 |
|
|
The original Mini design team headed by Sir Alec Issigonis were given a brief to develop the smallest possible car that would still comfortably accommodate four adults and luggage, Issigonis conceived a box measuring 10 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet of which 80% should be given over to passengers and luggage, leaving only 2 feet for the engine. To accomplish this, Issigonis used very small, 10" wheels, and an all-independent suspension. However, the real masterstroke was his idea of employing a transverse engine, driving the front wheels via a gearbox and a final drive built into the sump of the engine.
The
resulting packaging and handling characteristics took the world by storm
and following Mini’s lead, the majority of modern cars utilise the
principles of front wheel drive with transverse mounted engines.
If anyone
owns any of these Limited Editions, why not send us a few pictures and
a resume on the car so we can add them to our pages