Текст 50

MINI

It is ironic that, after nearly 40 years in pro­duction, the Mini has become the very thing it originally bucked against: a motoring institution. The dif­ference is, the Mini is a much-loved and much-respected institution. It was a pioneer in the art of transverse-mounted engines and front-wheel drive. It was a marvel of packaging and a testament to the con­quest of technical barriers. It was, quite simply, a revolution when it was launched in 1959. Five million Minis later, it remains in produc­tion, satisfying a loyal following of owners for whom its size, cost and above all character remain compel­ling even today. Over the years it has become a cult object across the world, from Carnaby Street in the 1960s to Tokyo in the 1990s.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Mini is that it was the brainchild of one man: Alec Issigonis. The Mini was probably the last mass-produced car designed by one man alone; as such, it is unlike any other car seen since.

The birth of the Mini took place against the backdrop of the 1956 Suez oil crisis. For all anyone knew, there might be an indefinite shortage of oil. British drivers were rationed to ten gallons of petrol a month. The popularity of bubble cars mushroomed.

The British Motor Corporation's chairman, Leon­ard Lord, realised there was a potentially huge market for a cheap small car which combined economy with large-car characteristics. To whom could he entrust the task of developing such a car? There was one obvi­ous but brave choice: Alec Issigonis.

Born in Smyrna in 1906, Issigonis had come to Britain to study at the age of 15. When he had fin­ished his education at Battersea Technical College, he worked for Humber. Then he joined Britain's leading manufacturer, Morris, in 1936. This was where he met Leonard Lord, on a team designing suspensions. After the war, he conceived the Morris Minor.

Then Leonard Lord asked Issigonis to begin de­velopment on a new small car project in 1957, which assumed the title ADOIS. Assembling a small team around him, Issigonis created the Mini.

The essential factor for the new small car was that it should carry four adults in comfort, plus their luggage. Issigonis became obsessed with the need to save space. He was fervently in favour of front-wheel drive; this mechanical layout could save all the space needed for the propshaft and final drive by in­corporating it at the front. From the start, he knew this was going to be right for the Mini.

As for the engine, on grounds of cost, the obvi­ous choice was the A-series unit, as found in the Aus­tin A35 and Morris Minor. The trouble was, this power train measured 38in from stem to stern and this, in Issigonis's view, would eat up too much space.

Then Issigonis had a leap of the imagination. What if the gearbox could be placed under the crank­shaft, instead of behind? The engine and gearbox would effectively become one unit and could be mounted side­ways, driving each front wheel. The lubrication problem could be overcome by plumbing the gearbox into the engine, so it could use the same sump oil.

Issigonis felt that the A35's 803cc engine would not provide the performance and smoothness which the new car would require. So the decision was taken to expand the A-series engine to 948cc. On tests, the en­gine gave the little car too much performance - it was tested to beyond 90 mph with only 37 bhp on tap. So the engine was taken back down to 848cc and top speed fell to a less frenetic 74 mph.

Issigonis was always strongly in favour of small wheels; the 14in wheels of the 1948 Morris Minor were easily the smallest of any saloon of its day. The Mini went much further: its ten-inch diameter wheels were far and away the smallest used in any car, except for some tiny microcars which used scooter wheels. The sole reason for such small wheels was a sacrifice to pack­aging. They freed up more interior space by reducing the intrusion of the inner wheel arches.

The main disadvantage of ten-inch wheels was the harsh ride they gave over rough surfaces. Here again Issigonis was ahead of the objectors. From his days with Morris, when he had got together with Alex Moulton to build a rubber-sprung Morris Minor, Issigonis had become a convert to the idea of rubber suspen­sions, which Moulton was still working on. The Mini's rubber cone system was so effective that it is still used on the car today.

All the major components - engine, gearbox, sus­pension, steering - were mounted on one subframe at the front, with a further subframe at the back to carry the rear suspension. This eliminated a lot of vibration too, and would prove invaluable in the de­velopment of a wide range of Mini derivatives which could use these subframe assemblies completely unal­tered.

Keeping costs to an absolute minimum meant ac­commodating such measures as exposed seams in the bodywork to allow easy spot-welding of the main body sections, exposed door hinges simply bolted to the main hull and a lack of winding windows or elaborate door handle mechanisms.

By August 1959, the most important car in BMC's history was ready to be launched. It arrived in two versions: the Morris Mini-Minor and Austin Seven (though the latter soon became just ‘Mini’ as the word pervaded the English language). Apart from the Ford Popular, it was the cheapest car on the market at L497. It caught on with city drivers who liked its park-ability and with the fashion conscious who thought it ‘сооl’. Widespread acceptance of the revo­lutionary Mini followed.

The Mini was also fantastic to drive: nippy, sharp-handling and manoeuvrable. Formula 1 World Championship constructor John Cooper realised its poten­tial and persuaded BMC to let him develop a Mini-Cooper in 1961.

With a bigger 997cc engine, it developed 55 bhp and could reach nearly 90 mph - amazing performance for such a small car.

The Cooper's legendary reputation really grew with the ’3 version of 1963. This had an ever larger engine (970cc, 1071cc or 1275cc), front disc brakes, wider wheels, even twin fuel tanks. In its most power­ful 1275S form, it was capable of a top speed of up to 96 mph and 0-60 mph in 11.2 sees.

Coopers were all-conquering in rallying, their undoubted high point being three outright victories in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. It could have been four wins in a row, but the entire Mini-Cooper team was controversially disqualified on minor lighting regulation in the 1966 event.

They were pretty successful on the tracks, too. The Mini could humble the more powerful Jaguars and Ford Cortinas with its fantastic handling. The Mini Cooper S was not slow itself; on fast circuits such as the famous Belgian Spa track, Minis could top 130 mph.

The adaptability of the mechanical subframe package led to numerous Mini derivatives: estate, van and pick-up, utility Moke, luxury ‘booted’ Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet. It also became a popular basis for customisation and special bodyworks.

Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969 and settled into notching up spectacular sales, reaching a height of 318, 475 units in 1971. The Mini is easily the best-selling British car of all time.

Recently, the Mini received a new lease of life thanks to numerous special editions with names like Open Classic, Red Hot and Piccadilly.

Most exciting is the new generation Mini Cooper, launched in 1990, with its 63 bhp 1275cc engine and luxury trim. The popularity of the Mini show's no sign of abating, though Rover has announced plans for a brand new Mini for 1999.

Sir Alec Issigonis summed up why the car has never been overtaken as the small classic:

«Small cars all look the same because they are designed by committees trying to copy the Mini».

That may sound arrogant but the Mini's brilliant and innovative formula of front-wheel drive, mechani­cal subframes and unique packaging certainly was the benchmark which others still follow today.