The Mini was invented and devised in 1957 but was launched only in 1959. The first models were marketed under two of BMC's brand names, Austin and Morris.

The Mini was born as a result of a fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis. Petrol was once again rationed in the UK and there was a slump in sales of large cars.

It was under this condition that a production version of the Mini was demonstrated to the press in April 1959 and by August that year several thousand Minis were produced and ready for first sales.

Rover was still suffering massive losses in March 2000 when BMW decided to dispose of most of the companies with the sell-off completed in May that year.

However, BMW retained the Mini name and the planned new model. This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC.

Mini became a brand in its own right in 1969 though it was again marketed under the Austin name plate in the ’80s.

The original Mini is considered an icon of the 1960s and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers.

The vehicle is in some ways considered the British equivalent to its German contemporary, the Volkswagen Beetle, which enjoyed similar popularity in North America.

A more powerful Mini Cooper S was developed in tandem and released in 1963. Cooper also produced two models specifically for circuit racing, both of which were also offered to the public.

John Cooper saw the potential of the Mini for competition and debuted the Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper in 1961.

The Mini Cooper S earned acclaim with Monte Carlo Rally victories in 1964, 1965 and 1967.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the British market enjoyed numerous ‘special editions’ of the Mini, which shifted the car from a mass-market item into a fashionable icon.

It was this image that perhaps helped the Mini become such an asset for BMW.

Indeed, 5.3 million Minis were sold, making it by far the most popular British car ever made.

At its peak, the Mini was a strong seller in most of the countries where it was sold, with the United Kingdom inevitably receiving the highest volumes.

Minis are currently available in One, Cooper and Cooper S version. These models are divided into hatchback, convertible and clubman body types.