MINI is celebrating 25 years of design under BMW Group ownership with the release of a new video that charts the transformation of the classic British small car into a modern automotive icon.
The six-minute film, From the Original to the Original – 25 Years of MINI Design, explores one of the automotive industry’s most notable design success stories, tracing MINI’s evolution from the original car created by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959 to the contemporary model range produced by BMW Group since 2001.
The video features insights from Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design, and Holger Hampf, Head of MINI Design, who discuss the challenge of modernising one of the world’s most recognisable vehicles while maintaining its distinctive character.
“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,” said van Hooydonk.
Following BMW Group’s acquisition of Rover in 1994, designers were tasked with creating a successor that would retain the essence of the original Mini while appealing to a new generation of customers. According to BMW Group, several design directions were explored, ranging from close interpretations of the original car to more premium and performance-focused concepts.
The result was the launch of the modern MINI in 2001, a vehicle that combined familiar styling cues with contemporary engineering and technology. Rather than becoming a retro product, the new MINI established itself as a distinct brand with a strong identity and global appeal.
The company says the design journey has enabled MINI to develop its own visual heritage over the past quarter of a century. Elements introduced since 2001 are now regarded by enthusiasts as integral parts of the brand’s character.
Pic: The original Mini design from 1959
“MINI has created its own icons over the years. This work is never finished – we must continue to carry it forward,” said Hampf.
MINI attributes its enduring popularity to a design philosophy centred on compact proportions, short overhangs, distinctive round headlights and what it describes as the brand’s signature “go-kart feeling”. These characteristics have remained key elements of the range despite significant changes in vehicle technology and customer expectations.
The company also emphasises the importance of personalisation in MINI design, allowing customers to create vehicles that reflect their individual tastes and lifestyles.
“No MINI looks like any other. MINI gives people the opportunity to express their lifestyle and tell their own story,” said Hampf.
This approach continues with the latest MINI family, which adopts the company’s “Charismatic Simplicity” design language. The philosophy focuses on reducing design elements to their essentials while enhancing the individual character of each model.
BMW Group says this design direction is particularly evident in the MINI Cooper Electric, where clean surfaces, a modern body design and a simplified interior echo the principles of the original Mini. Features include a circular central display and a compact steering wheel, reflecting the minimalist approach that characterised the 1959 car.
The modern MINI is produced at BMW Group’s Plant in Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK the historic manufacturing facility that has been at the heart of MINI production since the launch of the modern MINI in 2001.
The release of the video forms part of a wider celebration for the brand, which this year marks 25 years of production of the modern MINI. The anniversary is also being commemorated through the introduction of the limited-edition MINI Cooper Oxford Edition, highlighting both the brand’s British heritage and its continuing evolution under BMW Group ownership.
The video offers a behind-the-scenes look at the decisions, sketches and design thinking that have shaped MINI over the past quarter century. See video below.
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