The original Mini in America
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Film now showing
Leading motor racing stars help to promote
the original Mini at Lime Rock, Connecticut, 1961
The amount of available luggage
space was one of the key selling points
It was hoped that the more powerful Mini Cooper S would prove popular in the US
High profile motor racing celebrities were invited to help promote the car at key venues
Paddy Hopkirk was one of the leading UK drivers brought to the US to help achieve racing success
Duration of video: 3 mins. 35 seconds
In the US, the car was marketed as either the Austin 850 or Morris 850 -different to the UK
New regulations introduced in Washington DC resulted in no further US sales after 1968
While most original Minis in the US are standard cars, there are also many modified examples to be found
Even the Mini can be shortened
as is shown by this front-seat only car
These days, there are probably more original Minis
to be found in California than any other state
The hot weather throughout the south of the US means there are also still a number of Mini Mokes on the road
Unlike Britain, gas consumption
wasn't a great issue in the US
During the 1990s even though there were very few Minis still on the road, there were still annual shows
Bill Gilcrease's MiniComp, based in Southern California, is one of the world's fastest Minis
(c) Universal Motoring History
For years, the original Mini was one of the most popular cars in the world, and yet strangely, in America, the world’s most important car market -there was barely a Mini to be seen.
When the car was launched in England at the end of the 1950s, it was seen as an ideal small, economical car for the world’s increasingly congested cities.
It quickly proved popular in the UK, the Commonwealth and other key European countries, but getting the car into America was the biggest challenge.
A series of extravagant dealer events were arranged in the early 1960s at major locations throughout the US, with such leading dignitaries as John Cooper and Ju an Manuel Fangio, amongst others, brought along to help promote the car.
It was thought the existing success of the small British sports cars of the era, such as MGs, Triumphs and Austin Healeys would help the sales drive, but despite early optimism, the US proved a tough nut to crack with too many factors working against the car to make it attractive to the average American car buyer.
Too big for Americans
For a start, most Americans were too comfortable in a car twice the size to see any point in getting something so small for their everyday transportation. Secondly, the long distances that many Americans drove every week meant they much preferred cars with all the in-car comforts which the Mini definitely lacked, and while the
Some people believe the biggest factor in the car not selling though was that it was not properly marketed for America. The Volkswagen Beetle after all was not much larger and was also extremely basic, and yet sold in phenomenal numbers in the US at the same time that the Mini was hardy selling at all.
The next problem BMC faced was new stringent safety and emission regulations which the US Department of Transportation introduced towards the end of the 1960s. This would have meant that all the new Minis entering the country would have to be redesigned to adhere to the new regulations and as this would have meant additional retooling costs, a decision was taken to withdraw the car from the US market completely after 1968.
Devoted enthusiasts
After that time, the small number of Minis which remained were primarily in the hands of devoted enthusiasts. And as parts and supplies were difficult to get hold of, it meant that by the early 1990s, there was probably no more that a few thousand Minis remaining on US roads.
The cars became so rare that most younger Americans who did see a Mini for the first time didn't know what it was or where it came from. Most referred to them as "clown cars" and were completely unaware they were one of the most popular and recognisable cars in the rest of the world.
Even US celebrity Mini owners such as actors Bill Cosby and Clint Eastwood weren’t able to raise their profile any higher.
B ut the people who did keep hold of them often owned several and a nationwide enthusiast network developed. The highlight were two annual Mini shows either side of the country, with a national show taking place every five years where up to 200 enthusiasts would literally drive their Minis thousands of miles across America to show off their beloved cars and share their passion with fellow devotees.
Nowadays, with the success of the New Mini, many Americans have become more aware of the original car’s heritage, but to many enthusiasts, it remains a frustration that the cars were not better marketed in the US in the first place. If they had of been, the total number of sales could have been significantly higher.
