One of the most iconic cars in the world, the classic Mini was introduced in 1957. Designed by Sir Alec Issigonis, the Mini was a revolution in design and layout. The longitudinally mounted, front wheel drive design, in addition to wheels mounted as close to the corners as possible, gave impressive interior space, while producing a highly nimble and fun car. The Mini was used to great success as a Race Car, with the famous Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S variants featuring heavily in that history. The Mini was sold under various brands during its time, including Austin, Morris, Authi, and Innocenti, but these are all largely the same vehicle, with only minor differences. During its long life, the classic Mini was built in seven generations: Mk I (1957-1967), Mk II (1967-1970), Mk III (1969-1976), Mk IV (1976-1983), Mk V (1984-1990), Mk VI (1990-1995), and Mk VII (1996-2001).