When is a Mini, is a Mini, is a Mini? Most current or potential Mini owners have no idea how to tell what kind of Mini they have. In fact, in many cases they don’t even know there are really so many different Minis.
The first Minis were released to the public in 1959, and while the same basic car was produced for 41+ years, the differences from start to finish were very dramatic. The first Mini was the ultimate in an economical everyday, entry level car. By the end of production it had been transformed into an almost modern car with fuel injection, catalytic converter and air bag. Needless to say, all Minis were not created equal, and in fact, have tremendous variation in performance and desirability.
The Mini was only sold in the USA from 1960 thru 1967! The very first cars were powered by 848cc BMC A-series engines. The same basic engine configuration found its way into many of the entry level British cars of the day. Everything from Morris Minors to Bugeye Sprites all had this basic engine design. So you ask, why all the confusion as to what Mini you might own or consider buying?
As a first consideration, let’s simply address those variations as imported and sold by the factory. The most distinguishing feature of all models from 1959 through 1967 was the use of sliding window doors. These windows slid fore and aft in the doors that also featured external, visible door hinges. The very first cars were simply called Minis and all were supplied with the bullet proof (but slow) 848cc engine. The first of the models to be identified as Mini Coopers were introduced in 1961 and were powered by a 997cc engine. The Cooper designation was continued as the engine evolved to a much different and better 998cc one. The first of the Mini Cooper S models was introduced in 1963 with a tremendously upgraded 1071cc engine (the choice of displacement was driven by race class considerations as was that of the very rare 970cc S engine). The most common and sought after model of the Mini Cooper S was introduced in 1964 with a 1275cc displacement. This is the same displacement as used on the car when production finally ceased in the year 2000. The final year of factory sales in the USA saw the introduction of the Mk II version of the range that featured, among other smaller cosmetic changes, larger tail lights. The only other significant variation is that the first of the Minis all had drum brakes at four corners, but starting with of the Mini Cooper, the Cooper and Cooper S had disk brakes at the front. All models used 10” diameter wheels of various widths. You could easily argue that if that were all we had to consider when owning or buying a Mini today, it would be too easy. But the current appetite for a Classic Mini in the USA has pushed the market way beyond those cars imported by the factory. At this date in time it is easy to admit that more Minis have been imported into the USA by private parties and private dealers than were ever imported by the factory. And the problem is knowing what the Mini really is. The factory produced over 5,000,000 during it 41+ year production run. Less than 15,000 of these were imported by the factory into the USA. So what really is the Mini that has been imported by the aftermarket?
The problems start from 1968 on when the factory no longer attempted to have the Mini of any configuration conform to current emission or safety standards. Now, Federal law allows models at least 25 years old to be imported into the USA without concerns for these standards. Thus, the next pool of “legal to import” Minis are those produced from 1968 through 1981. These models start with the Mk II found with 848, 998 and 1275cc engines. By late 1969, the models known as the Mk III now featured roll-up windows and internal door hinges. By1973, the electrical system was upgraded to include the use of an alternator to replace the generator. And the use of a “rod change” transmission to replace the “remote” and “magic wand” transmission began.
In 1976, the range was further upgraded to the Mk IV. The most significant change was not very visible as it was an attempt to isolate the car from road noise and involved using rubber mounts for the front subframe. In 1980, the most obvious change was the introduction of the “Verto” clutch system. Again, not an outwardly obvious change but significant none the less. The year 1984 saw the introduction of the Mk V Mini models that are most notable for the standardization of the use of 12” wheels and bigger disc brakes. The various changes after the Mk V seem to come fast and furious. The Mk VI is generally around 1991 with a number of variations. The 998cc engine was discontinued in 1992. The introduction of a ‘single point fuel injection’ system to replace the single 1¾” SU carb took place in the same era and it continued through 1996. For the final years of production the most significant changes included the use of a ‘multi-point fuel injection’ system along with many modern features: such as, alarm systems and catalytic converters.
So what year is the Mini in question? These were also hundreds of other changes and more subtle ways to determine the year and model of the Mini. For an extensive detailed review and interactive pictorial visit the Website www.Minimania.com/MiniID
Classic Mini Coopers 