Overview & Reviews

Few cars are as instantly recognizable as the Mini. Loved for its diminutive dimensions and cheerful good looks, the British-born car has inspired passionate devotion both in the U.S. and abroad. The brand was briefly discontinued, but was revived in 2002 with help from BMW. Successfully paying homage to the original Mini Cooper of the 1960s, the reincarnated Cooper combines an athletic, BMW-engineered chassis with a space-efficient interior and a generous standard features list.

The history of the Mini make began in 1959. The original Mini car was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in England and its mission was to be a lightweight, agile four-passenger car that took up minimal space. In a sense, the brand was born out of necessity. The United Kingdom was subject to fuel rationing in the wake of the Suez crisis, and British consumers clamored for vehicles that offered optimum fuel efficiency.

The car was originally sold under BMC's Austin and Morris brands; the Mini name didn't make an appearance until 1961. Although it had just 34 horsepower, the Mini was the ideal urban car and proved popular in crowded European cities. In 1961, John Cooper, a man who built Formula One racecars, put his magic hands on the Mini and the result was the ferocious Mini Cooper. His Cooper S model had (at 76 hp) more than double the output of the standard Mini. That infusion of power, along with suspension tweaks and some really good driving, had Mini winning the Monte Carlo Rally four years in a row (1964-'67). The marque landed on American shores in 1962.

The '60s truly was the decade of the Mini. New variations on the car's theme came with the introduction of vehicles like the Mini Pickup and the Mini Moke, a vehicle that resembled a quirky cross between a Mini and a Jeep. The car's abbreviated proportions are even rumored to have played a part in sparking a fashion trend; the miniskirt raised hemlines and became emblematic of an era. Mini motorcars tore up the asphalt on the silver screen, with the brand's appearance in the 1969 film The Italian Job. By the end of the decade, more than 2 million Mini motorcars had been produced. Sadly, the vehicle was pulled from the United States in 1968, in the wake of strict new emissions regulations.

Though no longer available in the U.S., Mini remained in production in Europe through the '70s and '80s. By the mid-'80s, more than 5 million Minis had been produced worldwide. In 1994, the brand was acquired by the BMW Group. The marque went on hiatus in 2000, but was resurrected (and brought back to American shores) in 2002 with the launch of the entry-level, front-drive Mini Cooper hatchback. Thoroughly modern in every way, right down to its BMW-engineered suspension, steering and brakes, the Mini Cooper is sold alongside its cousins at BMW dealerships.

Today, Mini's offerings include various derivatives of the Cooper, including a coupe, a roadster and a convertible; the slightly longer Clubman; high-performance John Cooper Works variants; and even the crossover SUV-inspired four-door Countryman. With such a diverse, fun-loving lineup, it's no wonder that Mini has become one of America's most desirable small car automakers.

User Reviews:

• 

  Luv My MINI! - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By GoofysGal - May 31 - 10:00 am

  Drives well in all weather, even through Texas rain storms. Fun to drive and we love all the attention!

• 

  New Cooper - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By deb - May 31 - 5:06 am

  Fun to drive, fun to own

• 

  My pride & jpy!! - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By UKCheese - May 18 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Mini, had an original one way back when. Cant compare the two tho...the new Cooper S handles those tight corners brilliantly! FUN, FFUN, FUN!! Highly recommended!

• 

  Luxury in small package - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By jwildero - May 18 - 2:00 am

  The MINI Cooper is an excellent car. BMW has packed a lot of features into this little car, more than one would expect. Its like getting all the features of a luxury car, without the luxury car price.

• 

  My Review - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By mizzou1fan - May 18 - 2:00 am

  The best care Ive ever driven.

• 

  Dougs review - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By dojohns1 - May 18 - 2:00 am

  I love this car.

• 

  what a great little car ! - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By jayfish - May 17 - 10:00 am

  i test drove both the cooper and the cooper s. i loved them both. test drive it before you buy it, youll agree, these are so much better than those hulking suvs on the road! plus you can run circles around those monsters as they make their way from gas station to gas station.

• 

  Holy S@#%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By king mini 05 - May 2 - 9:36 pm

  Wow!!!!! This car is absolutley amazing. Everything about it rocks!

• 

  EURO SUV - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By Bob Carico - May 2 - 10:13 am

  Just finished 860 mile trip, averaged 32 mpg, great fun driving in the Virginia mountains. Very comfortable given we were driving a very fast go kart. We have enjoyed everything about the car. So far (12,100 miles) the car has been problem free. We have had car since Aug 04 and I still smile each morning when I get in to drive to work!

• 

  Wow. - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By jbaker - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Most fun car I have ever driven. The clutch and gearbox are phenomenal, harmon kardon stereo has nice deep bass and crystal clear highs, the car sticks to the road like glue, and the exhaust note is beautiful. Dont even get me started on parking! If you dont need space for more than 2 people, this is one heck of an urban vehicle. I couldnt be happier :D