The "classic" Mini is a sixties icon that remained in production for 40 years. Unveiled to the press in August 1959, the Mini ignored many long-established design principles and bristled with innovative features. The car instantly won favor with tuners and modifiers, and today the Mini remains one of the most popular project cars with performance tuners. A thriving support structure of clubs, specialist magazines and parts suppliers ensures that the Mini will remain popular with tuning enthusiasts for many years to come.
Tim Mundy is a well-respected Mini authority, and a freelance journalist and photographer who works mainly for the Mini magazines. He is author of Haynes\u2019s well-received Mini Performance Manual and New Mini Performance Manual. He lives near Oxford, England.