Mini

The Mini, now an emblem of the Swinging Sixties, was in fact the product of an age of austerity and shortage, a simple design intended to make motoring more accessible and affordable for the average family. Ironically, it would become something very different: a modern, classless style icon that appealed across the boundaries of social status, age and gender and lent its name to everything from fashion to furniture. Using illustrations from the archives of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, Gillian Bardsley here tells the Mini's story, from the inspired conception of designer Alec Issigonis, through the car's shaky infancy and up to its glorious heyday when it was beloved of film stars, royalty and the public, as well as having a prominent presence in motorsport. The Mini was born in an age of austerity and shortage, intended to widen the base of motoring by making it more affordable for the average family. Ironically it would become something very different, a modern classless car which appealed across the boundaries of social status, age, gender, affluence or affordability. It became a key indicator of its era, lending its name to everything from fashion to furniture. Using unique illustrations from the Archives of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, this book tells the story of Mini's conception in the mind of the gifted designer Alec Issigonis, through its shaky infancy, its glorious heyday beloved of film stars and royalty, its glamorous sporting success, and its continued survival in the affections of the public despite many attempts to sideline or replace it over 41 triumphant years Cover; Title; Contents; Where it all Began; Out of Austerity; A Car of its Time; Building on the Mini Phenomenon; The Great Survivor; Mini in the New Millennium; Further Reading; Places to Visit; Imprint