 10 feet long, the
Mini could sit four adults, and had a trunk big enough for a
reasonable amount of luggage. With a starting price of around
$800, the Mini was truly a "people's car," but its popularity
transcended class, and it was also used by affluent Londoners as
a second car to easily maneuver in city traffic.
By the time production was halted in 2000, 5.3 million Minis had
been produced. Around that same time, a panel of 130
international journalists voted the Mini "European Car of the
Century." A high-performance version of the Mini engineered by
the race car builder John Cooper had first been released in 1961;
known as the Mini Cooper, it became one of the favorites of Mini
enthusiasts worldwide. In 2003, the Mini Cooper was updated for a
new generation of buyers by the German automaker BMW.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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