Considered by many as Britain’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle from Germany, the Mini is a much-loved and iconic small car that anyone around the world will instantly know about.

From its original British Motor Corporation roots in the 1950s to the BMW-owned Mini that a number of motorists in the United Kingdom and beyond drive on a daily basis, there is very little not to love about this car.

First introduced to the market in 2000, the ‘new Mini’ as it was known then was basically launched in the same year that the ‘old Mini’ was discontinued from production. The current Mini is now in its third generation, with sales of this new generation set to begin in the first half of 2014.

When the first new Mini was introduced, it was offered with a choice of four different engines:

• 1.4-litre petrol – Mini One;

• 1.4-litre diesel – Mini D;

• 1.6-litre petrol – Mini One and Mini Cooper;

• 1.6-litre petrol supercharged – Mini Cooper S.

There are several different variants of the Mini, ranging from the base model Mini One, the supercharged Mini Cooper S (check out www.coopermini.co.uk for some awesome photos) to the highly sought-after Mini John Cooper Works World Championship 50 edition.

Initial reception of the new Mini was positive, and today in various forms the BMW-developed Mini is a familiar sight in the streets of Britain and other nations around the world. As of 2012, over two and a half million Minis have been sold throughout the world!

So what is it about Britain’s love affair with the Mini? Here are some possible reasons why us Brits hold such a car close to our hearts:

One of Britain’s motor industry success stories

Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, and back in the late 1950s there was a need for a micro-sized family car that had a number of uses (such as for rallying), and this is why the original Mini was born.

Despite all the trouble and turmoil of the British Motor Corporation and other companies which eventually met their demise, the original Mini was a true success story of British motoring and has thankfully carried on thanks to the design and development work from BMW.

A fun car to drive

Anyone that has ever been out in a Mini and taken out for a drive will doubtless tell you that it is probably one of the most fun cars they have ever driven!  Have you ever driven a car and thought to yourself that it didn’t have much charisma or charm? Well, the Mini has plenty of both, that’s for sure!

Great for the city

If you live in a place like central London or another densely-populated urban area, you will know that finding somewhere to park can be a nightmare, as can navigating rush-hour traffic. The Mini makes both tasks effortless, and with a number of different styling options it is possible to make your Mini as unique as you are.