Minis

What could possibly be more British than the small but perfectly formed Mini? The distinctive car can be seen on every street at least multiple times. The Mini was originally designed to be a little run around that was economic and cheap to run; no one imagined it would still be here more than half a century on.

It wasn’t always as popular, when it was first launched the general public thought the car was ‘odd’ however once the queen had been spotted taking it for a spin the car became a major fashion item. In the 60’s it was the coolest thing to be seen with, and everyone who was anyone had to be seen in them – The Beatles had one each! It was just as iconic as the London red bus as all TV and film directors wanted to display the Mini.

The original designer of the Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis (1906-1988), would be extremely proud of his revolutionary creation, and even more so of achieving the largest production total of any British car at a massive 5.4 million. They even appeared as the star of the show in The Italian Job – in blue, white and red so typically British.

Over the years, the Mini may have changed however all the quirky features and original characteristics have remained the same. This is what makes it one of the most successful and loved British cars of all time.

Image credit: hashmil