HAPPY 64th BIRTHDAY MINI COOPER!
You’re Not Old. You’re a Classic.
On August 26, 1959, MINI Cooper was first introduced to the market and years later we continue to enjoy the ride!
Join us, Saturday, August 26, 2023, as we celebrate 64 years of MINI. Stop by Patrick MINI for a birthday celebration with treats, giveaways and a fun test drive!
Wish MINI a Happy Birthday and RSVP today!
RSVP HERE
Pictured below is the original 1959 Classic Mini
The Mini came about because of a fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis. Petrol was once rationed in the UK, sales of large cars slumped, and the market for German bubble cars boomed, even in countries such as the United Kingdom, where imported cars were still a rarity.
Leonard Lord, the somewhat autocratic head of BMC, reportedly detested these cars so much that he vowed to rid the streets of them and design a ‘proper miniature car’.[25] He laid down some basic design requirements – the car should be contained within a box that measured 10×4×4 feet (3.0×1.2×1.2 m); and the passenger accommodation should occupy 6 feet (1.8 m) of the 10-foot (3.0 m) length; and the engine, for reasons of cost, should be an existing unit.
In August 1959, the MINI was marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor. The Austin Seven was renamed Austin Mini in January 1962 and Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969. In 1980, it once again became the Austin Mini, and in 1988, just “Mini” (although the “Rover” badge was applied on some models exported to Japan).
BMW acquired the Rover Group (formerly British Leyland) in 1994, and sold the greater part of it in 2000, but retained the rights to build cars using the Mini name. Retrospectively, the car is known as the “Classic Mini” to distinguish it from the modern, BMW-influenced MINI family of vehicles produced since 2000.
Patrick MINI was established in 2001 by the Dawson’s, a family-owned and operated business for four generation. Named after Hanley Dawson III youngest son, Patrick, in 1979, after Mr. Dawson set out on his own, the Patrick Dealer Group was born and embodies the spirit of family that extends to all our customer relationships throughout our dealerships in the Chicagoland area.
Pictured below is 2023 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door
