The factor

2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the Mini Cooper S and this example is the oldest survivor. Mark Dixon tells the story of a Mini that has truly lived a life 

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Appropriately, there's a modern Mini Cooper or, as BMW would have it, MINI Cooper) hard on our tail as we cross the M40 motorway and leave Banbury behind. A few minutes ago we were tucked up in a warehouse-like photo studio on one of its sprawling industrial estates, but now, after a long day photographing the car you see here, there’s time to spend a few minutes playing.

Although this Mini Cooper S has a top speed of 95mph, its peppy-for-the-time acceleration is no match for the modern car’s, driven by a commuter who is clearly quite keen to get home. But then we arrive at the first of a series of sharp, 90° corners and suddenly the balance of power changes...

Yes, it’s all true. Everything you've read about the Mini Cooper’s handling is gospel. This tiny car simply rockets around the first corner as if it’s on rails. By the time we're halfway along the next straight, the following MINT is only just exiting the corner; after the next bend, it’s so far behind that the driver has decided his tea can wait another few minutes. In a contest of Mini versus MINI, David still has a few tricks to show Goliath.

This giant-killing ability has been a large part of the original Mini’s appeal since it first appeared in 1959, of course, even with the cooking’ 848cc single-carburettor engine. Unlike every preceding BMC car since the Morris Minor in 1948, the Mini retrospectively known as the Mini 850) was genuinely revolutionary, with its transverse engine, integral gearbox sharing the engine oil, front-wheel drive and rubber-cone dry suspension. Light weight and the wheel-at-each-corner design gave the Mini superb handling that went a long way to compensate for its modest 34bhp power output.