Book Review: Mini 60 Years

The humble Mini changed the worldwide automotive industry, and six decades after its introduction Giles Chapman takes a detailed look back. “Mini 60 Years” starts with the environment that set the stage for the Mini’s release–specifically the Suez Crisis and England’s immediate need for small family cars.

The book then covers the Mini mania that swept through Europe, including the birth of the all-conquering Mini Cooper. Period pictures and illustrations cover the Mini as well as the variants that quickly followed. And the book doesn’t lose a step when discussing the Mini’s waning years as well as its resurgence in popularity in the ’90s.

Unlike most books on the subject that either ignore or treat the new car as an afterthought, this one truly lives up to its name by covering the second- and third-generation Minis just as well. While this book is not a restoration guide that covers every nuance of the iconic Mini as well as the modern BMW-built cars in nauseating detail, it is a very enjoyable read that pleasantly presents the entire model run in historical context.

 

“Mini 60 Years” by Giles Chapman

Motorbooks, an imprint of The Quarto Group

176 pages; $40

Buy This Book on Amazon.com 

 

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