The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (which allowed 80% of the area of the car’s floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) 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. In 1999 the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th Century, behind the Ford Model T.

This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis. It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England, the Victoria Park / Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney, Australia, and later also in Spain (Authi), Belgium, Chile, Italy (Innocenti), Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia.

The 2005 Mini Cooper delivers a sporty driving experience. Spring for the Cooper S if you are a serious driving enthusiast, but be prepared for an attendant rougher ride. Otherwise, you may find the standard Mini Cooper more comfortable. It’s smooth and very stable, like a BMW. Around town, the Mini is well-mannered, smooth to shift and easy to park. The top-down convertible affords so much pleasurable input you won’t even notice what the road surface is like. The Mini corners like a go-kart and it’s hard to exceed its cornering limits. The harder and deeper you go into corners, the more it says more. It goes where it’s pointed without protest. Even when rain was sheeting down and the pavement shimmered in rivulets, the Mini felt bonded to the surface.