MINI Marks 25 Years of BMW Group Design, From Classic Mini to New Icon
MINI reflects on its design evolution from the 1959 Classic Mini to the modern reinterpretation under BMW Group in a new video titled 'From the Original to the Original – 25 Years of MINI Design'.
- 25 years of MINI Design under BMW Group
- 1959
- 2001
- 40 years
What Happened
MINI has released a new six-minute video, 'From the Original to the Original – 25 Years of MINI Design', now available on the BMW Group YouTube channel. The video explores the design journey from the classic Mini to the MINI produced by BMW Group, featuring sketches, key decisions, and insights from Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design, and Holger Hampf, Head of MINI Design. It tells the story of how the brand transformed from a clever compact car into a style icon with an emotionally engaging design and strong personality.
Sir Alec Issigonis creates the Classic Mini, focusing on optimum space use, compact proportions, short overhangs, and cheeky character.
BMW Group acquires Rover, prompting the question of how to preserve the essence of the classic Mini while giving it a new form.
MINI launches under BMW Group as a new original, immediately recognizable yet reinterpreted through technology, design, and culture.
MINI celebrates 25 years of design under BMW Group with the release of the anniversary video and limited MINI Cooper Oxford Edition.
“The Mini remained virtually unchanged for 40 years. It was our task as designers to preserve its soul, while leading it into a new era – not as a copy, but as the new MINI with all the signature MINI characteristics.”
- Round headlights
- Compact proportions with short overhangs
- Go-kart feeling driving dynamics
- Lovable details and extensive customization options
- Design that expresses personality — no two MINIs look alike
The current MINI Family adopts the 'Charismatic Simplicity' design language, reduced to essentials, which enhances each model's character. In the MINI Cooper Electric, this is expressed through clearly sculpted surfaces, a puristic modern body, and an interior with fewer components, a round central display, and a compact steering wheel, reinventing the brand for the electric and digital future. The six-minute video marks a special year for MINI, which also includes 25 years of production of the modern MINI and the limited MINI Cooper Oxford Edition celebrating British roots.
Why this matters
The video illustrates how MINI preserved its signature character—compact proportions, go-kart feeling, cheeky charm—while reinventing itself for the electric and digital future. For fans and buyers, it highlights the brand's commitment to individuality and emotional design, showing that MINI is more than a car but a lifestyle companion. The story matters because it demonstrates how a classic icon can stay relevant across decades through thoughtful design…
Terms in This Story
- Go-kart feeling
- A signature MINI handling characteristic that provides go-kart-like agility and direct steering feel.
- Cheeky charm
- A playful, irreverent personality trait of the MINI brand that makes the car feel fun and approachable.
- Charismatic Simplicity
- MINI's current design philosophy that reduces forms to essentials while emphasizing character and personalization.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.