The Mini is, quite simply, the most popular British car ever built and become a classic British icon. With a dedicated group of Mini enthusiasts, step back in time and discover the secrets of this much-loved little car's success.
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MotorTranscript
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00:46 When the British Motor Corporation, better known
00:49 the world over as BMC, launched the Mini in August 1959,
00:55 far from being the introduction of just another new car,
00:59 it was the birth of a design classic.
01:03 More than 40 years on, the Mini has
01:06 remained fundamentally unchanged,
01:08 mixing that never had it so good style
01:12 with up-to-date technology.
01:15 The unique character of this delightful little car
01:18 has inspired artists, brought it starring roles in films,
01:22 and has won the hearts of millions far and wide.
01:27 For many of its owners, the Mini
01:29 evolved as much more than a car.
01:32 It became a way of life.
01:34 And today, we have the pleasure of exploring
01:36 how and why this small, seemingly ordinary family
01:41 car transformed into perhaps the greatest success story
01:45 the motor industry has ever known.
01:50 However, before we start on our journey,
01:52 let's take a few minutes to reveal
01:54 the events that contributed to the invention of the Mini.
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02:05 The real story of the Mini, quite surprisingly,
02:21 doesn't start in England at all.
02:24 Its roots lie with Alexander Arnold Constantine Isigonis,
02:30 a man born in Izmir, a place on the fringes
02:33 of the Eastern Mediterranean.
02:36 The exotic Isigonis name was courtesy
02:39 of his father, a Greek by birth, who
02:42 later took British citizenship.
02:44 Young Alec, as the Mini's inventor was affectionately
02:51 known, set out with a passion for the motoring industry,
02:55 which emerged during his first job,
02:57 when he spent five years collaborating
03:00 on a design for a semi-automatic gearbox.
03:05 In 1936, three years later, he joined the British car firm
03:10 Morris, under the control of Leonard Lord.
03:15 During the Second World War, Isigonis
03:18 remained within the motoring industry,
03:20 where he worked on several experimental projects,
03:23 including a lightweight Morris reconnaissance
03:26 vehicle for the army, and a tiny amphibian craft
03:31 with an outboard antiller steering.
03:34 The latter vehicle had small wheels
03:37 at each corner, a design feature that Isigonis
03:40 incorporated into the Mini.
03:45 In 1948, long after the end of the war,
03:48 Morris gave Isigonis permission to create his first complete car.
03:53 And with more than 10 years of motoring experience
03:56 behind him, he created the Morris Minor.
04:01 Like its Mini successor, its unit construction body,
04:05 independent front suspension using torsion bars,
04:08 and unusually small wheels defied the conventions
04:12 of the motoring industry.
04:15 Isigonis wanted to give the Minor front wheel
04:17 drive, like its successor.
04:20 But in 1952, when Morris merged with rivals Austin and BMC
04:26 was born, Isigonis' services were
04:29 surplus to requirements.
04:33 While all this was taking place, the post-war car industry
04:37 encountered several problems.
04:39 Cars were no longer reasonably priced.
04:42 Some family cars began to cost double their original design
04:46 price, and wartime tax still applied to cars.
04:52 Unless you were relatively well off,
04:54 buying a family car was out of the question.
04:56 The post-war petrol shortage also
05:02 led to a continuation of petrol rationing.
05:05 For the private motorist, petrol was
05:07 rationed to between 6 and 10 and 1/2 gallons a month,
05:11 depending on the car's fuel consumption, which
05:15 meant a limit of traveling only 300 miles a month
05:18 for the typical driver.
05:21 In 1957, Auto Car magazine featured motor scooters
05:26 as alternative transport.
05:28 But people weren't interested in these ugly looking machines.
05:33 The need for a small, economical car
05:36 was pushed to the forefront of the motoring world.
05:39 And as a result, the 1950s became the era of both the bubble
05:44 and micro car.
05:47 All around Europe, car owners were given the classic Fiat
05:50 500, the Renault Dauphine, the Citroen 2CV, the Volkswagen
05:56 Beetle, and the Austin A30.
05:59 Despite the cut prices of these cars,
06:04 like the two-door Austin A30, which was a steal at 475 pounds,
06:10 car owners perceived British vehicles as boring,
06:14 and unexciting.
06:16 They wanted transport that was much more than just a car.
06:20 And that's what they got when Issy Gonus rejoined BMC in 1957,
06:27 and was set the task of creating a fast, small car.
06:32 Enter the Mini Center Stage.
06:35 When Sir Leonard Lord brought Issy Gonus back to the UK,
06:42 in '57, his brief was simple.
06:45 He had to create a car smaller than the Morris Minor,
06:49 yet big enough to accommodate four full-sized people.
06:54 It had to be super compact, super economical, super
06:58 affordable, and despite all the constraints, be a real car.
07:04 It was to be a vehicle that used an existing engine from the BMC
07:08 range.
07:10 And could be ready for production within a two-year
07:13 time frame.
07:16 With his challenge laid out before him,
07:18 Issy Gonus set to work on Project AD015,
07:23 or as it's more commonly known, the Mini.
07:26 And the rest, as they say, is history.
07:29 From the very beginning, Issy Gonus
07:34 had decided not to build a bubble car.
07:37 A decision represented by his choice of dimensions.
07:41 He looked at the minimum space necessary to comfortably seat
07:45 four people, and decided that the car should be 10 feet long,
07:49 by four feet wide, by four feet tall.
07:54 Quite remarkably, though, when the Mini was launched,
07:57 it had a substantial amount of internal space.
08:00 Much more than anyone expected from those dimensions.
08:05 In order for Issy Gonus to successfully build a car
08:08 to these specifications, he had to scrap
08:11 the conventional three-box shape and overhanging boot.
08:17 In the finished car, he did manage
08:19 to fit an adequately sized boot.
08:22 And the ingenious lid design enabled
08:25 drivers to fold it down to use as a luggage platform.
08:33 With the car's overall dimensions and shape clearly
08:36 defined, a two-stroke engine was discarded
08:39 in favor of a more conventional four-cylinder, four-stroke
08:43 engine.
08:44 It was an engine that had already
08:46 been successfully established in BMC's staple power unit,
08:51 the A-series, used in both the Morris Minor and the A30.
08:56 At the same time, Issy Gonus was still
09:01 looking for a rear-wheel drive car.
09:04 At the same time, Issy Gonus rejected
09:06 the idea of having a rear-drive car
09:09 and instead opted for front-wheel drive, an idea he previously
09:14 explored when he designed the Minor.
09:18 At the time, front-wheel drive cars
09:20 were actually not uncommon.
09:22 For example, the Citroen 2CV used this method of driving.
09:27 But what made the Mini different from other cars
09:30 was the size of the engine.
09:33 Because of its minute size, conventionally mounting
09:37 the engine lengthways was out of the question.
09:40 It was simply too big.
09:42 From this point of view, it would
09:44 have been logical to turn the engine sideways
09:46 to transverse it.
09:48 But again, this was not viable, as there was no room
09:52 for the gearbox alongside.
09:56 Eventually, Issy Gonus kept the engine transverse
10:00 and found room to place the gearbox under the crankshaft
10:04 with the drive unit behind it.
10:07 In 1957, transverse engines were quite usual.
10:11 But fitting the engine and the gearbox in such a small space
10:14 was anything but.
10:17 In another act of brilliance, he decided
10:20 to add the smallest wheels that had ever been used on a car.
10:24 And at a mere 10 inches in diameter,
10:27 the wheels were already specially made.
10:31 However, when prototypes were built,
10:34 it was necessary for the wheels to be enlarged slightly.
10:38 These wheels were mounted to the extreme corners of the car
10:42 so that they didn't intrude on passenger space.
10:45 The fact that they were so small did raise questions
10:49 as to whether there was adequate space for brakes
10:51 and raised concerns about excessive tire wear.
10:56 But all satisfactorily answered, and the wheels
11:00 were allowed to stay.
11:01 With the wheel and engine design successfully completed,
11:11 Issy Gonus moved on to creating the suspension and drive
11:15 shaft, both of which were far more challenging to design,
11:19 as he needed them to be flexible and capable of coping
11:23 with big changes of horizontal angle.
11:27 Once again, Issy Gonus defied motoring conventions.
11:31 And with the help of his old friend,
11:33 Alex Moulton, developed a suspension
11:36 using new rubber elements sandwiched between metal cones.
11:41 It was both lightweight and compact,
11:44 and amazingly low on production costs,
11:47 like many of the other groundbreaking features
11:50 of the Mii.
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11:54 Rather than internal seams, the Mii
12:18 had simple external ones, as well as external door hinges.
12:24 It also had sliding windows and cable pull door releases
12:28 that were not just cheap, but also
12:30 became recognized as part of the Mii's unique character.
12:36 Seven months after the project began, prototypes were built,
12:40 and small changes were made.
12:43 The most noticeable being the engine size,
12:46 which was reduced from a 949cc A-series engine to an 848cc.
12:54 At the time, the management thought
12:56 that the 949cc was far too fast for such a small car.
13:01 So by changing the engine, they reduced the top speed
13:05 by 20 miles per hour.
13:09 By the end of June 1959, the cars
13:13 were being produced at a rate of 100 a week.
13:16 And on August 26, a mere two years after the project began,
13:22 BMC launched the Morris Mini Minor and the Morris Austin
13:27 7.
13:28 They were two cars that were virtually indistinguishable
13:32 and available in basic or deluxe version.
13:38 Looking back, it's not hard to see
13:40 why the Mini changed the motoring world forever.
13:44 It successfully met design specifications,
13:47 making the car revolutionary, innovative, and economical,
13:52 which is perhaps why for 40 years,
13:55 the car remained essentially unchanged until BMW's new Mini
14:01 was launched in 2001.
14:05 At last, Britain had produced a car
14:08 that could compete with models from abroad.
14:11 In fact, it was even considered to be
14:13 better than anything the rest of Europe had to offer.
14:18 The decade of the bubble and small car
14:20 brought little competition.
14:23 For example, the pioneering people's car, the VW Beetle,
14:27 with great European and US success under its belt,
14:31 was no match for the Mini.
14:36 It was only cars such as the Renault Dauphine and the Fiat
14:40 Nuova 500 that appeared to be more worthy rivals.
14:44 The Dauphine had real car power, four water-cooled cylinders,
14:52 and a top speed of 70 miles per hour,
14:54 but was three feet longer than the Mini.
14:58 The Nuova could boast that it was smaller,
15:01 but with only a 479cc engine, it was
15:06 no genuine match for the Mini's performance or refinement.
15:12 The British small cars didn't fare much better either.
15:16 BMC's Metropolitan and Ford's 105e
15:20 were nowhere near as small or as economically priced
15:24 as the Mini.
15:26 Right across the board, no rival had the Mini's overall package.
15:31 They were simply not as economical, as fast, or small,
15:36 and none handled as well over such a wide range of conditions.
15:43 It will therefore come as something of a shock
15:45 that, despite all the advantages,
15:48 the Mini was lucky to survive its second birthday.
15:53 The early cars seemed to suffer from
15:55 serious mechanical problems, the most infamous of all
15:59 being water leaks, which were so bad that puddles accumulated
16:04 on the floor and soaked into the carpet,
16:06 leaving behind an unpleasant smell of damp.
16:11 What made things even worse was the fact
16:13 that none of BMC's engineers, including Isigonis,
16:18 could work out how the water was getting in.
16:22 It was only after several hours of driving
16:24 through water splashes that they realized
16:27 that one of the floor panels had been attached incorrectly.
16:32 Once this was rectified, thankfully, the leak stopped.
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17:14 Unfortunately, there was another water-related problem,
17:17 but this time it was to do with the engine.
17:20 The placement of the engine meant that the distributor
17:23 and spark plugs were at the front,
17:26 but as you would expect, the ignition system
17:28 didn't like water and the car did tend to drown in it.
17:33 Fortunately, placing a splash shield
17:37 between the grille and the electrics
17:40 easily solved the problem.
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17:44 The Mini suffered from faults in other areas too.
17:47 The exhaust pipes and wheels would fracture
17:50 and the transmission tended to leak oil,
17:53 but such problems as the ones just listed
17:56 weren't the main threat to the Mini's survival.
17:59 It was far more basic.
18:01 Quite simply, sales were very poor.
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18:19 By the end of 1959, BMC were only producing
18:23 just short of 20,000 Minis,
18:26 a figure that was comparatively low
18:29 when considered along with the rest of the motoring industry.
18:32 In hindsight, the main reason why it didn't sell
18:36 was because it was so reasonably priced
18:39 and prospective customers were worried
18:41 that purchasing a Mini would scream out,
18:44 "Look at us, we're poor."
18:46 Throughout the 1950s, car and class were inseparable.
18:53 And as long as the Mini was marketed
18:55 as a working man's car with a working man's price tag,
18:59 people weren't going to buy it.
19:02 In standard trim, it was priced at a meagre 497 pounds
19:08 undercutting every other real car on the market,
19:12 except for the 419 pound Ford Popular.
19:16 The advertising campaigns emphasized the low cost
19:20 and running economy, things that should have been popular
19:24 because of the petrol shortage.
19:26 But car owners weren't interested.
19:29 They wanted a new car that was classy
19:32 and socially acceptable.
19:34 Mini was seen as neither.
19:38 However, as the 1960s dawned, it was all change
19:42 and the British way of life changed beyond recognition.
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19:51 The swinging '60s were revolutionary,
20:18 a time of Beatlemania, sexual freedom,
20:22 fashion, youth culture, riots, and political assassinations.
20:27 But more importantly for the story of the Mini,
20:30 it was a glorious decade.
20:32 Almost as soon as the '60s began,
20:36 the Mini's popularity was in the ascendancy.
20:39 The British masses witnessed the Queen
20:42 take it for a ride around Windsor Park
20:44 and Princess Margaret even bought one.
20:48 Suddenly, the Mini ditched its working man image
20:51 to become a car that was associated with the aristocracy.
20:56 It was now socially acceptable and desirable to drive a Mini
21:01 and by 1961, sales exceeded 150,000 a year.
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21:15 Behind the scenes, BMC were experiencing problems.
21:19 There was a flaw in the Mini's profit equation
21:22 that meant that they were probably losing
21:24 as much as 30 pounds on each car.
21:27 Only by bringing the production costs down
21:30 could they make a profit.
21:33 However, this didn't stop them launching
21:35 new versions of the Mini.
21:37 In 1960, the Mini Van was unleashed
21:42 as well as a variant of the original cars,
21:45 the Morris Mini Minor and the Morris Austin Seven.
21:49 It was a half-timbered estate car
21:52 that was called the Traveller or Countryman,
21:55 depending upon which badge it had.
21:57 In September, another Mini was introduced
22:01 in the form of the Super.
22:03 It featured fancy oil and water gauges
22:06 along with an ignition key starting system.
22:11 By the end of 1961, BMC had produced another three Mini types
22:16 much to the delight of the British motoring public.
22:19 In October, the Riley Elf and Woolsey Hornet
22:25 emerged with false radiator grills
22:27 and luxury walnut dashboards.
22:31 Nevertheless, it's the last of the long list
22:34 of Mini versions that year
22:36 which proved to be the most legendary.
22:40 Unlike the original, this creation wasn't down
22:43 to the genius of Issy Gonus,
22:46 but stemmed from the brain
22:48 of the commercial racing constructor, John Cooper.
22:51 As soon as the Mini was launched,
22:54 he recognized its racing potential.
22:57 He bought one and straightaway replaced the engine.
23:01 He used one from the same A-series unit,
23:05 but with a longer stroke
23:07 that meant it had a capacity of 997cc instead of 850.
23:12 Cooper wanted BMC to build this modified car
23:19 so his drivers could race them,
23:21 but the production costs were too high
23:24 unless they were made in bulk.
23:26 As a result, BMC decided to build the car
23:31 and sell it on the open market,
23:33 which is how the Mini Cooper was born,
23:36 changing the Mini from a utility car into a sporting icon.
23:41 The modified engine wasn't the only thing
23:46 that John Cooper had changed.
23:49 The Mini Cooper featured twin SU carburetors,
23:52 a modified cylinder head,
23:54 and a three-branch exhaust system.
23:57 He also swapped the long gear stick for a remote switch
24:01 and gave the Mini its first ever disc brakes
24:05 and that only seven inches in diameter,
24:08 they were the smallest in the motoring world at the time.
24:11 His changes enhanced the original performance
24:15 by 15 miles per hour
24:17 and entitled him to two pounds
24:19 for each car they built bearing his name.
24:23 In 1962, the original Austin Mini 7
24:28 dropped the 7 from its name
24:31 and the deluxe and super versions merged
24:34 to become the Super Deluxe.
24:37 By the end of the year,
24:38 the Mini became even cheaper than its launch price.
24:42 The April budget brought car tax down by 10%,
24:48 leaving the car costing only 495 pounds,
24:52 19 shillings and thruppence.
24:55 This of course only helped to boost
24:57 the Mini's ever increasing popularity.
25:02 Given the immense success of the Mini Cooper,
25:05 BMC launched the Cooper S in March 1963.
25:10 It had an enhanced engine capacity of 1,071 CCs,
25:16 its gearbox was strengthened,
25:19 the wheels were made wider with better brakes
25:22 and the top speed was increased.
25:25 It beat any of BMC's sports cars speed-wise,
25:30 enhancing the Mini's reputation dramatically.
25:33 The need for fast cars in the racing world
25:38 meant that Cooper S variants came thick and fast.
25:43 In 1964, 970 CC and 1,275 CC versions
25:48 of the Cooper S were introduced
25:53 and in the same year, BMC launched the Moke,
25:56 a Jeep-like Mini that generated
25:59 something of a cult following.
26:01 March 1965 heralded a great achievement
26:06 for both BMC and Issegonis
26:09 when the millionth Mini was produced.
26:13 In May, the option of an automatic gearbox was introduced
26:17 along with reclining seats for the Cooper.
26:21 In 1966, the Mini won its fourth Monte Carlo Rally
26:26 and BMC merged with Jaguar to form British Motor Holdings.
26:31 By the end of 1967, the Mini's popularity
26:37 had soared to such an extent
26:39 that earlier mechanical and sales problems
26:42 seemed like a distant memory.
26:45 The new glamorous celebrities of the decade,
26:48 such as Twiggy and Gene Shrimpton,
26:50 saw the car as a must-have fashion accessory,
26:54 which helped sales increase further
26:57 as people followed in the footsteps of their idols.
27:01 Yet what really made the car popular
27:05 wasn't its speed or economy,
27:08 it was the ability for each model to be unique.
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27:35 The Mini had its own fashion identity,
27:38 which was incredibly important
27:40 at a time when fashion was, quite literally,
27:44 everything.
27:45 The vast number of accessories available
27:48 allowed car owners to change
27:50 virtually anything that they wanted.
27:53 You could buy accessories ranging from
27:55 extended throttle pedals,
27:58 straps to keep the engine down,
28:00 various racing items,
28:02 and a spectacular tent that could be mounted on the roof.
28:06 Even more famous faces were modifying their Minis.
28:12 Beatles star Paul McCartney owned a Mini Cooper S
28:16 with discrete modifications,
28:18 but fellow Beatle John Lennon went psychedelic.
28:22 The most famous Mini fan of all
28:25 was probably Peter Sellers,
28:27 the well-known comedy actor.
28:29 He not only converted people to the Mini,
28:32 but also made his own truly spectacular.
28:35 In 1963, he gave his Morris Mini Cooper
28:41 to the well-known coach builders Hooper,
28:44 and what came back was a 1,000 pound Ultimate Mini.
28:48 The deeply padded reclining front seats,
28:52 beige Connelly leather, electric wind-up windows,
28:56 traditional wood cloth headlinings,
28:59 and three-spoke alloy steering wheel
29:01 made the car look more like a Rolls Royce.
29:05 On the outside, it had Bentley style
29:09 with Lucas headlights placed above two large front spotlights
29:14 as well as additional bumper overrides,
29:17 special wheel trims, and much more.
29:20 As you look at these more modern modified Minis today,
29:25 you can certainly appreciate just what an impact
29:28 these mega stars of the past really had
29:31 on this classic car.
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29:59 By the time the '60s were over,
30:02 hundreds, if not thousands of people
30:04 had converted or accessorized their Minis.
30:08 They were changed in every way imaginable.
30:11 They were elongated to become stretch limos,
30:17 pulled upwards to make a double-decker bus,
30:20 and even changed into a car transporter.
30:23 The most infamous change was the Union Jack Mini,
30:27 which appeared at the Montreal World Fair in 1967.
30:33 Mini festivals at Brown's Hat soon became places
30:36 where car owners could show off their various conversions.
30:40 Even though you could do all of this,
30:43 BMC were still creating versions of their own.
30:46 And in 1967, when production was close
30:50 to a quarter of a million, they launched the Mark II.
30:54 It had a bigger rear window, bigger grill,
30:58 new interior trim and badges,
31:00 better seats and bigger lights.
31:03 BMC didn't stop there, as the legendary Cooper
31:08 was given an all-synchro gearbox,
31:11 and the Mini 1000 Super Deluxe
31:14 was given saloon and estate variants.
31:18 Even the Mini Van and Estate weren't left untouched.
31:22 They both gained a 998cc option.
31:28 Even though there was another threat of an oil shortage
31:31 and the British economy was going pear-shaped
31:34 with the pound being devalued by 14.3%,
31:39 the Mini was nevertheless unstoppable.
31:42 From 1968 to 1971, it set new sales records,
31:50 and once again, BMC changed its name
31:53 when it merged with Leyland Motor Corporation
31:56 to become British Leyland Motor Corporation.
32:00 The final year of the decade brought interior door handles,
32:05 wind-up windows and concealed door hinges for every model.
32:10 It also brought the Clubman, a Mini with a new,
32:16 some would say ugly-looking nose, bigger seats,
32:20 improved trim and a conventional dashboard.
32:25 Looking back over these 10 years,
32:28 it's easy to see why the '60s
32:30 were so glorious for the Mini.
32:32 Not only had it won a countless number of racing trophies,
32:38 it had moved from the shadows
32:40 to become one of Britain's most popular cars,
32:43 if not the most popular.
32:45 Even breakdown services and policemen were using Minis.
32:50 Admittedly, its success so far was due in part
32:55 to its adaptability and fashionable status,
32:58 thanks to its famous owners.
33:00 But various Mini versions ensured that brilliant design
33:05 also played a significant role.
33:07 When it was chosen to leap 45-foot gaps
33:13 and hit ramps at 70 miles per hour
33:16 in the 1969 film "The Italian Job," it became clear.
33:22 The Mini had become a great British icon.
33:26 1970 saw the Mini's popularity and success continue.
33:33 Compulsory seatbelts were fitted into each car
33:36 and famous faces brought the car
33:38 to the front of the society pages.
33:41 Actor Lawrence Harvey's 1275 Cooper S
33:46 combined performance with luxury
33:49 at a staggering cost of 3,000 pounds.
33:52 He had it rebuilt by darkening the windows,
33:56 inserting a sunroof, and fitting it with leather seats,
34:00 doors, and dashboard.
34:02 However, from 1970 onwards, the Mini's success
34:06 and popularity began to take a gentle tumble.
34:10 Compared to the '60s, the '70s were miserable.
34:15 Britain was a place of strikes, inflation,
34:19 unemployment, and the IRA.
34:21 The Beatles had split up, and the youth of the '60s,
34:25 car owners that had once bought the Mini
34:28 because it caught their imagination and was fun,
34:31 were growing up and buying Volvos and Range Rovers
34:35 to display their wealth and status.
34:37 Already losing sales to more grown-up cars,
34:43 despite the 1971 slash in purchase tax,
34:47 BLMC made a very big mistake.
34:51 (upbeat music)
34:53 Back in 1961, when John Cooper devised the Mini Cooper,
35:15 he cut a deal that entitled him
35:17 to two pound in royalties per car.
35:19 10 years on, and the new MD of BLMC,
35:24 the ruthless Sir Donald Stokes,
35:26 naturally didn't appreciate paying royalties,
35:29 and as a result, terminated Cooper's association with BLMC,
35:34 and any car bearing his name was scrapped.
35:38 Stokes replaced the 1275 Cooper S,
35:44 a car responsible for a large number of Mini sales,
35:47 with the 1275 GT.
35:50 He might have saved two pound in royalties,
35:53 but lost far more credibility
35:55 than he could ever have imagined.
35:57 The 1275 GT had a single carb 60 brake horsepower engine
36:04 and a big-nosed Clubman shape.
36:07 It was nowhere near as stylish as the Cooper S,
36:10 which was clearly reflected in the sales figures.
36:13 For the next two years,
36:16 BLMC modernized the drive shaft joints and gear boxes,
36:20 making gear changing smoother.
36:22 In 1973, alternators replaced dynamos,
36:28 and the management at BLMC wanted the Mini
36:31 to be made more commercially viable.
36:33 To achieve this, tinted glass, reversing lamps,
36:38 locking petrol caps, bumper and wheel arches were all added.
36:43 But did this make more people want to buy the Mini?
36:47 The answer was no.
36:49 In trying to make the car more upmarket
36:52 and to give it greater appeal,
36:54 they achieved the complete opposite.
36:58 By now, it was obvious.
37:00 They simply didn't understand what it was
37:03 that made the Mini a classic icon.
37:05 (upbeat music)
37:08 In 1973, the British economy was struggling
37:34 and the threat of a petrol shortage loomed large.
37:37 By rights, the economical Mini should have taken advantage
37:41 of the situation with its low running costs.
37:45 Unfortunately, the car wasn't marketed in that way,
37:48 and because of this and the changes
37:51 that Sir Donald Stokes had made,
37:53 foreign imports began to outsell BLMC's cars in Britain
37:58 for the very first time.
38:03 As the '70s wore on, BLMC management continually tried
38:08 to make the car more upmarket.
38:11 By the end of the year,
38:12 petrol prices had virtually doubled,
38:15 but yet again, thanks to management's short-sightedness,
38:19 the Mini failed to take advantage.
38:22 Instead, inflation pushed the price of the car
38:26 through the roof, and for the first time ever,
38:29 the Mini's list price went over 1,000 pounds.
38:33 For BLMC, it was only the beginning of their woes,
38:39 and as the company was nationalised,
38:41 the infamous reign of British Leyland started.
38:45 Unfortunately, bankruptcy was rife throughout Britain,
38:50 and BL were very soon on the verge of it.
38:53 In fact, the company and the Mini only survived
38:57 because of government ownership.
38:59 (upbeat music)
39:02 Even with the threat of insolvency on the horizon,
39:19 BL didn't change their marketing strategy.
39:22 For instance, in 1976, a twin steering column
39:27 heated rear windows, hazard lights, and face ventilation
39:30 were all made standard for the Mini 1000.
39:33 They even introduced special edition Minis
39:37 that were reminiscent of the glory days.
39:40 The first one to be released was the 1000 Special.
39:45 It had coach-lined green and white paint,
39:48 reclining seats, and safari carpets.
39:52 But the general consensus was that instead
39:55 of being upmarket, it was just plain tacky.
39:58 Car owners were no longer interested in the same vehicle
40:05 that they'd driven 10 years ago.
40:07 In hindsight, if BL had kept the Cooper
40:11 while reading the ever-changing marketplace
40:13 more effectively, perhaps record sales
40:16 for the Mini could have been regained.
40:19 However, that said, the Mini sales did rally slightly
40:23 in 1979.
40:25 To celebrate its 20th birthday,
40:28 and to bring an unhappy decade to a close,
40:32 BL launched the Mini 1100LE.
40:34 It proved to be an instant hit with metallic roof,
40:39 door stripes, tartan trim, and 1,275 GT-style instruments.
40:44 Production was doubled from 2,500 to 5,000,
40:51 even though the list price was a staggering 3,300 pounds.
40:56 Another Mini that met with success was the Mini Van.
41:02 It remained the UK's best-selling small van
41:06 with 10,000 sales a year, and to market success,
41:10 BL made cloth seats, carpets, and sound insulation standard
41:15 in the 998cc model.
41:19 Yet, instead of the Mini thriving as it had done
41:22 in the '60s, the sales of the Mini Van
41:25 and the 1100LE merely ensured that it survived.
41:30 For the 1980s, it was a trend that was set to continue,
41:38 and throughout the decade, BL continued
41:41 to carry out mechanical improvements,
41:43 as well as creating a variety of special editions.
41:48 Designer names like Chelsea, Ritz, Piccadilly,
41:52 and Park Lane were all part of another attempt
41:56 to make the car more upmarket, classy, and appealing.
42:00 Other specials included The Advantage,
42:04 which had a tennis theme, the Sprite,
42:07 Red Hot, and Jet Black.
42:10 However, mechanical reliability was poor,
42:13 and Mini owners became far too well-acquainted
42:16 with the AA and the RAC.
42:19 Thankfully, 1980 saw the discontinuation
42:24 of the unpopular Clubman shape.
42:27 In the same year, BL came up with a car
42:30 that they hoped would be the Mini's successor,
42:33 but a last-minute management decision meant
42:36 that it would be a new Mini model instead.
42:39 In October, the Mini Metro was launched,
42:43 and by the time 1983 rolled around,
42:47 the Metro had become Britain's best-selling car.
42:50 Even though the Metro was successful,
42:54 it was too little, too late.
42:57 The Mini was no longer fashionable,
42:59 and as a result, BL's Mini production
43:02 had fallen below 50,000 a year.
43:05 Things were looking bleak for the once-revolutionary car
43:09 as the 20th century came into its final decade.
43:14 Surprisingly, fighting competition
43:17 from the Japanese manufacturers in Britain,
43:19 the Mini survived because of its own overseas success.
43:24 In Japan, the Mini had become a hot motoring fashion item,
43:28 and they simply couldn't get enough
43:30 of the delightful little car.
43:32 In 1986, when BL Cars merged with Honda,
43:39 they asked John Cooper to produce a performance kit
43:43 for the one-liter version of the Mayfair,
43:46 and his decision to accept the challenge
43:49 ensured that when BL and Honda became the Rover Group,
43:53 he would be reinstated.
43:56 Winning back John Cooper was certainly a very good omen
43:59 for the Mini's future.
44:01 In 1989, the Mini celebrated its 30th birthday
44:06 with a party at Silverstone.
44:08 The Rover asked John Cooper to produce a Mini Cooper
44:12 to mark the event, and after seeing it in the flesh,
44:16 so to speak, Rover immediately realized
44:19 what they'd been missing, and straightaway,
44:21 they changed production Minis into Coopers.
44:25 In 1990, the Mini Cooper was officially returned,
44:29 closely followed by the Mini Cooper S in 1991.
44:33 The relaunch of both Cooper models
44:36 marked the end of new Mini versions until 1999.
44:41 (upbeat music)
45:09 When the new Mini Cooper was launched,
45:11 it became the star of the range, selling over 1,000,
45:15 with a further 600 cars being produced each week.
45:19 It was an instant success,
45:21 and proved just how wrong Stokes had been
45:24 when he withdrew the model nearly 20 years earlier.
45:28 For the first time in nearly two decades,
45:31 the Mini was back in the hands of a team that understood it.
45:36 Nevertheless, these were challenging times,
45:39 and early in 1994, Honda bought the Rover Group
45:43 from British Aerospace at a knockdown price.
45:46 Almost straight after this move,
45:49 BMW, with its rapidly expanding collection of car brands,
45:53 bought it from Honda.
45:55 Immediately, they recognized that the Mini brand
45:58 could offer them something their other brands lacked,
46:01 namely, sheer volume.
46:03 It was a brand that had the potential
46:06 to up the company's turnover,
46:08 and open up a new area of the market for them.
46:11 Unlike BMW's already existing
46:15 luxury rear-wheel drive models,
46:18 the Mini would be small and cheap,
46:20 while still undeniably enjoying classic car status.
46:25 It also had the advantage of bringing down
46:29 the corporate average fuel economy,
46:31 which was very good news for BMW.
46:35 Failing to meet the target set meant penalties,
46:38 and harming the environment,
46:40 and BMW had never been known for prioritizing
46:44 maximum miles to the gallon,
46:46 with performance being far more important.
46:49 It was clear BMW had many reasons
46:54 to cherish and nurture the Mini name,
46:57 as it clearly had the potential to make them a lot of money.
47:01 As a result, 1995 saw the engineers and design teams
47:06 no longer looking at revamping the 1959 classic.
47:11 Instead, their attention was focused
47:14 on creating a radical new Mini,
47:17 one that lived up to its predecessor.
47:19 (upbeat music)
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47:53 It had to be distinctive and mechanically advanced,
48:05 whilst retaining the essence and character of the original.
48:09 It was definitely a tall order,
48:12 particularly since neither Rover nor BMW
48:15 had ever worked on small cars that were Mini-sized before.
48:20 In BMW's case, two concept cars, the E1 and Z13,
48:25 can sum up their attempts to manufacture a small car.
48:30 Both were more concerned with minimum emissions,
48:33 rather than minimum size.
48:35 As soon as the project began,
48:38 Rover found it difficult to come up with a new design
48:42 that did justice to Issy Gonus' creation.
48:45 But when three cars emerged in quick succession,
48:50 it was clear that they had the Mini spirit in mind.
48:53 The first, in January 1997, was the ACV30,
49:01 which was unveiled at the Monte Carlo Rally.
49:05 The car celebrated the 30 years that had passed
49:10 since the Mini completed its Monte Carlo Rally
49:13 winning hat trick in the '60s.
49:17 Its rear-engined, classic red and white Cooper stripes
49:21 offered people clues as to what the new Mini would look like.
49:25 The emergence of the Spiritual and Spiritual II
49:29 gave the masses even more of a hint,
49:32 especially since they carried the Mini badges.
49:35 Even Auto Car Magazine devoted pages of photos
49:40 to these cars under the headline,
49:42 "Mini's Big Future, It's Small, Spacious,
49:46 Cute and Revolutionary."
49:48 So, had the Mini at last turned a corner?
49:53 Unfortunately, the answer was no.
49:55 Unbeknown to Rover, while they were producing
50:01 and designing these cars, BMW had already decided
50:05 that no matter what Rover had to offer,
50:08 the final proposal as to what the new Mini would look like
50:12 would come from them.
50:13 As a conciliation prize in 1996,
50:18 BMW decided that Rover would develop the car
50:22 and be given maximum freedom
50:24 with regards to its engineering.
50:26 Despite Rover's contribution to the final product,
50:30 in 2000, BMW sold to the Rover Group
50:34 because it was not economically viable.
50:36 Just like the original Mini,
50:40 BMW followed in the footsteps of Issy Gonus,
50:44 using the minimum exterior dimensions
50:47 for the maximum interior space.
50:50 But because times had changed since 1959,
50:54 making safety and comfort critical,
50:57 it was impossible to keep the next generation Mini
51:00 quite as small as the classic was.
51:03 The inclusion of the old distinctive windscreen angle,
51:08 round headlamps, smiley grill shape,
51:11 and contrasting colors made the design scream Mini.
51:16 Not only did BMW want the car's exterior
51:19 to reflect its predecessor,
51:21 they also wanted the mechanical design and handling too.
51:24 It was for this reason that the new car
51:28 had an improved four-cylinder, 16-valve,
51:32 1.6-liter transverse engine and front-wheel drive.
51:38 The suspension was updated
51:41 so that it used strut front suspension
51:43 with steel coil springs
51:45 and a version of BMW's two-axle at the rear.
51:49 Meanwhile, the interior design
51:52 had many of the classic Mini styling cues
51:55 with centered instruments, rows of toggle switches,
51:59 and stylized steering column stalks.
52:06 By the end of 1997, Rover had prototypes on the road.
52:11 They made BMW realize that they had to make the car
52:14 both lighter and more powerful,
52:17 and that's exactly what happened
52:19 before the new Mini appeared in 2001.
52:23 The Mini One was available at 10,300 pounds
52:29 and the Mini Cooper at 11,600.
52:32 Both prices were a far cry from the 1959 launch price
52:37 of 497 pounds.
52:40 The new cars were essentially spawned from the same design,
52:45 like the Austin Seven and Mini Minor,
52:48 but they had slight differences.
52:50 The Mini One had 90 brake horsepower,
52:53 a top speed of 115 miles per hour,
52:56 and did naught to 60 MPH in 10.9 seconds.
53:02 The new Cooper offered just that little bit more
53:04 with 115 brake horsepower,
53:07 a top speed of 125 miles per hour,
53:11 and naught to 60 in 9.2 seconds.
53:15 The cars were instant hits
53:17 as both Mini enthusiasts of old
53:20 and style-conscious buyers of the new millennium
53:23 wanted to get their hands on one.
53:25 (upbeat music)
53:28 Soon after the new Cooper was launched,
53:35 BMW capitalized on its success
53:39 by releasing the all-new Mini Cooper S in early 2002.
53:43 It was more flamboyant than the Cooper model
53:47 with its bonnet scoop, side vents, bigger wheels,
53:51 roof spoiler, and twin exhausts.
53:55 Like the old Cooper S, it was a small, sporty car
53:58 that on the road was reliable,
54:00 exceptionally economical, and powerful.
54:03 The new Minis were everything
54:07 that BMW had promised they would be,
54:10 and although they didn't quite reinvent the small car
54:13 as the original had,
54:15 the classic DNA combined with modern technology,
54:19 performance, safety, and quality
54:21 ensured that the Mini would once again be a success.
54:26 In fact, it guaranteed that the Mini,
54:29 ancient or modern,
54:30 will forever remain a great British icon,
54:34 undoubtedly deserving its 1995 title
54:38 as car of the century.
54:40 As our time looking at how the Mini
54:48 has traveled through the past 40-plus years
54:51 emerging as a survivor, an icon,
54:54 and the best-selling British car ever
54:57 is sadly drawing to a close,
54:59 we'll conclude the proceedings
55:01 with a glimpse of how this new generation Mini is performing.
55:05 Before the car was even launched in the United States,
55:10 Americans knew what the Mini was.
55:13 In the '60s and '70s,
55:15 about 10,000 classic Minis trickled into the country,
55:19 and the nation never forgot the extraordinary little car.
55:23 In fact, people still saw the personality of the original
55:28 when they looked at BMW's new Mini Cooper and Cooper S.
55:32 It might not have had a US heritage,
55:35 but owning one of them
55:37 was definitely something to be proud of.
55:39 The Cooper list price was $16,300,
55:44 with the Cooper S being slightly more expensive
55:48 at $19,300.
55:51 Almost immediately, waiting lists were huge
55:54 as people of all ages were buying the car,
55:58 some because of its association with the rich and famous,
56:02 some because of its amazing drivability,
56:05 but equally, many others were buying the Mini
56:08 to satisfy the concept of real motoring.
56:12 It gave people the chance
56:14 to simply have fun behind the wheel,
56:16 and with all the pressures on or off the road
56:19 of 21st century life, this was a great asset indeed.
56:23 After its American success,
56:28 the new Minis soon became available in Europe.
56:32 Around the world, sales were so strong
56:35 that BMW were actually worried
56:37 that they'd not be able to produce enough Minis
56:40 to meet the demand.
56:42 The Mini's worldwide success ensured
56:44 that awards started to flow.
56:47 In 2002, it received Car of the Year
56:50 from magazines in Britain and America,
56:53 and in 2003, the Mini Cooper was named
56:57 North American Car of the Year
56:59 at the Detroit International Auto Show.
57:02 On the form of the past 40 years,
57:06 it's hard to imagine what the future holds
57:08 for a car that wasn't expected to last 10 years,
57:12 let alone close to 50, and still counting.
57:15 In the '60s, the Mini's phenomenal success
57:20 and popularity would have made it impossible
57:23 to predict that the '70s and '80s would prove
57:26 to be so tough for our revolutionary little car.
57:31 BMW insist that the new Mini isn't just one car,
57:35 but a brand, which can only mean
57:38 that other versions are to come,
57:40 led by a Mini Convertible variant.
57:43 They are adamant the Mini will remain
57:46 in the motoring world for many years to come.
57:49 If the enthusiasts who've allowed us a glimpse
57:52 of their much-treasured Minis
57:54 throughout the course of this program
57:56 are anything to go by, BMW have got it right.
58:00 The foreseeable future for the Mini is indeed bright,
58:05 even if the time does come for this eponymous classic
58:09 to enjoy a well-earned retirement,
58:11 there's one thing you can be absolutely certain of.
58:15 The Mini will never be forgotten,
58:18 because it is as much a part of world history
58:22 as it is a great little car that people simply love to drive.
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