| The title of the Mini Cooper causes all kinds of | | | | owned by BMC. In 1961, the Austin Mini was |
| confusion with car enthusiasts. Is the car a small | | | | released in the UK, the first time the name Mini |
| version of a Cooper or is it just a Mini and Cooper | | | | was used. A year later, the car was just called |
| is the model or what? We address the issue and | | | | the Mini. |
| provide an answer in this article. | | | | In the question of who came first, the Mini or |
| The Mini Cooper revival has been a stunning | | | | Cooper, the Mini is the clear winner as applied to |
| success this decade. Any revival, of course, | | | | this car. So, what is the story with Cooper then? |
| presupposes an original episode. In the case of the | | | | Surely that name played some role in the |
| Mini Cooper, the first was not built in 2000. It was | | | | process? Indeed it did. |
| built in 1959. BMW may own the brand now, but it | | | | John Cooper designed Formula One and Rally cars. |
| was BMC [British Motor Company] that came up | | | | His company was known as the Cooper Car |
| with the idea. The BMC was good at ideas, but | | | | Company. He was friends with the original |
| not so good at running a car business. This meant | | | | designer of the Mini and thought the car would be |
| the car was passed to different ownership | | | | a tremendous rally car. In 1961, BMC gave John |
| through the years and much of its popularity | | | | Cooper permission to build a Mini rally car. He built |
| waned as it was never serious updated for the | | | | a base model known as the Mini Cooper. He |
| times until BMW purchased it in 1994 and launched | | | | designed a more powerful version known as the |
| the modern Mini Cooper in 2001. | | | | Mini Cooper "S". This second version was entered |
| The name of the Mini Cooper gives rise to a lot | | | | into the famous Monaco Rally and won it on one |
| of arguments. Is the car a Mini or is it a Cooper. | | | | occasion. |
| History gives us the answer. In the late 1950s, | | | | Minis have always been sold through the years, |
| the United Kingdom was going through a gas | | | | but Mini Coopers have been produced off and on. |
| shortage caused when the Middle East OPEC | | | | Most Minis were not Cooper versions, but were |
| countries cut off gas supplies given the UK's | | | | instead known as Marks such as Mini Mark IVs |
| involvement in the Suez Canal mess. The English | | | | and the like. There was even a Mini pickup! |
| people were looking for gas friendly cars and | | | | Regardless, BMW has exclusively used the Mini |
| there were no British made options. The people | | | | Cooper name for all of its models with a |
| were buying [gasp!] German cars to fill the gap. | | | | performance version known as the "S" being |
| The BMC decided to come up with their own | | | | created for each. |
| small subcompact and you can guess what it was. | | | | So, who came first? The answer is Mini. The |
| The first car launched by the BMC was not called | | | | Cooper was a version of the Mini until the turn of |
| a Mini Cooper. In fact, neither term was used. It | | | | the century when BMW launched the modern car |
| was called an Austin Seven, but was also released | | | | and used the full name on all the models. |
| as a Morris Mini-Minor under a second brand | | | | |