66 Years Ago, The Automotive Industry Changed Forever

I wonder if Sir Alec Issigonis would have liked what Mini has become. Today marks exactly 66 years since the first unit rolled off the factory floor on 8 May 1959. The original car was designed as a result of the 1956 Suez Crisis and the gas shortages that followed. This obviously led to smaller cars, much like Japan’s kei car segment. But it’s not the original Mini’s size that makes it special, but rather the smart packaging that’s still used to this day.