A "Mini" Sensation

Launched in not one, but, two versions in 1959 by the British Motor Corporation, the innovatively designed 10 feet long ‘Morris Mini Minor’ and ‘Austin Seven’ rolled off the production line and onto the UK’s roads. Still a hugely popular model of car today, this charming, little model became a ‘symbol of modern 60s Europe’ with Britain at the forefront. Designed by Sir Alec Issigonis, the Mini was hailed by the motoring press and became the ‘must-have’ car for everyone by the mid-1960s, from your local Vicar to the young and beautiful rising star, Twiggy. This loveable little car even managed to grab a spot in Hollywood, starring in classic British crime film ‘The Italian Job’ (1969) alongside Michael Caine and his infamous line “you’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”

The Suez Canal Crisis: The Mini vs The Bubble

‘Greek god’, Sir Alec Issigonis was tasked with designing the first Mini as a response to the recent fuel shortage directly linked to the Suez Cana crisis, throughout the 1950s and into the early 1960s. Anglo-Egyptian relations broke down and President Gamel Abdul Nasser demanded an end to British occupation in Egypt and their intervention in expanding Egyptian forces for a planned attack on Israel. Abdul Nasser blocked fuel supplies and plunged Britain and the rest of Europe into a period of fuel rationing, ‘petrol was reported to be practically unobtainable in central London, with traffic in the capital down by two-thirds.’ This uncertain situation in the Middle East caused mass panic across Europe, sparking the need for ‘micro-cars’ which had small, compact engines and would run for short distances on a small supply of fuel. Born in the 1950s, Bond’s Microcar pre-dates the more spacious and classic Mini and founds its place on British roads, ‘marketed as cheap, fun alternatives to more conventional vehicles.’ However, throughout the 50s, these cars lost their ‘bubble’ shape in favour of adding boot space, extra seating and the increasing demand for motoring mod-cons. Cue August 1959, and step aside Bond and other European Bubble manufacturers including BMW [they make Mini’s now!], let’s welcome the equally economical, front-wheel drive, four-seater, family friendly Mini!

A Symbol of the 60s?

The key to the success of the Mini was style. Sharing a name with the most popular fashion item of the decade [the Mini skirt, of course!] the sleek, compact but friendly look of both the Mark I and II was hugely popular throughout the UK and soon across the world. ‘Nothing sells cars like celebrity endorsement,’ and nothing confirms the success of this little car more than the association with Hollywood superstar Steve McQueen, music legend David Bowie and hugely popular fashion designer Mary Quant. The affordable and reliable little Mini was above all a symbol of independence and escape for all owners. It echoed and reaffirmed Britain’s modern obsession with freedom from the financial and moral burden of the Second World War, a new age of confining office-based employment and the rigid attitudes towards families, marriage and expectation.