Few people would have foreseen the gigantic impact this simple little car made on motoring. It wasn’t because the Mini was able to win races against opponents that were far bigger and more powerful. Nor was it because of the car’s class-less status. In fact, the little runabout never set out to be great or noble. It only wanted to answer the fuel crisis in 1956.
The solution came from Sir Alec Issigonis (pictured below), who designed the Morris Mini Minor. The car he created, which entered production in 1959, was a work of genius.
The original model, powered by an 848cc engine, was going for less than £500 in Britain, but it featured groundbreaking technologies at that time. It’s front-wheel-drive, which was rare, and it features a rubber-cone suspension system. Despite the Mini’s tiny size, its cabin is surprisingly spacious. 
