1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 Archives

Aug 26, 24Aug 26, 24

The MINI is 65 Years Old Today – Let’s Celebrate

Sixty five years ago, on 26 August 1959, the British Motor Corporation (BMC) introduced two new compact cars and kicked off a revolution. In the smallest form possible they unleashed one of...

MINI’s Secret Concepts From the 90s That Almost Changed the MINI Cooper Forever

BMW CCA Museum to Host Year Long MINI Celebration – And They Need Your MINI

A Look Back at MINI Mavericks – An Early Ad Campaign From MINI USA

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 3rd Gen MINI Cooper | 2014-2024 4th Gen MINI Cooper | 2024 - 2031

An Inside Look at How BMW and MINI Recycles Entire Cars

The concept of a circular economy isn’t a revolutionary new concept but one that has been practiced since humans first crawled out of caves. But doing it at scale is the real...

Jul 12, 23Sep 3, 24

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 2nd Gen MINI Cooper | 2006-2014 3rd Gen MINI Cooper | 2014-2024 Classic Mini | 1959 - 2000

The MINI Cooper Turns Sixty – A Look Back

MINI is giving us a look back at the history of the MINI Cooper and specifically the sporty side of things. OFFICIAL RELEASE For automotive fans with manual skills, the premises in...

Nov 17, 21Nov 23, 21

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 Classic Mini | 1959 - 2000

Celebrating 20 Years of the New MINI

It’s hard to believe but it’s been 20 years of the new MINI. While we’ll have our own look-back later this year, Autocar has a great retrospective work a look full of...

Apr 14, 21Apr 17, 21

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 Video

Let’s Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the New MINI with a Look Back

Twenty years ago this week BMW took the wraps off of the all new MINI at the Paris Motor Show. Two decades and three generations on the original “new” MINI still appeals...

Oct 6, 20Oct 6, 20

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 Accessories JCW R50 Two-Door Hardtop (Cooper) R53 Two-Door Hardtop (Cooper S)

MotoringFile Review: The R50/R53 JCW Leather Dash

This story originally appeared in the April 2006 edition of MotoringFile. Due to a recent post on Instagram we’ve seen a bunch of interest in this long forgotten and highly rare JCW...

Aug 17, 20Aug 17, 20

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 R50 Two-Door Hardtop (Cooper) Video

Watch Press Coverage of the Original R50 MINI Launch 20 Years Ago

Shockingly it’s been nearly 20 years since the R50 MINI was introduced at the Paris motor show in the fall of 2000. Two decades and three generations on the original “new” MINI...

May 10, 20May 11, 20

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 Classic Mini | 1959 - 2000 MINI Design

The Secret MINI Concepts That Could have Changed MINI Forever

How was the modern MINI born? Over the past 15 years MotoringFile has written much about Mini, Rover and BMW in the 1990s. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of that...

Apr 20, 20Apr 21, 20

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 MINI Design

Frank Stephenson Shows Us How the Original New MINI Cooper was Designed

The original “new” MINI Cooper was designed over 20 years ago by Frank Stephenson, one of the most revered automotive designers of the last 50 years. But beyond that Frank has also...

Apr 18, 20Apr 18, 20

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007

When MINI Came to Oxford – The History of New MINI Production

Autocar has an excellent look back at the formative years of the new MINI and specifically the last minute switch For MINI production from the famous Longbridge plant to MINI’s current home...

Dec 24, 19Feb 26, 20

1st Gen MINIs | 2001-2007 3rd Gen MINI Cooper | 2014-2024 Faults & Fixes

Opinion: Can MINI Overcome it’s History of Quality Problems?

MINI currently makes the most trouble free small sporty car, ranks highest in class in sales satisfaction and is the 4th highest quality brand sold in America. Put another way, MINI in...

Mar 4, 19Mar 4, 19