Austin Mini - "Second Most Significant Car of the Century"???

Jeff Higgins · 07-10-2008, 05:22 AM

Strolling through the car corral at our local vintage races last weekend, I just had to check out the Minis. I've always liked those little cars. So, while there, I picked up one of the club flyers and dropped it in my goodie bag with the rest of my useless swag. Finally got around to reading it last night. Right inside the front cover, they claim that the Mini is noted as "the second most significant car of the century" behind the Model T.

Now I would never argue the Model T's place at the top of that pile. I would have never thought there was any question about second place, either. The Volkswagen Beetle has that slot quite solidly locked up. The club flyer didn't say who placed the Mini there, but I rather suspect it had to be some British moto-journalist.

They go on to point out that over five million of the little guys had been built over a span of four decades. In several different countries to boot. How many Bugs, over how long, in how many different countries? I know it's over 20 million. Seems to me it was six decades at least, not even counting the pre-war prototypes. Half a dozen countries (does anyone know for sure)?

It's all well and good to be proud of your chosen marque. And I do like the little Minis. But isn't this just a bit of a stretch?

onewhippedpuppy · 07-10-2008, 05:25 AM

They're just feeling inadequate. It's not the size of your car that counts.........

masraum · 07-10-2008, 06:06 AM

http://wikipedia.org/

Quote:

The Volkswagen Type 1, more commonly known as the Beetle Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003.

1938—2003
21,529,464 built
(of which 15,444,858 in Germany, incl. 330,251 Cabriolets,[1]
and ≈ 3.350.000 in Brazil)

In the international poll for the award of the world's most influential car of the twentieth century the Beetle came fourth after the Ford Model T, the Mini, and the Citroën DS.

masraum · 07-10-2008, 06:07 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_of_the_Century

Quote:

The final results

The jury each ranked the five cars in their preferred order, and the results were combined with a points system. The final results are shown in the table below.[5]
Position Car model Points
1 Ford Model T 742
2 Mini 617
3 Citroën DS 567
4 Volkswagen Beetle 521
5 Porsche 911 303

Dottore · 07-10-2008, 06:12 AM

The Mini didn't sell as many copies as the VW bug, but it's space saving front-engine design is generally considered to be the more significant and influential development in the history of the automobile. In other words the mini is thought to have had a greater impact on car design generally than the VW bug.

The Gaijin · 07-10-2008, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottore

The Mini didn't sell as many copies as the VW bug, but it's space saving front-engine design is generally considered to be the more significant and influential development in the history of the automobile. In other words the mini is thought to have had a greater impact on car design generally than the VW bug.

Ditto. Transverse engine, rear hatch, water cooled is the model for most cars today..

Jim Richards · 07-10-2008, 06:27 AM

I think the Honda CVCC should be considered significant, as it helped the Japanese flood the American market during the oil crisis of the early-mid 1970's. The US auto manufacturers have been on the defensive and loosing market share ever since.

The Gaijin · 07-10-2008, 06:32 AM

The flood was opened with the B-210 "honey bee".

When my uncle bought one rather than a beetle, I knew it was all over..

Jeff Higgins · 07-10-2008, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottore

The Mini didn't sell as many copies as the VW bug, but it's space saving front-engine design is generally considered to be the more significant and influential development in the history of the automobile. In other words the mini is thought to have had a greater impact on car design generally than the VW bug.

I'll buy that. It certainly established the model for modern car design. I just had not thought of it that way. Maybe if it was worded "influencial" rather than "significant" I would have caught on faster. I wasn't looking beyond the actual car itself.

Looked at in that light, the Beetle very much pales in comparison. It was pretty much outdated before very many were built, and can't really be said to have influenced any other designs. Some folks will try to say it "infuenced" Porsche design, but it really didn't. Similar ideas springing from the same mind don't really fall into that category; it never "influenced" anyone else to adopt it.

Super_Dave_D · Super_Dave_D's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Looked at in that light, the Beetle very much pales in comparison. It was pretty much outdated before very many were built, and can't really be said to have influenced any other designs.

It may not have influenced anyones designs but I am sure it's price, longevity, reliability and production numbers was what everyone strove to be like. So I guess it influenced something.

The Gaijin · 07-10-2008, 07:36 AM

Like the Model T, the beetle represented reliable and afordable transportation for millions of new motorists. Besides being part of the German post-war economic recovery. Also made by the zillions in Mexico and S. America.. A big part of the story.

kang · 07-10-2008, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_of_the_Century

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Engineer_of_the_Century

The Car Engineer of the Century was an international award given to the most influential car engineer of the twentieth century. The election process was overseen by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation.

The winner, Dr Ferdinand Porsche, was announced at an awards gala on December 18, 1999 in Las Vegas.

Aerkuld · Aerkuld's Garage

What did I say in the "Clarkson's top 100 cars" thread?
This was exactly my point, the Mini cannot be ignored as an extremely infuential car that was WAY ahead of it's time when it was first produced in 1959. I don't know how read-up you guys are on the Mini, but there were some incredibly innovative and frankly amazing bits of engineering that went into that car. Sir Alec Issigonis was the man credited with the design, but Alex Moulton played a significant role in the development of what is probably the most incredibly simple yet effective fully independent suspension desings ever produced. Look it up.

While I like the Volkswagen Beetle as a car, there is no comparison from an engineering point of view. The Beetle is incredible crude whichever way you look at it.

Jim Richards · 07-10-2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Gaijin

The flood was opened with the B-210 "honey bee".

When my uncle bought one rather than a beetle, I knew it was all over..

Yeah, the B-210's were a hot seller.

The Gaijin · 07-10-2008, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Yeah, the B-210's were a hot seller.

And rather crude too. Very tinny and rear wheel drive.

Honda was solving problems with engineering. The multi-value CVCC was way ahead of anyone else.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

I don't know if I would agree with the "primitive" moniker for the Bug. Elegant simplicity would be how I would characterize it. It was designed like 20 or 30 years prior to the Mini, you might expect it to be less complex.

As for not influencing car design, how many Fiat 500's did they make?