DUBBED a “cult classic” by experts, the best British car of all time has been revealed.
It beat a list of 75 that represented the , including rivals such as , & .
A panel of 10 judges described the little car as the with “pioneering innovation”.
Crowned the “best British car ever made” and an “undisputed champion” is the .
One of the judges, Edmund King, President of , said the Mini was the “only choice” for top spot.
He described the classic Mini as “one of the ever built,” as evidenced by the lack of need to make substantial changes during its production.
Phil McNamara, editor at large, Auto Express, added: “While more than 5.3 million original Minis were built at the firm’s site between 1959 and 2000 (1.6 million sold in the UK), the modern MINI as we know it (launched in 2001) has cemented itself as a cult classic.
“Plans to build the new in the UK may have been paused, but in excess of 1,000 cars are currently built in Cowley daily, equivalent to one every 67 seconds.
“There really can be little doubt – the Mini (not forgetting the modern-day Mini) truly is the best car this green and pleasant land has ever built. Long may it continue.”
The Mini began production in 1959 and had a historic 41-year run, with around 5.3 million rolling off production lines until 2000.
While it's now known as a , it was once viewed as being “too radical” for the general population until celebrities started to adopt the Mini.
Auto Express, which crowned the car said John Cooper was one of the key people to realise its potential in motorsport, which later spawned the Mini Cooper.
In second place, was the legendary
It was heralded for defining the best of automotive manufacturing in the 1960s, making it one of the most desirable models in the world.
Meanwhile in third place, the remains one of the most popular large cars in the country.
The car was in production for almost 70 years and quickly gained traction in the post-war years.
Commenting on the overall list, McNamara said: “All the UK's brands are either foreign-owned or have significant overseas financial backing due to globalisation and the UK’s open economy, but the models listed in the top 50 are united by one key attribute: being made in Britain.”
