From its birth in 1959, the Mini grew to become a national treasure and huge success: Princess Margaret owned one, as did Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, the Beatles, Peter Sellers and Marianne Faithfull. Its popularity with women in particular marked it out from the crowd, and sales soared as the car was taken up by the new urban elite and took a starring role in The Italian Job. But there was trouble - the basic Mini sold for less than it cost to produce, and by the early eighties the miracle machine had become a symbol of manufacturing incompetence. The end came in 2000, but a new generation of Mini was just around the corner, and today this motoring pin-up is as iconic as ever.
Mini features contributions from those who have known and loved this troubled star, as well as its scornful critics. Full of fascinating facts and vivid stories, this is a fabulous celebration of a living national treasure that reads more like the life story of a wayward royal than a machine.
- ISBN10 0753545128
- ISBN13 9780753545126
- Publish Date 17 March 2016 (first published 1 January 1999)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 13 March 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Virgin Books
- Format Paperback
- Pages 320
- Language English