Conceived by Sir Alec Issigonis to combat the Suez fuel crisis of the late 50\u2032s. The Mini has become a legend in its own right! Copied by almost every single other car manufacturer, the Mini was an industry trend setter.
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Over 5 million have been built and sold with 137 different models produced. Built as direct competition to the German Bubble cars that were becoming increasingly popular due to the fuel crisis of 1956, which had caused petrol rationing throughout the U.K.. The first Mini was launched in August 26, 1959. It became a symbol of the swinging sixties with owners including the Beatles, Peter Sellers, Steve McQueen and many others!
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Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the British market enjoyed numerous \u201cspecial editions\u201d 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, which later bought the remnants of BMC as the Rover Group. It was even more popular in Japan, where it was seen as a retro-cool icon, and inspired many imitators. The ERA Mini Turbo was particularly popular with Japanese buyers.
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