The Innocenti Mini is an automobile introduced by Innocenti in 1974. The vehicle was a rebodied, three-door hatchback version of the Mini , styled by Bertone . A five-door prototype was developed around 1980, but was never put into production. After having been sold to De Tomaso in 1976, the Innocenti Mini ended up being powered by Daihatsu -sourced three-cylinder engines and continued in production in incrementally updated forms until 1993.
150-677: Prior to developing the Mini 90 / 120 hatchback variants of the Mini, Innocenti undertook assembly of the original Mini design using CKD kits . Introduced in November 1965 as the Innocenti Mini 850, later versions included the 1000, 1001, the Cooper, the Cooper 1300 and the Mini T, the latter being an estate car and the only non-saloon variant produced. Assembly ceased in early 1975. Only the very earliest Minis were built using CKD kits. Most of
300-476: A 37 PS (27 kW) diesel version of the 1-litre engine. The diesel looked the same, inside and out, as did the regular Minitre. At the time of introduction (April 1984), this engine was not only the smallest passenger car diesel in the world, but also had the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated diesel engine in series production; it thus made for a surprisingly spirited performer. Introduced as part of an effort to bring Innocenti production above
450-515: A 53 bhp (54 PS; 40 kW), 1.0-litre three-cylinder, fuel injected engine called the CB90 was available. For 1989, the CLS and CLX also became available with the more powerful 1.3-litre four-cylinder SOHC 16-valve fuel injected , all-aluminum HC-E engine. This, along with the new availability of an automatic transmission and an expansion of dealerships, provided a useful boost to sales for
600-408: A 70% increase). Ten-inch (254 mm) wheels were specified, so new tyres had to be developed, the initial contract going to Dunlop . Issigonis went to Dunlop stating that he wanted even smaller, 8 in (203 mm) wheels (even though he had already settled on 10-inch). An agreement was made on the 10-inch size, after Dunlop rejected the eight-inch proposition. Many features were designed into
750-527: A catalytic converter and produce 45 kW (60 hp; 61 PS) at 5500 rpm. Power crept up to 46 kW (62 hp; 63 PS) at 5700 rpm for the fuel injected model. An internal bonnet release was fitted from 1992. By 1991, the Cooper represented forty percent of Mini sales in the home market; the main export market was Japan. Production ended in August 1996 as the Mark VII replaced it. In
900-467: A claimed 2.74 L/100 km (85.9 mpg ‑US ). The turbocharged SOHC 6-valve 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine was discontinued in February 1988 (until mid 1989 for several export markets) and replaced with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder with single carburetor or fuel injection ( HC-E/F ). The four-cylinder was built with lightness in mind, featuring a hollow crankshaft and camshaft , and
1050-571: A controlling interest in Daihatsu, retired the Daihatsu brand in the US market after an abbreviated 1992 model year, but continued to provide existing Daihatsu customers after-sales support through to at least 2002. Only the three-door hatchbacks and four-door sedans were available. The North American Charade appeared in three different trim levels until 1989; the CES (base model), CLS, and CLX. For 1988, only
1200-517: A convertible version of the Minitre SE, called a Spyder, but de Tomaso decided against series production. Aside from the sporting turbocharged version, the Minitre was originally only available with a carburetted 52 PS (38 kW) petrol engine, in three different levels of trim: S, SL, and SE. While usually fitted with a five-speed manual transmission rather than the four-speed unit used in
1350-617: A crash and the second generation was assessed as "significantly worse than average". Taiwanese assembly of the G100 began in 1989, although the Skywing liftback version of the G11 continued to be sold into 1990. It continued until local assembler Yu Tian went bankrupt in 1996 in the midst of a financial scandal. Daihatsu's subsidiary in Indonesia , Astra Daihatsu Motor , that was also producing
1500-408: A diesel and turbodiesel ( CL series ). In New Zealand, this generation was available with a 32 kW (44 PS; 43 hp) 846 cc ED10 three-cylinder engine. The little 1.0-litre diesel engine continued to be one of the most fuel efficient cars in the world at the time. At a steady 60 km/h (37 mph), a Charade turbodiesel fitted with the five-speed manual transmission was capable of
1650-547: A door to many European markets that they had yet to reach. Thanks to Alfa Romeo's Arna deal with Nissan a few years earlier, the Italian political resistance against Japanese companies had been lessened and DeTomaso encountered no political difficulties. In April 1982, at the same time as the engines were changed for Daihatsu units, the Mini's original rubber suspension was changed to a more conventional (and comfortable) independently developed layout with MacPherson struts in
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#17327807365291800-575: A driver. The third generation of the Daihatsu Charade (G100) debuted in January 1987. With styling by Daihatsu chief stylist Hiroshi Aoki and colleague Hideyuki Ueda, the more rounded design was able to reach a drag coefficient of C d =0.32. It originally shipped with a carbureted or fuel injected naturally aspirated ( CB23/36/37/90 ) and turbocharged ( CB51/61 ) SOHC 6-valve 1.0-litre three-cylinder engines, also available as
1950-423: A five-seater, even two adults would still find the rear seat uncomfortable. A well balanced design, the longer wheelbase version can be hard to identify, if not for the missing pillar in the glass of the door, and the forward placement of the mirrors. The luggage space also increased somewhat, with 295 L (10.4 cu ft) rather than 280 L (9.9 cu ft). The 990 also received bigger bumpers and
2100-402: A front rubber-mounted subframe with single tower bolts and the rear frame had some larger bushings introduced, all intended to improve the car's mechanical refinement and to reduce noise levels. Twin column stalks for indicators and wipers were introduced, as were larger foot pedals. From 1977 onwards, the rear light clusters included reversing lights. In July 1979 the lower end of the Mini range
2250-575: A half years earlier, meaning the Mini outlived the car that was supposed to replace it. Daihatsu Charade The Daihatsu Charade is a supermini car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Daihatsu from 1977 to 2000. It is considered by Daihatsu as a "large compact" or " supermini " car, to differentiate it from the smaller kei car compacts in its line-up, such as the Daihatsu Mira . In Japan, it offers buyers more interior space and
2400-521: A hatchback. The Metro was therefore in essence, the Mini mechanicals repackaged into a larger hatchback bodyshell. Although the Mini continued to be produced after the Metro's launch, production volumes were reduced as British Leyland and its successor Rover Group concentrated on the Metro as its key supermini. The original Mini's last year in the top ten of the UK's top selling cars was 1981, as it came ninth and
2550-593: A larger engine that allows for the car to also be used outside of urban areas. It replaced the Daihatsu Consorte , although the Charmant took over from the bigger-engined Consortes, and didn't share a platform with a Toyota product. The name "Charade" is a direct reference to the french racetrack Circuit de Charade , which held the French Grand Prix in 1965, 1969, 1970 and 1972. In China,
2700-551: A limited albeit fairly successful rally career. Continuing its competitiveness in Safari Rally , it finished 2nd on its class or 12th overall behind Nissan March Turbo in 1988. It competed in the 1989 Lombard RAC Rally and finished at 4th place on its class or 32nd overall. In the 1990 Safari Rally, two Charade 1.3i models finished 1st and 2nd on its class, also 9th and 10th overall out of 59 contestants. The GTti won another class honours in 1991 and 1992 Safari Rally and
2850-522: A marque in its own right. The Morris version was known to all as "the Mini" or the "Morris Mini-Minor". This seems to have been a play on words: the Morris Minor was a larger, well known, and successful car that continued in production, and minor is Latin for "lesser", so an abbreviation of the Latin word for "least" – minimus – was used for the new even smaller car. One name proposed for
3000-565: A new grille with horizontal bars and the Innocenti logo, a stylised "i". The rear number plate was moved up to between the rear lights. The 990's rear seat folded and was divided down the middle. The 990 was an adaptation of a 1982 concept executed by carrozzeria Embo , using the longer chassis of the Mini Traveller . The Embo showcar was less elegant than the finished "990", the bodywork being extended by simply adding an insert behind
3150-435: A rectangular centre from the Innocenti Mini hatchback. The 1100 Special and 850 City models were phased out by 1980, and during the same year the engine was upgraded to the improved A-Plus unit from the new Metro in 998cc form, which was now the only engine available in the Mini. This was then followed by a number of incremental developments. In 1978, the Mini was one of the key cars made available to disabled motorists under
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#17327807365293300-410: A result of steadily declining production numbers (down from the forty-thousands in the late seventies to the mid-teens by 1984/1985), something which De Tomaso tried to ameliorate by offering a more luxurious and customisable product than did their main competitor Fiat . The three-cylinder (and some two-cylinder versions as well) continued in production until 1993, and this range was also available with
3450-462: A smaller IHI RHB32 charger and a more suitable 8:1 compression ratio (with a 0.5 bar charge, rather than the 0.37 bar used in the CB-DT), reached max power at 5700 rpm. Tractability at lower engine speeds also improved since the smaller charger was more willing to spool up; this had been an area of concern with the earlier engine which had little power beneath 3500 rpm. In July 1988
3600-420: A standard model with the same name. However this was the first time a UK-market 'round-nose' (i.e. non-Clubman) Mini had been available with the 1098cc engine, and the UK limited edition was also fitted with unique Exacton alloy wheels – the first time these were fitted to a factory-produced Mini – and plastic wheelarch extensions. Inside was the 1275GT's three-dial instrument cluster and a leather-rimmed wheel with
3750-640: A tight final difference with the winners of only two hundredths of a second after nearly 50 hours of competition. They were ranked seventh overall and first in its class at the 500 miles rally of Entre Ríos in 2011. They went on to win Category A in the Uruguayan Championship of Historical Tourism in 2013. The second generation (G11) was released in March 1983, again as a three- or a five-door hatchback . It featured several new variations of
3900-458: A very small economy car. His initial work was on the largest car, designated XC9001, with the smallest car, XC9003, having the lowest priority despite it being Issigonis' greatest personal interest. With Lord's dictum to produce a bubble car competitor and his revised design requirements being laid down in October 1956, work on XC9001 stopped and XC9003 became the priority. In addition to Issigonis,
4050-604: Is a small, two-door, four-seat car produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 until 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during five, from the last year of the 1950s into the last year of the 20th century, over a single generation, as fastbacks, estates, and convertibles. The original Mini is considered an icon of 1960s British popular culture . Its space-saving transverse engine and front-wheel drive layout – allowing 80% of
4200-513: Is much rarer than the GTti, mainly being sold in Japan, although some were exported and sold in other countries in small numbers. All GT-XXs have engine code CB70 , whereas GTtis can have CB70 or CB80 , depending on the country and region sold. There are no known differences with the actual engine internals, all CB70 s feature catalyst emissions control systems. Even some CB80 s for Europe featured
4350-542: The Australian market, the GTti was unavailable and the turbocharged petrol Charade used the lower powered carbureted engine (CB61) from the previous generation. Quite a few GTtis and GT-XXs have been imported from Japan and have a good following. In Australia, the third generation was assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings as providing "worse than average" protection for its occupants in the event of
4500-672: The Authi company from 1968 onwards, mostly under the Morris name. In 1969, a fibreglass version of the Mini Mark II was developed for British Leyland's Chilean subsidiary (British Leyland Automotores de Chile, S.A., originally the independent assembler EMSSA). The bodyshell mould was created by the Peel Engineering Company . Production began in 1970 and continued for a few years; these fibreglass Minis can be recognised by
4650-661: The Daihatsu Hijet . The G20 appeared in 1980 and was developed as a result of a Chilean decision to lower import tariffs on cars with engines of less than 850 cc in May 1979. The G20 was able to run on low-octane fuel or even ethanol. The first G20 version (1978–1981) had round headlights, while the second generation G20 (sold from 1981 to 1984) received the same facelift as did the G10, meaning square headlights and slightly different rear lights. The three-door "Runabout" retained
Innocenti Mini - Misplaced Pages Continue
4800-449: The Mini name . Retrospectively, the car is known as the "Classic Mini" to distinguish it from the modern, BMW-influenced MINI family of vehicles produced since 2000. The Mini came about because of a fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis . Petrol was once again rationed in the UK, sales of large cars slumped, and the market for German bubble cars boomed, even in countries such as
4950-585: The VIN instead of Indonesian "MF-MK" VIN code) also received the same engines as its neighbor, the turbo model appeared in July 1986 and also the first turbo car to go on sale in the country. There were high roofed versions available in some markets, either with the three- or five-door bodywork. This was called the "Dolphin Roof" in Japan. The three-door model was also available in a Van model for commercial use, offered with
5100-513: The Volkswagen Polo diesel, all of which were in a higher tax bracket and had higher fuel consumption. In Turin 1986, the longer 990 was presented. This version had a wheelbase which was extended by 160 mm (6.3 in) and was available with either the naturally aspirated petrol or diesel 1 L engines. In addition to a more useful back seat, the 990 also had a more sloped windscreen for somewhat better aerodynamics. Classified as
5250-577: The World Rally Championship for cars under 1,300 cc. With a 1.4 equivalence factor for forced induction engines, this meant that the downsized engine was classified as being of 1296.4 cc. The 926R had a mid-mounted 926 cc twelve valve, twin-cam, turbocharged three-cylinder "CE" engine, moving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission and delivering 120 PS (88 kW; 118 bhp). The 926R weighed 800 kg (1,764 lb) and had wider fenders to cover
5400-547: The catalyst , although UK cars did not. There are more than likely slight differences between the CB70 and CB80 ECU mapping, with CB70 cars quoted as producing 105 PS (104 hp; 77 kW) compared to the CB80' s 101 PS (100 hp; 74 kW). This is probably down to the CB70 having the ignition timing mapped more advanced to suit the higher octane fuel used in Japan. A slight facelift in February 1989 gave
5550-619: The "Matic" versions, were all dropped. European exports had been run by the British Leyland affiliates in target markets, and were either halted or generally slowed down once the Daihatsu-engined cars were introduced. In 1982 and most of 1983 Minitres were only exported to France, Belgium, and to Switzerland. In 1983 Innocenti re-entered the German market, signalling a slow climb in exports once again. The Innocenti DeTomaso
5700-466: The 10-foot (3.0 m) length; and the engine, for reasons of cost, should be an existing unit. Alec Issigonis , who had been working for Alvis , had been recruited back to BMC in 1955 with a brief from Lord to design a range of technically advanced family cars in the same innovative spirit as his earlier Morris Minor to complement BMC's existing conventional models. Issigonis had set out design projects for three cars – large and small family cars and
5850-415: The 1982 Safari Rally , where they finished 17th out of 72 starting cars. Uruguayan driver Guillermo Viera driving his Daihatsu Charade G10 with his brother Agustín Viera as copilot, had competed several times in the 19 Capitals Historic Rally of Uruguay . In 2011 they finished 41st in the overall rank, in 2012 they finished 18th, in 2014 they finished 9th, and in 2016 they finished second overall with
6000-599: The 1984 through 1988 Safari Rallys . They won the A5 class and runner-up in A6 class in 1984. In 1985 they won both A3 and B5 categories. The Charades were finished at 13th, 14th and 19th overall out of 71 contestants, impressive for the little car. In 1986 and 1987 the Charades won the A5 class. The Swiss Daihatsu importer campaigned a Charade Turbo in their national Group A rally championship in 1985, with Florence L'Huillier as
6150-520: The 205/225 15" wheels. However, following significant crashes in the 1985 championship, Group B was banned and the 926R project was called off. There was also a limited homologation series of 200 units Charade 926 Turbo launched in November, equipped with the SOHC 6-valve version of the 926 cc engine and producing 73 PS (54 kW; 72 bhp) (JIS). For China, the G11 Charade was known as
Innocenti Mini - Misplaced Pages Continue
6300-531: The 650 and was quite spartan: for instance, it had no door to the glove compartment. In the rear, the reflective bar between the taillights was replaced by a black plastic unit. The "650" was succeeded by the three-cylinder 550 cc (660 cc from late 1990) " Mini 500 ", which went on sale in January 1988. These engines all came from the Daihatsu Cuore rather than the bigger Charade. The 550 cc Innocenti 500 (with L or more luxurious LS equipment)
6450-400: The 90/120. There were also integral foglights, a bonnet scoop, and wheelarch extensions to accommodate the alloy wheels which completed the sporting appearance. Power at introduction was 71 bhp (53 kW; 72 PS), but this crept up to 74 bhp (55 kW; 75 PS) in 1978. In 1980, the facelifted and better equipped Mini Mille made its appearance. The Mille (1000) replaced
6600-471: The ADO15's interior to maximise its passenger and luggage space on top of the major savings allowed by the transverse engine and 10-inch wheels. Sliding windows allowed single-skin doors to be fitted, improving elbow room and reducing costs. A bracing bar was fitted across the door frame to brace the single skin and this was later adapted into a large storage bin on each door. Issigonis later said that he had sized
6750-749: The Austin Partner (until 1964) and Morris Mascot (until 1981). It was introduced in Australia as Morris 850 only (not "Austin"), and then later as Morris Cooper and Morris Cooper S versions, as well. The Morris name Mini (Mini-Minor) was first used for Austin's version by BMC in 1961 when the Austin Seven was rebranded as the Austin Mini, somewhat to the surprise of the Sharp's Commercials car company (later known as Bond Cars), who had been using
6900-594: The B-pillar. Unlike the 990, it also had a slightly raised rear roof and a small luggage rack on the front portion thereof, á la the Matra Rancho . Excepting the turbo, the shorter 1-litre versions were taken out of production in July 1987. The 990 was available as the SL, and as a better-equipped SE version. There was also a "Minitre Commerciale", continuing the rôle of the earlier Mini 90 Commerciale two-seater van. When
7050-562: The BMC must have been losing around £30 per car, so decided to produce a larger car – the Cortina , launched in 1962 – as its competitor in the budget market. BMC insisted that the way company overheads were shared out, the Mini always made money. Larger profits came from the popular De Luxe models and from optional extras such as seat belts, door mirrors, a heater, and a radio, which would be considered necessities on modern cars, as well as
7200-538: The C-pillars. The Charade was a surprise best-seller in Japan, where ever tighter emissions standards had made many observers consider the one-litre car dead in the marketplace. The Charade became an overnight success and also became the Japanese "Car of the Year" for 1979. The early G10 (Series 1) had round headlights and the later G10 (Series 2) had square headlights. The Series 2 was introduced in October 1980. Between
7350-606: The Charade à la the Citroën Méhari . With a metal body, the "Daihatsu Zebra" used Daihatsu mechanicals, grille and headlights, and many other Daihatsu parts. Production began in 1981 and continued until 1985, by which point changing Greek tax laws meant that this "fun car" could no longer be registered as a commercial vehicle and the market evaporated. The very first cars used the Series 1 round headlights; these were changed to
7500-517: The City was the new 850 SDL (Super Deluxe), which had the same specification as the standard Mini 1000 but with the smaller engine. For August 1979 the Mini's 20th anniversary was marked by the introduction of the first true limited-edition Mini, which was the Mini 1100 Special. This was a 5,000-car run with the 1098cc engine, broadly to the specification already in production for the European market as
7650-521: The Clubman). The most obvious changes were larger doors with concealed hinges. Customer demand led to the sliding windows being replaced with winding windows, although all Australian-manufactured Mark I Minis had adopted this feature in 1965 (with opening quarterlight windows). The suspension reverted from hydrolastic to rubber cones as a cost-saving measure. (The 1275 GT and Clubman retained the hydrolastic system until June 1971, when they, too, switched to
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#17327807365297800-475: The Daihatsu Charade was called Xiali and was produced by Tianjin FAW , under the registered mark of "China FAW". From September 1986 to 2009, it sold over 1.5 million units in that country. It also provided the basis for countless unlicensed Chinese copies, often depending on fibreglass moldings taken from the second generation Charade. Production ended in 2012. The first generation (G10) appeared in October 1977. It
7950-571: The Daihatsu powertrains were considerably more expensive than the English units, Alejandro DeTomaso stated that this was more than paid for by lowered warranty claims. In 1984 he said that warranty repairs were down by 70% when Japanese-engined Minis were compared with the BL-engined ones. His biggest problem was that his service network had become overstaffed as a result of the higher quality engines. This surfeit of servicing staff may have also been
8100-593: The G10 and G11 Charades for local market also producing the G100 Charade starting in 1987. Initially, it was only available as a 5-door hatchback with 60 PS (59 hp; 44 kW) carbureted 1.0-litre three-cylinder CB23 petrol engine from the previous generation with a single CX trim. This model did not have power windows, power steering, rear wiper, nor alloy wheels. In 1990, the 76 PS (75 hp; 56 kW) 1.3-litre four-cylinder engined Winner 5-door hatchback and Classy SG Saloon sedan appeared. Unlike
8250-554: The G213 chassis code, while front-wheel-drive models had codes in the G200 range. The diesel models were dropped in all markets where they had previously been available. In Australia, the fourth generation was assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings as providing "worse than average" protection for its occupants in the event of a crash and the second generation was assessed as "significantly worse than average". The turbocharged GTti version
8400-460: The GT-XX features many added luxury items. These include full bodykit , lightweight 14-inch speedline alloys, air-conditioning, power steering, one-touch electric window down, and electric sunroof . Some of these options were also available to buy as optional extras on the GTti. Side-skirts were also fitted to many GTtis, but in some countries they were only sold as a dealer optional extra. The GT-XX
8550-514: The German Daihatsu importer Walter Hagen took over sales there, after a hiatus of over a year. The old Leyland-engined versions continued to be sold until stocks ran out. In spite of the new model, production dropped steadily: from 23,187 in 1981 to 21,646 the next year to 13,688 in 1983, the first year in which all cars were Daihatsu-engined. During 1984, sales shot up again as the car had regained its credibility. Carrozzeria Embo displayed
8700-492: The Innocenti received the "dry" rubber cone suspension, which provided excellent handling but at the cost of a very bumpy ride. All Leyland-engined Innocentis received a four-speed manual transmission. At one point there were even plans for the Bertone-designed Mini to replace the original English Mini, but these came to nothing. Within a year of the car's launch, BLMC went bankrupt and in May 1976 Innocenti
8850-539: The Metro was fifth. The arrival of the Metro also had production of the larger Allegro pruned back before it was finally discontinued in 1982. In 1982, BL made 56,297 Minis and over 175,000 Metros. Due to their common powertrain package, the Mini received many mechanical upgrades in the early 1980s which were shared with the Metro, such as the A-Plus engine , 12-inch wheels with front disc brakes, improved soundproofing and quieter, stronger transmissions. This not only modernised
9000-685: The Mini was produced by Innocenti in Milan and it was sold under the "Innocenti Mini" marque. Innocenti was also producing Lambretta scooters at that time. The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates: the Mark II, the Clubman, and the Mark III. Within these was a series of variations, including an estate car , a pick-up , a van, and the Mini Moke , a jeep -like buggy. The performance versions,
9150-452: The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S", were successful as both race and rally cars , winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965, and 1967. In 1966, the first-placed Mini (along with nine other cars) was disqualified after the finish, under a controversial decision that the car's headlights were against the rules. In August 1959, the Mini was marketed under the Austin and Morris names, as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor. The Austin Seven
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#17327807365299300-423: The Mini but, because many of its major subassemblies were now shared with the Metro, made it very cost-effective to produce despite falling sales volumes. All cars had 8.4-inch (210 mm) brake discs and plastic wheel arches (Mini Special arches), but retained the same Mark IV body shell shape. The Mini's 25th anniversary fell in 1984 and British Leyland produced a 'Mini 25' limited-edition model, both to mark
9450-545: The Mini continually popular as a first car for younger drivers, and Austin-Rover introduced a steady stream of limited editions with bright paint colours, body graphics, and trim to appeal to this market. The Mini was also becoming prized as a characterful and nostalgic car in its own right, and the London Collection of limited-edition models was more upmarket and luxurious and named after affluent or fashionable parts of London. These marketing strategies proved very successful; Mini production actually had modest increases through
9600-411: The Mini platform. Bertone also created a Mini Cooper equivalent, christened the Innocenti De Tomaso , that sported a 1275-cc engine similar to the MG Metro engine, but with an 11-stud head, a special inlet manifold, and used the "A" clutch instead of the "Verto" type. It also used homokinetic shafts instead of rubber couplings. The Mini was still popular in the UK, but appeared increasingly outdated in
9750-402: The Tianjin TJ730 as a CKD from 1986 to 1988. It was then replaced by the popular G100 Charade. In South Africa, Alfa Romeo 's local subsidiary assembled Daihatsu Charades beginning in March 1983. The only model available was the naturally aspirated petrol 1.0, with five doors and the high roof. Power is 60 PS (44 kW; 59 bhp), and either a four- or five-speed manual transmission
9900-417: The United Kingdom, where imported cars were still a rarity. Leonard Lord , the head of BMC, reportedly detested these cars so much that he vowed to rid the streets of them and design a 'proper miniature car'. He laid down some basic design requirements – the car should be contained within a box that measured 10×4×4 feet (3.0×1.2×1.2 m); and the passenger accommodation should occupy 6 feet (1.8 m) of
10050-426: The almost identical Austin version was Austin Newmarket, but it was sold as the Austin Seven (sometimes written as SE7EN in early publicity material – with the '7' using the letter V rotated anticlockwise so it approximated the number 7), which recalled the popular small Austin 7 of the 1920s and 1930s. Until 1962, the cars appeared in North America and France as the Austin 850 and Morris 850, and in Denmark as
10200-474: The area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage – influenced a generation of car makers. In 1999, the Mini was voted the second-most influential car of the 20th century , behind the Ford Model T , and ahead of the Citroën DS and Volkswagen Beetle . The front-wheel-drive, transverse-engine layout were used in many other "supermini" style car designs such as Honda N360 (1967), Nissan Cherry (1970), and Fiat 127 (1971). The layout
10350-401: The assembler a three percent tax subsidy. In New Zealand, the naturally aspirated petrol model was assembled locally at General Motors ' plant in Trentham . The Turbo was also sold there, imported fully built-up. In October 1985, at the 26th Tokyo Motor Show , Daihatsu introduced the 926R, a prototype of a mid engine Charade, developed together with De Tomaso and designed to take part in
10500-462: The basic CX, both Winner and Classy has better equipments such as power windows, power steering, electric mirrors, rear wiper for hatchback and alloy wheels. The facelifted hatchback model appeared in 1991 and the sales were stopped in 1993. Due the high popularity of sedan segment in Indonesia before the 2000s, the Classy sedan continued to be produced with the same carbureted 76 PS (75 hp; 56 kW) 1.3-litre HC-C four-cylinder engine. It
10650-419: The bins to carry the ingredients of his favourite drink, a dry martini in the correct proportions (one bottle of vermouth and 2 of Gordon's Gin ). Similar bins were provided outboard of the rear seats, also serving a dual function of bracing the single-skin body panel. Small items could also be stowed under the rear seats, and early Minis were sold with optional wicker baskets specially shaped to slot under
10800-452: The cabin space, and required no maintenance. The conical shape gave the springs a progressive action, becoming stiffer at greater degrees of compression. This gave the ADO15 a smooth ride over small bumps, but minimised roll and pitch on more uneven surfaces. It also allowed the springs to cope with the huge variance in load between an unladen car (about 600 kg or 1300 lb) and a fully laden one (just over 1000 kg or 2240 lb, or
10950-559: The car was renamed the Innocenti Small and the Diesel, Matic, and Turbo de Tomaso versions were dropped. Updates included a slight facelift in November 1990, while the little 500's engine was updated to a 659 cc version following changes to the kei car regulations in March 1990 to allow for 660 cc of displacement—Daihatsu had quickly replaced the smaller EB engine with the somewhat bigger EF unit . Power remained exactly
11100-549: The cars smoother style rear lights and reflector panel, a slightly longer tailgate top spoiler, increased 70 mm length for hatchback (except for GTti/GT-XX), longer front blinkers (except for GTti/GT-XX) and a revised interior trim with fabric also on the door trim panels. A four-door sedan later expanded the range in April 1989, sold as the Charade Social in Japan. This generation was discontinued in 1993 for most markets, but
11250-515: The change to Daihatsu engines, a new De Tomaso version with a turbocharged , 72 PS (53 kW) version of the 993 cc three-cylinder engine was presented in December 1983. Italian sales began the next month. This was the two-valve version; the considerably more powerful multivalve version used in the Charade GTti was never used in the Innocenti. The bodywork was also revised, with
11400-413: The design and production of the Mini. The Mini shape had become so well known that by the 1990s, Rover Group – the heirs to BMC – were able to register its design as a trademark in its own right. The production version of the Mini was demonstrated to the press in April 1959, and by August, several thousand cars had been produced ready for the first sales. The Mini was officially announced to
11550-407: The disadvantage of feeding the radiator with air that had been heated by passing over the engine. It also exposed the entire ignition system to the direct entry of rainwater through the grille. Early prototypes used the existing 948-cc A-Series unit, but this provided the ADO15 with performance far greater than its price and purpose required – a top speed of about 80 mph (129 km/h). The engine
11700-477: The drivetrain and suspension for the front and rear. This also simplified production, as both subframes could be built up independently and then mated to the already-completed bodyshell. It also opened up the possibility of easily producing variants on the ADO15 as a body of any shape or design could be used provided it could accommodate the subframes. In 1959, BMC and Alec Issigonis won the Dewar Trophy , for
11850-441: The earlier four-cylinder cars, a two-speed semiautomatic also became available in July 1984, sold as the "Minimatic". This was the same unit as the one marketed as the " Daimatic " by Daihatsu themselves. The Matic's gearbox has the same dimensions as does the manual transmission, and is fitted with a torque converter and a planetary gear train with two gear ratios which are selected by a traditional, floor-mounted gear lever. While
12000-515: The engine was upgraded to CB61 specifications; this version received grey rather than red casings in the engine compartment. For the Canadian (and Swiss) markets, a catalysed version of the carburetted CB60 engine was installed. This unit was slightly less powerful, with 68 PS (50 kW) at 5500 rpm. After Fiat 's purchase of Innocenti in 1990, the Turbo de Tomaso, along with the diesel and
12150-429: The engine-oil lubricated, four-speed transmission in the sump , and by employing front-wheel drive . Drive was taken down to the transmission via a conventional clutch coupled to a set of primary gears on the end of the crankshaft which gave rise to the characteristic transmission "whine" for which the Mini became famous. Almost all small front-wheel drive cars developed since have used a similar configuration, except with
12300-543: The external changes being limited to badging and a chin spoiler. In January 1984, along with a gentle facelift, they were renamed Minitre (sometimes written "Mini 3"). Most of the new parts came straight from the Daihatsu Charade . European exports, which had hitherto been managed by local British Leyland affiliates, were either halted or generally slowed down. For the first year or two, Minitres were limited to exporting to France, Belgium, and Switzerland. In 1983,
12450-423: The face of newer and more practical rivals. Since the late 1960s, plans had been in place for a newer and more practical supermini to replace it, though the Mini was still the only car of this size built by British Leyland for the home market. The Mark IV was introduced in 1976, though by this stage British Leyland was working on a new small car which was widely expected to replace the Mini before much longer. It had
12600-559: The fall of 1984. The base Charades received the naturally aspirated, three cylinder, 993 cc CB-series engines with 52–60 PS (38–44 kW; 51–59 bhp). 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) takes around 15–17 seconds. Japanese market models had twin carburettors as standard, while most export versions received a single unit which made marginally less power. This generation has drag coefficient of C d =0.36. In Chile (and some other Latin American countries) this generation
12750-470: The fitment of a Moto Guzzi 650 cc V-twin engine , since Moto Guzzi was another company owned by de Tomaso at the time. A few prototypes were even built with this engine, but the amount of work it would have taken to make the motorcycle unit suitable for a car made the project unfeasible. Instead, Innocenti chose to stick to Daihatsu engines. First shown at the Turin Auto Show in November 1984,
12900-417: The front and an independent, rear suspension with lower wishbones and a transverse single- leaf spring which also acted as a stabilizer. To indicate the new engines, the cars were renamed Innocenti Tre Cilindri , or simply "Tre" ( three ). The new engines and suspension carried with them a weight penalty of about 55 kg (121 lb). The new Innocentis were nearly indistinguishable from their predecessors,
13050-515: The front seat occupants . To further simplify construction, the hinges for the doors and boot lid were mounted externally. This also saved a small amount of cabin space. It also made the ADO15 very easy to assemble from complete knock-down kits in overseas markets with only basic industry. Cars could be assembled with minimal use of jigs as the external seams made the panels largely 'self-aligning'. They also allowed panels to be stacked flat on top of one other for easy shipping. As originally built, all
13200-459: The headlights now sloping backwards and with new bumpers, skirts, and bumper extensions to fit the 160/65 SR315 ( TRX ) alloys. The sporty steering wheel received a leather rim. The original version was equipped with an Italian development of the naturally aspirated CB22 engine (called CB-DT, for "De Tomaso"), with an IHI RHB5 turbocharger and the same 9.1:1 compression ratio as for the CB22. Max power
13350-583: The introduction in November 1977 and the end of production in December 1982, Daihatsu built 89,792 G10/G20 type Charades. The Daihatsu Charade was very popular in Chile and some other Latin American countries during the 1970s and 1980s. Originally the same as in the rest of the world, later Chilean Charades (called G20s) came equipped with a downsleeved 843 cc version (CD) of Daihatsu's three-cylinder engine . This engine produced 41 PS (30 kW) at 5,500 rpm and has also appeared in export versions of
13500-593: The larger 1-liter CB20 engine, and also received a five-speed manual transmission and a tachometer. At 1981 Tokyo Motor Show , Daihatsu displayed a 1-liter turbo car concept in collaboration with Italian exotic sport car maker De Tomaso Automobili . This car was based on the 3-door Charade XTE and known as the Charade De Tomaso. This idea was later applied for mass production on the second generation. The Greek Automeccanica company, founded in 1979, developed an off-road style torpedo design version of
13650-477: The larger-engined 120 in most markets, and featured moulded plastic bumpers, headlights which sloped backwards, and redesigned taillights. Overall length increased by a couple of inches (5 cm). There was also a "90 LS II" version introduced for 1981, and the "90 SL" for the 1982 model year. By 1982, however, Alessandro de Tomaso's deal with BL had ended. For various reasons, politico-industrial as well as due to British Leyland's reluctance to provide engines to what
13800-412: The layouts). Together, by July 1957, they had designed and built the original XC9003 prototype, which was affectionately named the "Orange Box" because of its colour. Leonard Lord approved the car for production on 19 July and XC9003 became project ADO15 . The ADO15 used a conventional BMC A-Series four-cylinder, water-cooled engine, but departed from tradition by mounting it transversely , with
13950-489: The longer 990 arrived there was also a 990 C (for "Commerciale") and also a 990 diesel C. In France, the earlier short wheelbase diesel van was briefly available as the "Minidiesel Société". As for the range overall, the Commerciale was somewhat hampered by its small aperture for the luggage area - especially when compared to more modern competitors. A "Minidue" had been rumoured for some time, but most were expecting
14100-415: The market. These versions had marginally lower power (see table) and top speeds. The last development was the "Small 500 SE" of 1993, which offered the smaller engine mounted in the longer "990"-style body. Production ended on March 31, 1993, with sales continuing into the next year. Daihatsu did stop using the three-cylinder CB engine in their own cars a few months before, but this may be coincidental. After
14250-399: The mechanically interconnected Citroën 2CV suspension at that time (according to an interview by Moulton with Car Magazine in the late 1990s), which inspired the design of the hydrolastic suspension system for the Mini and Morris/Austin 1100, to try to keep the benefits of the 2CV system (ride comfort, body levelling, keeping the roadwheel under good control and the tyres in contact with
14400-609: The mid-1980s, from 34,974 Minis in 1984 to 35,280 in 1985 and 39,800 in 1986. In 1990, the Mini Cooper was relaunched - 20 years after the demise of the original model - which saw Mini production pass 40,000. Once again, it featured the long-running 1275-cc engine which had featured on the original Mini Cooper S. In 1988, Austin Rover decided to keep the Mini in production for as long as it was viable to do so, putting an end to reports that it would be discontinued by 1991, by which time
14550-464: The missing body seams and by larger panel gaps. The Chilean market was never very large and the Arica plant was closed in 1974. The reason for the fibreglass body was to enable Leyland to meet very strict requirements for local sourcing, increasing to 70.22% in 1971. The Mark III Mini had a modified bodyshell with enough alterations to see the factory code change from ADO15 to ADO20 (which it shared with
14700-414: The name Minicar for their three-wheeled vehicles since 1949. However, legal action was somehow averted, and BMC used the name "Mini" thereafter. In 1964, the suspension of the cars was replaced by another Moulton design, the hydrolastic system. The new suspension gave a softer ride, but it also increased weight and production cost. In 1971, the original rubber suspension reappeared and was retained for
14850-690: The naturally aspirated diesel or petrol engines and fitted with the higher roof. Depending on market requirements, the Charade Van was also available with blanked rear windows. To escape quotas and some of the ADR strictures, the high-roof van version was sold in Australia as the Daihatsu Charade Duet in parallel with the passenger models. The G11 was produced with two front end treatments: with square headlights (Series 1) and with rectangular "cat's eye" shaped headlights (Series 2). The facelift
15000-739: The new Motability scheme. Reports of the Mini's imminent demise surfaced again in 1980 with the launch of the Austin Mini-Metro (badging with the word "mini" in all lowercase). Faced with competition from a new wave of modern superminis like the Ford Fiesta , Renault 5 , and Volkswagen Polo , the Mini was beginning to fall out of favour in many export markets, with the South African, Australian, and New Zealand markets all stopping production around this time. Buyers of small cars now wanted modern and practical designs, usually with
15150-527: The occasion and to publicise the recent upgrades to the model. This marked the start of a turnaround in the Mini's fortunes. Basic models such as the City and the City E (using the economy-tuned drivetrain from the Metro HLE) filled in the bottom of the Austin-Rover range and still found buyers who wanted a compact city car that was easy to park and cheap to run. Low purchase and running costs also made
15300-577: The original Metro would also be replaced. With the larger Metro being redesigned in 1990 to take the new K-Series engine, the Mini became the sole recipient of the classic A-Series engine with transmission-in-sump layout. The engine mounting points were moved forward to take 1275-cc power units, and includes the later Horizontal Integral Float version of the SU carb , and also the single-point fuel-injection version, which came out in November 1991. The 998-cc power units were discontinued. Early, carburetted Coopers had
15450-520: The original shelf, internal bonnet release. Introduction of airbag on driver's side. The basic Mini was the 1.3i, the other model in the range being the Mini Cooper. The end of production in October 2000 not only signalled the end of original Mini production after 41 years, but also brought about the demise of the 1275-cc engine which had powered the Mini and numerous other BL/BMC/ARG cars for more than 35 years. The Metro had ceased production two and
15600-547: The production was built using locally sourced shells and componentry. The Innocenti Mini shells differ in many ways from contemporary English built ones. Innocenti, under the ownership of the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) developed rebodied versions of the Mini , known as the Innocenti Mini 90L and 120L, which were released at the Turin Show in 1974. The new, Bertone -styled Mini
15750-747: The public on 26 August 1959. Some 2,000 cars had already been sent abroad and were displayed that day in almost 100 countries. The key dimensions were: The first example, a Morris Mini-Minor with the registration 621 AOK, is on display at the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire. Another early example from 1959 is on display at the National Motor Museum in Hampshire . The Mini was marketed under BMC's two main brand names, Austin and Morris, until 1969, when it became
15900-541: The range began with the high roofed two-seater, three-door CC model, while the rest of the range (CS, CX, CX-A, and turbo CX-T) had five-door bodywork. Taiwanese assembly began in 1983 or 1984. In 1987 they also presented a locally developed longer notchback version of the five-door, similar to the Subaru Tutto and Nissan March Cubic, sold as the Daihatsu Skywing . Developing a model locally also gained
16050-501: The remaining life of the Mini. From October 1965, the option of the unique Automotive Products designed four-speed automatic transmission became available. Cars fitted with this became the Mini-Matic. Slow at the outset, Mark I sales strengthened across most of the model lines in the 1960s, and production totalled 1,190,000. Ford purchased a Mini and dismantled it to see if they could offer an alternative. Ford determined that
16200-523: The road), but with added roll stiffness that the 2CV lacked. The short development time of the car meant this was not ready in time for the Mini's launch. The system intended for the Mini was further developed and the hydrolastic system was first used on the Morris 1100 , launched in 1962; the Mini gained the system later in 1964. As launched, the Mini had simpler suspension made from conical springs of solid rubber. These were compact, saving on intrusion into
16350-499: The rubber cone suspension of the original Minis. ) In 1969, the simple name Mini completely replaced the separate Austin and Morris brands. In April 1974, a heater became standard equipment on the entry-level Mini 850, as well, having by then already been included in the standard specification of the other models for some time. In the late 1970s, Innocenti introduced the Innocenti 90 and 120 , Bertone -designed hatchbacks based on
16500-404: The rubber cone system gave a raw and bumpy ride accentuated by the woven-webbing seats, but the rigidity of the rubber cones, together with the wheels' positioning at the corners of the car, gave the Mini go kart -like handling. Initially, an interconnected fluid system was planned, similar to the one that Alec Issigonis and Alex Moulton were working on in the mid-1950s at Alvis. They had assessed
16650-531: The same, while an increase in torque from 42 N⋅m (31 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm to 49 N⋅m (36 lb⋅ft) at 3,400 rpm increased flexibility and meant that the top speed crept up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Fuel economy also increased moderately. In July 1991 a luxurious "Serie Speciale" variant of the 990 was introduced, also offered with an available canvas-roof. The 990 Serie Speciale featured an alcantara interior by Missoni . In 1992, catalysed versions of both Innocenti Small versions entered
16800-406: The seats. The fixed rear parcel shelf contributed to the rigidity of the body shell, although it did preclude fitting the ADO15 with a hatchback . The boot lid was hinged at the bottom so that the car could be driven with it open to increase luggage space. On early cars, the number plate , together with its light, was hinged at the top so that it could swing down to remain visible when the boot lid
16950-545: The sedan version continued to be available in Japan until May 1994. The third-generation car was sold in the United States for just five years, from 1988 through 1992. The car sold poorly, despite construction "as tight as a frozen head bolt" and attractive styling for the market segment, perhaps because of its high price, few dealerships, rough-running three-cylinder, and low performance (0-60 mph or 97 km/h in 15 seconds). Toyota, which had recently procured
17100-414: The square Series 2 units before the first year of production had ended. Automeccanica also assembled regular Charades. In 1979, two G10 Charades competed in the 2400-kilometre Tour of Malaysia Rally and finished first and second. The G10 continued its competitiveness by winning the 2/1 class at 1981 Monte Carlo Rally while finishing 28th overall (out of 263 participants). They also won their class at
17250-421: The structural body panels were welded to the top of the single floor pressing, but this caused major problems with water entering the cabin and was quickly changed in the first months of production. Early prototypes were fully unitary in construction, but the cars broke apart under the high loads from the large lever ratios used with the rubber cone suspension. The design was changed to use steel subframes to carry
17400-572: The summer of 1991, 21 years after the fibreglass Mini built in Chile was produced, another fibreglass bodied Mini again entered production, this time in Venezuela. The producer, Facorca, intended to sell the car in the Caribbean and Central America, and also had plans for Brazilian assembly. This was the final version, twin point injection with front-mounted radiator. Full-width dashboard replaces
17550-461: The team that developed the Mini included John Sheppard (who had worked with Issigonis at Alvis), Jack Daniels (who had worked with Issigonis on the Morris Minor), Chris Kingham (also from Alvis), Charles Griffin (from Cowley), Vic Everton (from the body—jig shop), Ron Dovey (who built the bodies), Dick Gallimore (who laid out the experimental bodies), and George Cooper (whose job was to check
17700-408: The three-cylinder 1.0-litre engines, including a turbocharged version and naturally aspirated diesel or turbodiesel engines. The new 1.0-litre diesel engine "CL" was tested on 1 September 1983. To demonstrate the reliability of the new diesel engine, a Charade thus equipped was taken for 10 non-stop laps around the Japanese archipelago; the run lasted 117 days. The turbo diesel first appeared in
17850-477: The threshold of profitability, around 20,000 cars annually, the Minidiesel sold very well. The diesel took thirty percent of the overall production with nearly no negative effect on sales of the petrol versions, a considerably bigger share than the expected twenty percent. It was helped by a lack of real competitors: by 1988 it still only had to compete with the 1.3 litre Fiat Uno and Panda diesels, as well as
18000-408: The transmission separately enclosed rather than using the engine oil and mounted directly onto the end of the crankshaft, but with unequal length driveshafts. The radiator was mounted at the left side of the car so that the engine-mounted fan could be retained, but with reversed pitch so that it blew air into the natural low pressure area under the front wing. This location saved vehicle length, but had
18150-460: The two-cylinder, short-stroke 617 cc " Mini 650 " was also available as a better equipped "SE" model. The 650 received a silver-painted asymmetric grille, while the SE model had model-specific hubcaps divided into threes. While not very powerful at 31 PS (23 kW), the two-cylinder engine was surprisingly smooth-running thanks to the use of twin balance shafts . The dashboard was also unique to
18300-575: The various Cooper and Cooper S models. The Mini entered into popular culture in the 1960s with well-publicised purchases by film and music stars. The Cooper S version was also used by some British police forces as both a uniform and plainclothes car. The Mark II Mini was launched at the 1967 British Motor Show , and featured a redesigned grille, a larger rear window and numerous cosmetic changes. A total of 429,000 Mk II Minis were produced. A variety of Mini types were made in Pamplona , Spain, by
18450-462: The weight of a four-cylinder car was no higher than a similarly equipped three-cylinder model. Featuring fully independent suspension front and rear, either three-door or five-door hatchback body styles were originally offered. There was also a version with permanent four-wheel drive and the fuel injected 1.3-litre engine, called the TXF/CXF/Will (3/5-door, G112 chassis code). This version
18600-401: The year. For 1990, the trim levels were reduced to just two, the SE (base) and top trim package SX. The four-door sedan model was new for 1990. Four-cylinder models were available with a five-speed manual gearbox or a three-speed automatic transmission, while three-cylinder models were offered with the manual transmission only. From 1988 to 1991, only 43,590 Charades were sold in the US. In
18750-402: Was a competitor in many continental markets, the decision to thoroughly reengineer the Innocenti Mini was reached. After a lot of testing, the car was finally adapted to take a three-cylinder Daihatsu engine and various other mechanical parts. Because of Daihatsu's minuscule European presence, selling engines to Innocenti would have a minimal negative impact on their own sales, instead offering
18900-401: Was a front-engined front-wheel drive car, originally available only as a five-door hatchback , powered by a 993 cc three-cylinder , all-aluminum engine (CB20) with 50 PS (37 kW). Japanese market cars claimed 55 PS (40 kW) JIS at 5,500 rpm. The three-door hatchback version ("Runabout"), introduced in the fall of 1978, received two small circular opera windows in
19050-476: Was able to mix it with some of the 2.0-litre cars and on occasion troubling some of the considerably more powerful 4WD cars. With the "turbo factor" increased to 1.7, the one-litre Charade was later forced into the same category as the 2.0-litre cars. The best result was in the 1993 Safari Rally, where Charade GT-XX models finished 5th, 6th, and 7th overall. The fourth generation was introduced in January 1993, again with hatchback and (later) sedan bodies. The design
19200-894: Was also adapted for larger subcompact designs. This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis . It was manufactured at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham, England located next to BMC's headquarters and at the former Morris Motors plant at Cowley near Oxford, in the Victoria Park/Zetland British Motor Corporation (Australia) factory in Sydney , Australia, and later also in Spain ( Authi ), Belgium, Italy ( Innocenti ), Chile, Malta, Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia ( IMV ). The Italian version of
19350-489: Was also exported to a few countries, for example in Scandinavia and Switzerland . A 1.0-litre twin-cam fuel injected intercooled turbo ( CB70/80 ), named GTti and delivering 105 PS (104 hp; 77 kW) was later added, only available as a three-door hatch. There were two different sport models available (both with G100S-FMVZ model codes), the GTti and the GT-XX. Both versions are mechanically identical, but
19500-496: Was altered. The basic Mini 850 (which had featured in various forms since the original launch 20 years before) was withdrawn. Its place was taken by two models at slightly lower and slightly higher price points. The new base model was the Mini City, with black-painted bumpers, an untrimmed lower facia rail, part-fabric seats and wing mirror and sun visor only on the driver's side, plus unique 'City' body graphics and boot badge. Above
19650-532: Was as low as that of the considerably less habitable Fiat 126 . From the outside, the 500 could be identified by some visual alterations as recently used on the 990: a horizontally divided grille with a prominent "i" logo larger bumpers which incorporated the lower air intake up front. The rear number plate moved up, to between the taillights. The interior was also updated, with round gauges and new upholstery. The LS also gained an asymmetrically divided folding rear seat. Following Fiat 's 1990 takeover of Innocenti,
19800-449: Was available. These Charades were also exported to Italy to circumvent Italian laws hindering the import of Japanese cars. South African assembly ended in late 1985, when Alfa Romeo closed down their South African subsidiary. The Charade represented nearly half of Alfa Romeo's South African production in 1985. The second generation Daihatsu Charade did see some rally usage. Charades (both Turbos and normally aspirated cars) were entered in
19950-404: Was better than many other economy cars of the time. The suspension system, designed by Issigonis's friend Alex Moulton at Moulton Developments Limited , used compact rubber cones instead of conventional springs. This space-saving design also featured rising progressive-rate springing of the cones, and provided some natural damping, in addition to the normal dampers. Built into the subframes,
20100-510: Was brought to Canada by a company called Incacars (Dino Rivera, Montreal) from 1984 but sales dropped considerably with concerns about reliability – from 2,000 cars the first year to only 196 in the first six months of 1986. Apart from catalysed versions of the CB22 or CB60 (DeTomaso) engines, the Canada-bound DeTomasos also received unique rectangular side-marker lights. Mini The Mini (developed as ADO15 )
20250-785: Was called the G21, and like the G20 before it, it was equipped with the smaller 41 PS (30 kW; 40 bhp) 843 cc three-cylinder "CD" engine. The G21 was sold between 1985 and 1990 approximately. The Charade Turbo and Charade De Tomaso models had the upgraded 1.0-litre "CB" series engine, called the CB50 and CB60 . The CB50 was fitted with a very small IHI turbocharger, which increased its power to 80 PS (59 kW; 79 bhp) ( JIS ) in Japanese market cars or CB60 producing 68 PS (50 kW; 67 bhp) ( DIN ) in European export models. The tiny turbocharger meant that an intercooler
20400-465: Was detuned to 105 PS (77 kW) DIN. De Tomaso added their own bodykit, Recaro seats, a Nardi Torino steering wheel, and Pirelli sports tires. A total of 120,000 Charade GTis were produced following this joint effort. The Charade was restyled in 1996, only two years after release. It now had a "smiley face" grille and changed headlights, looking more like its Toyota sibling, the Starlet . It
20550-494: Was first presented in the summer of 1985. In Europe, the G11 underbody and various engines and transmissions also formed the basis for the Innocenti Minitre after Innocenti 's contract with British Leyland expired. The G11 underpinnings continued to be used by the Italian automaker until 1992. Aside from four- and five-speed manuals a two-speed automatic option called the "Daimatic" was also available. In Australia
20700-490: Was first shown in November 1987 and replaced the preceding "650" since engine-supplier Daihatsu had ended production of the outdated two-cylinder engine. The carburetted 500 offered 31 PS (23 kW) at 6400 rpm for a 116 km/h (72 mph) top speed. In late 1988, about 75 percent of Innocentis sold in the home market were 500s. Outside Italy, this car also found some popularity in France, where its 3CV tax rating
20850-538: Was in effect at the time, in the G202 Charade. The G202 came equipped with the CB24 1.0-litre engine. The heads and emission hose layout differ from those of the earlier CB23 . The SOHC 1.3-litre became the base motor instead for most markets. The sedan , introduced in 1994, featured a 1.5-litre engine with optional 4WD. The bigger engines were available with hatchback bodywork. The four-wheel drive models received
21000-457: Was more conservative than that of the third generation model. Being somewhat larger than the predecessor, in spite of a marginally longer wheelbase, it was still very compact. Although the 1.0-litre engines were no longer offered in most markets, the 1.0L remained available in Australia and also in Brazil, where a lower tax rate for vehicles equipped with engines displacing less than 1.0 litres
21150-476: Was not necessary. The suspension was lightly upgraded, with thicker anti-roll bars and slightly stiffer suspension, and the car also received alloy wheels rather than the standard steel items. The turbo version was available in both bodystyles. Singaporean-market Charades received the same 60 and 80 PS (44 and 59 kW; 59 and 79 bhp) (JIS) engines as used in Japan. The Indonesian-built 5-door Charades ( CKD and still labelled with Japanese "J" code on
21300-512: Was open. This feature was later discontinued after it was discovered that exhaust gases could leak into the cockpit when the boot was open. The Mini was designed as a monocoque shell with welded seams visible on the outside of the car running down the A and C pillars , and between the body and the floor pan. Those that ran from the base of the A-pillar to the wheel well were described as 'everted' (lit., 'turned outward') to provide more room for
21450-474: Was originally launched in two versions, the 90L and 120L – the former having the 998 cc A-series engine putting out 43 bhp (32 kW; 44 PS), and the latter the 1275 cc unit, with an extra 20 bhp (15 kW) on tap. These outputs were later uprated to 49 bhp (37 kW; 50 PS) and 65 bhp (48 kW; 66 PS) respectively. As for the English-built Mini,
21600-509: Was reached at 6200 rpm for the original version. In road tests the Innocenti came in for complaints for its awkward upright driving position, mediocre comfort, and instability under braking. Plus points were steering, light weight, and appearance. The CB-DT engine was noted for its smoothness and lack of "brio". In the second half of 1984 the Italian CB-DT engine was replaced with the fully Daihatsu-built CB60 engine . The CB60, with
21750-490: Was reduced to a new 848-cc capacity with a shorter stroke . This reduced power from 37 to 33 bhp and caused a significant drop in torque , so provided more realistic performance, especially when the ADO15 body was widened by 2 inches (5.08 cm) over the XC9003 prototype, which blunted the car's top speed while improving its stability and roadholding. Even so, the ADO15 had a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h), which
21900-459: Was renamed Austin Mini in January 1962 and Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969. In 1980, it once again became the Austin Mini, and in 1988, just "Mini" (although the "Rover" badge was applied on some models exported to Japan). BMW acquired the Rover Group (formerly British Leyland ) in 1994, and sold the greater part of it in 2000, but retained the rights to build cars using
22050-432: Was replaced by a more conventional GTi with an SOHC 16-valve 1.6-litre engine. In the Japanese domestic market this version was named in honour of an Argentinian ex-racing driver Alejandro de Tomaso (the previous owner of Innocenti, who had worked closely with Daihatsu), including a racing-derived camshaft , and was capable of 124 PS (91 kW) JIS in the Japanese market. The export version, simply called "GTi",
22200-439: Was sold to De Tomaso and GEPI. BL retained a 5% stake. The new owners renamed the company Nuova Innocenti ("New Innocenti") and continued to build the car without any real change. Innocenti's Mini version was generally nicely equipped and had a better finish than their English brethren, leading to higher sales and a better reputation in many continental European markets (aside from Italy), such as France. The largest improvement
22350-472: Was strange because the neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Australia , received the more modern G200 Charade. In 1994, the Classy sedan received minor changes with the new honeycomb grill and small rear spoiler, sold as Classy Pro. In 1996, another minor changes with new dual tone colours and leather seats became available as Classy Royal until the production was stopped in 1998. The G100 Charade had
22500-486: Was the addition of a rear hatch, allowing for improved access to the (still tiny) luggage compartment. The drag resistance was also marginally lower than that of the original Mini, 0.41 Cd rather than 0.42. At the 1976 Turin Auto Show the sporting Innocenti Mini de Tomaso was first shown. It entered series production in early 1977 and featured moulded plastic bumpers rather than the filigrane, chromed units used for
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