Classic Car Insurance for Mini

Mini Classic Car Heritage

The ‘Classic Mini’, as it’s known to differentiate from its BMW-owned modern cousin, is a timeless British automotive icon. Produced from 1959 to April 2000, the story began in response to fuel rationing imposed on the UK following its role in the Suez Crisis in 1956.

With the urgent need for smaller, more efficient vehicles rising, The British Motor Corporation recruited the talents of Alec Issigonis to develop a car capable of transporting four adults using a traditional four-stroke, four-cylinder engine. Without exceeding a footprint larger than ten feet long, four feet wide and four feet high.

Issigonis met the challenge. Deploying a space-saving transverse engine with front wheel drive. Eradicating the complication and cost of a driveshaft running to the rear of the car. Delivering a nimble, highly driveable prototype that BMC enthusiastically commissioned.

For the next 40 years, Mini would become a sales, motorsport and cultural success story. From the Mini Cooper S winning the Monte Carlo Rally three times, to Coopers taking a starring role in the Italian Job, or being named ‘European Car of the Century’, Mini totalled nearly 5.5 million units sold. Whether the Austin Seven Mini, the Morris Mini Minor, the Mini Moke, the Mini Mk1, or the Mini Mk2, these small classic cars are part of a huge legacy.