The Mini & Porsche 911

In September 2013, the flag-bearer of the German sports car fraternity, the revered Porsche 911, will celebrate its 50th birthday.

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And among the hordes of its well-wishers will be the legendary Mini, and not only because the Mini’s history includes a similarly compelling work of art characterized by a similar reluctance to abandon the exuberance of youth.

It may be the fundamental differences between the two cars (e.g. the Mini has its engine in the front, the 911 at the rear) that dominate at first glance. But there are also a number of factors – over and above their shared cult status – that lend particular empathy to the Mini’s birthday greetings.

Both models made their name with an eye-catching turn of speed. At the end of the austere 1950s, the Mini was the ground-breaking new kid on the block, generating sales figures that mimicked the upward curve of its acceleration. The 911, as the successor to the Porsche 356, was born with speed in its blood.

Only a handful of cars can claim to have endured over such lengthy time spans, retaining their unmistakable identities despite all the nips, tucks and updates along the way.

When major landmarks like a 50th come into view, it’s traditional to look back over the birthday boy’s childhood. Although the Mini and Porsche 911 may not be cars you would instinctively compare, there are one or two striking aspects of their history that have brought them together over time. A less than straightforward christening, for example.