August 25, 2016 – In 2015, as the new MINI Clubman zipped into the line of vision of automotive enthusiasts, a new chapter began for a brand that has mastered the art of reinvention over the course of over 50 years. The new MINI Clubman not only carved out a new vehicle class for MINI but also marked the launch of the brand‘s new visual identity, representative of a sophisticated power-player and lifestyle marque.
Since the unveiling of its new identity and the launch of the MINI Clubman, MINI has emerged as a symbol of innovation, and the preferred choice of the creative class and diverse members of society. In its new guise, it is seen as aspirational as well as inspirational, appealing to a sense of community but maintaining a sense of individuality, authenticity and relevance.
Its new visual identity has also put MINI’s support of urban projects and events into perspective, helping the brand to collaborate with artists around the world, including the Middle East, as well as Oscar-winning director Joachim Back, whose short film This Day Forward was released as part of a global campaign to launch the MINI Convertible. It has also allowed MINI to co-create in diverse creative spaces such as fashion; earlier this year, the brand unveiled the MINI FLUID FASHION capsule collection – a limited edition range of sweatshirts developed with five young, innovative labels – at the 90th Pitti Uomo in Florence.
In 1959, priced at just GBP 496 as the small-sized outsider in a landscape of family-oriented cars, Mini was designed as a solution to counter the fuel rationing during the 50s Suez Crisis. British Motor Corporation (BMC) enlisted the help of designer Sir Alex Issigonis, who came up with a two-door, four-cylinder engine car, featuring front-wheel-drive, a monocoque shell, incredibly compact dimensions, with 80% of its floorpan useable for passengers and luggage. The car was manufactured by two BMC brands, Austin and Morris, and released to dealers as the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini Minor. This would be the arrangement until 1969, when BMC relented to the public by simply calling the car a Mini.
Realising that the car’s attributes, such as its transverse engine, small size and wide stance, were the perfect recipe for a race car, John Cooper developed it into the track-ready Mini Cooper. With a powerful 848cc engine and uprated brakes, the little car was transformed into a speed demon that thrilled rally drivers and the general public. The Cooper S was launched in 1963 with an even more powerful 1,071cc engine. The Cooper S’ iconic appeal as a sportier version of the Mini was underlined by its success at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. Fast forward to today and the MINI has continued to grow its racing credentials in motorsport events, including the Dakar Rally and World Rally Championships.
Production on the original Mini continued until 2000 and became the best-selling British car ever, with 5.3 million sold worldwide. But while there had been subtle developments for the car itself in that time, there had been as many for the manufacturers behind it. In the Eighties, BMC evolved into the Rover Group, which was then sold to BMW Group in 1994. This would set the stage for a newer, bolder and more powerful incarnation…
The millennium paved the way for a new MINI Cooper – equipped with a highly-advanced chassis technology and a forceful powerplant, its elevated performance (115 hp) gained the attention and allegiance of a new generation of petrol-heads. In 2001, the MINI brand unveiled its grown-up iteration with the MINI Hatch alongside the super-charged MINI Cooper S, the 184 hp icon with greater stability and steering properties monumentally amplifying the sporty aspect of the car.
In 2009, as it turned 50, MINI its heritage and dynamism, with the release of two limited edition models, the MINI 50 Mayfair and the MINI 50 Camden. In 2011, the MINI achieved two major milestones in the Middle East – its strongest ever growth (77%) since the brand was launched in the region and the debut of the MINI Countryman, the first ever MINI model with four doors, giving MINI fans around the region plenty to celebrate.
The global debut of the Countryman took the MINI brand off-road and launched its four-door crossover SUV. The design offers the original MINI Cooper’s agility with increased space, capabilities, safety and quality. It was particularly successful in the Middle East that year with double-digit growth across the region. It continues to be a key growth driver for the MINI brand today, consistently featuring amongst the top three best-selling models across the Middle East.
Carrying forward the racing legacy of the original Mini Cooper, the John Cooper Works sub-brand is an exclusive and high-performing model for those craving speed and performance. In 2012, the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman debuted in the region, accelerating MINI’s growth in the region into an automotive and cultural phenomenon.
The 2015 all-new MINI John Cooper works Hatch was one of the highlights of the 2015 Qatar Motor Show and packs the most powerful engine ever for a production MINI – a 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo engine delivering 231 hp and 320 Nm of torque, reaching 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and comes with upgraded suspension, steering, brakes and styling. At present, the region is one of the best-performing markets for sales of the MINI John Cooper Works models in the world.
MINI’s grand reign as the ‘biggest small car“ continues to this day with four core models with strong characters – the MINI Hatch 3-Door, MINI Hatch 5-Door, MINI Countryman, MINI Clubman and the MINI Convertible – in addition to the high-performing John Cooper Works models. The world’s only premium convertible in the small car segment, the all-new MINI Convertible, is the most recent addition to the MINI stable.
Over the course of half-a-century, MINI has developed a reputation as an automotive chameleon. In 2015, after 56 years of innovation in design and performance, MINI’s journey hit a new milestone with its new identity. MINI inspired change when it entered the marked over 50 years ago and in the next 100 years, aims to embody a totally new form of shared mobility – intelligent, emotional and sustainable.