1961-71 Austin/Morris Mini Cooper

A wolf in sheep’s clothing and a giant-killer on the track, the Cooper’s most famous racing victory came in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rallye

by Nathan York

More vintage Minis for sale now than ever.

The story of the original BMC Mini is long and complicated, and there were countless versions produced during the car’s 40-year run. But Sir Alec Issigonis’ innovative design, which combined a transverse-mounted engine with front wheel drive and wheels pushed out to the extreme corners of the car, revolutionized thinking about vehicle design and space utilization. Perhaps the greatest tribute to the fundamental soundness of the layout of the car is BMW’s new Mini, which is a faithful, if enlarged, replication of the original concept. And while the new Mini has been a clear success and the car of choice for those looking for something both affordable and fun, for a collector, the best thing the new Mini has done is call attention to the original. Though the original Mini was a sales disaster in a 1960s U.S. market that was in love with big-block V8s, thousands of the cars have been imported in the past few years. In fact, there has never been a better time...