Mini in Australia

They forecast sales of between 1500 and 2500 a year. Australian Minis were first introduced here as the Morris 850 - a halfway model between the standard and deluxe English original. A sporty version was called the Sport 850 and the first Mini Cooper in 1963 was badged as the Morris Cooper.

The 850 was offered between 1961 and 1966, during which time trim, grille and other features evolved. The 850 sold well, and led to the Mini Deluxe, an all Australian development, which added better trim, carpet and paint. It also had wind up windows, Cooper grille, remote gearshift and hydrolastic suspension years before other locally sold British brands. Sold under the Morris brand, the actual Mini name was never applied to a locally built Mini until 196.

The 998cc Mini Deluxe sold well and evolved into the Mini K 1100 in 1969. Despite dire sales projections the Mini was embraced by local buyers, surging to 14,000 annual sales and beyond in subsequent years.

Perhaps contributing to its success was a local development program that introduced a number of improvements that saw problems quickly addressed. For example water leaks that plagued British production for a number of years were rapidly fixed here, and innovations such as the introduction of a chrome grille (replacing the painted original) in 1961 solved a potential rust problem. Australian engineers also had to address sagging seats, and develop a stronger ball bearing unit following the failure of a number of front crankshafts.

Australian engineers addressed a number of problems with local solutions, with the production of the uniquely Australian Mini De Luxe in 1965, the first Mini to actually carry the Mini badge. In 1971 the Mini Clubman was sold, although with an ugly new nose, its popularity waned until its demise in 1978. In Sydney the police used them as pursuit cars and a number gained prominence in racing, notably an Australian Cooper S winning Bathurst in 1966.

The Mini Moke was also sold in Australia for a number of years, being further developed locally to gain a popularity not known elsewhere in the world. Thereafter the Mini had a number of often weird revivals, most of which missed our shores.

It was not until the BMW Group took ownership of the Mini that it found its way again, and the new MINI was officially launched in Australia in March 2002. The MINI was an overwhelming success right from the start and by the time the new MINI was launched in March 2007, more than 9,000 customers had joined the MINI family in Australia.

With charismatic styling and unique design features, combined with go-kart like handling, big car safety and a comprehensive inventory of standard equipment, MINI has added a new dimension to the Australian vehicle market. Developed by the BMW Group, the new MINI is the spiritual successor to the original Mini launched in 1959 and represents an evolution of its classic design with a refreshing modern interpretation.

Source: JUST CARS, September 2009, Collectors Issue #163