The British Motor Corporation "Mini-1000"

I have never been a car buff. Oh, I have admired the styling of some of them over the years and wished very much that I could afford those I liked the best, but that's about as far as it goes. I hate having to try to work on cars. I think that knowing a mechanic you can trust is one of the minor joys of life. 

So here too, every now and then I see a car that catches my eye. I showed you a photo of a Lamborghini not long ago and I recently spotted the Jaguar X16 that graces the header. Those two shout 'Money'. They're the machine equivalents of football or rock stars. 

My post today is about running across a different sort of car. This little car quietly mumurs 'Economy.' If the Mini-1000 was parked next to either of those showy 'star cars' I just mentioned, it might look rather silly to most people, but I have learned that this little car has had an impact on the automotive industry that you might not realize and that was greater than either of those two sports cars. 

It was made from 1959 to 2000. It's innovative transverse engine and front wheel drive influenced car designers everywhere. 

Let's look at some photos.

Definitely diminutive. It's got a 9 gallon gas tank.

A no nonsense look about it. I'm glad they gave it a classy looking hood ornament. Looks sort of Art Deco to me, but what do I know? Top speed of about 82 mph.

Mini-1000 fits it, don't you think? One source said it gets 60 miles to the gallon of petrol. I'd have guessed even higher. 

Looks real cozy in there. The leader of the 1959 design team, Leonard Lord, supposedly told his staff that the car they would build had to fit inside a wooden box, 10 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet.

Room for four, really good friends. 

I'll bet it's a snap to park.

Varrooomm, varrooom... It's ready to go...
It can do 0 to 60 mph in just 22.7 seconds! That's probably assuming a 100 lb. driver, and a tail wind, and a down hill grade. 

Okay, okay, I'm not really making fun of this car. Good things come in small packages is an old saying that apparently holds true here. This little unassuming car in 1999 was voted by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation, as the 2nd Most Influencial Car of the Century, behind the Model T and ahead of the Volkswagon Beetle. I'd say that means that this little car could and should hold it's head (or hood) up at any car show anywhere.  

In the human world. the large, the powerful, the affluent, and the good looking get most of the attention. The small, the humble, modest, and discrete often don't get the credit they deserve. 

Well, to those who have eyes to see, (and read), know that this humble little machine that you've been looking (and maybe smirking) at is not the least, but rather, one of the first. 'Good on ya, Mini-1000.'         -djf