50 of MINI’s Greatest Hits in The World of Pop Culture, Music and Art

21. MINI embraced sustainable mobility in 2020 with the first-ever plug-in hybrid Countryman and a fully electric MINI hatch.

22. In 2009, a total of 1,450 Minis were recorded for the record of the world’s longest parade of Mini Coopers, stretching almost two-miles long!

23. In 2019, the ten millionth MINI rolled off the production line in Oxford which happened to be the MINI 60 Years Edition anniversary model

24. Beatles in Minis: They might have been the ‘Beatles’, but they all drove Minis – every Beatle had one!

25. John Lennon ordered a Mini in 1964 – even thought he didn’t have a driving license

26. Paul McCartney owned a 1965 Mini Cooper S which was then personalised by renowned body maker, Harold Radford. The car had Aston Martin California Sage Green metallic paint and Aston Martin rear lights. It also had rare halogen headlamps and built-in fog lamps which retracted into the grille, and wall-to wall black leather interior.

27. Paul McCartney’s green Mini met with an unfortunate end. He lent the car to a friend, who subsequently crashed it.

28. In 1965, George Harrison painted his black Mini Cooper a psychedelic red and gold to be featured in the band’s film ‘The Magical Mystery Tour’, and he was photographed driving it with his first love Linda sat in the passenger seat. He then gifted the car to the late Eric Clapton, who owned it for a while before returning it.

29. George Harrison’s Mini still belongs to his wife, while Ringo Starr’s was sold to Spice Girl Geri Horner, a woman who would go on to define British pop culture herself, only 30 years later, and in a slightly different way.

30. The popularity of Mini expanded on an international level when the Beach Boys posed in front of a Mini Moke as a part of their international tour in 1966.

31. Despite owning a garage full of expensive sports cars, Britney Spears has been most frequently seen to be driving her Mini Cooper convertible.

32. The Monkees band member, Monkee Nesmith, had his own personal Mini Cooper S made by renowned body maker, Radford. The extravagant and expensive one-off specimen had a folding roof, 100 horse power engine and a wooden dashboard with additional instruments.

33. Mini makes an appearance in the 1966 cult movie “Blow Up” as well as crime comedy “Kaleidoscope” of the same year, in which Warren Beatty played the leading role.

34. Popular English film actor Peter Sellers, known for his role as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther was an avid collector of Minis. He acquired approximately a dozen individually enhanced classic Mini vehicles, including one he gave to his then wife Britt Ekland as the contents of an oversized birthday cake

Michael Caine arriving at building with men holding bats in a scene from the film The Italian Job, 1969. (Photo by Paramount/Getty Images)

35. The classic Mini also made a spectacular big-screen appearance in the 1969 gangster comedy The Italian Job featuring Michael Caine. 34 years later in the 2003 remake starring Mark Wahlberg and Jason Statham, the new MINI Cooper S was cast as the leading four-wheel star once again.

36. Fashion model Lesley Hornby AKA Twiggy passed her driving test in a classic Mini in 1968

37. Lovable comedic character, Mr. Bean – played by Rowan Atkinson – owned a 1977 British Leyland Mini 1000 in Austin Citron Green with a matte black bonnet in the internationally successful comedy series.

38. Kirsten Stewart – best known for her starring role in film series, Twilight – drives a MINI Cooper S around town. Paparazzi photos have her pictured with several different MINI models so it is possible she owns more than one.

39. If you needed further convincing that MINI is a car for the ‘cool kids’, movie icon Clint Eastwood has had a Mini in his vast car collection at least at one point in time. He once said, “I’ve got a Morris Mini Countryman. That’s kind of an interesting little car. It came from England and has all the Mini Cooper S racing fear, but in a mini station wagon. It’s a cool car because there aren’t many like it.”

40. In 2014, MINI partnered with renowned skateboarder, Tony Hawk to produce internet-breaking videos including one where he jumps over a moving MINI Cooper S.

41. Don’t try this at home: French daredevil Guerlain Chicherit was the first person to ever backflip a MINI in snow.

42. An original works Mini that won RAC rally UK in 1965 and the Scottish Rally in 1966 was lost to the world for 20 years. The barn find then surfaced in 1986, and by the time the car was restored to full original glory, it was worth a staggering $200,000!

43. The Mini ute is an actual thing – in 2014, MINI posted pictures of a Paceman Adventure, jacked-up with beefy tyres, a light bar on the roof and a tiny cargo bed at the back! The car was a one-off design study created by students and instructors at BMW plants Munich and Dingolfing.

44. The Mini panel van was another unique and practical body style of the classic favourite, released to the public for sale in 1960. Because it was to be used for commercial purposes, it was cheaper than the car! More than 500,000 over these Mini panel vans were eventually sold, taking on all sorts of roles, from breadvans, tradesmen transports, to even an AA rescue vehicle!

45. Defying labels with authenticity – Instead of paying millions for celebrity endorsement, MINI simply sought out stars that already owned MINIs, recruiting superstar owners like actor Harvey Keitel, tennis legend Serena Williams and rapper T-pain to speak authentically about the brand. The resultant Superbowl ad message was powerful – that the marque defied labels, and was instead a car of choice for people who defined themselves.