This Is How The Original Mini Came About

The Oxford Mail spoke with John Sheppard who was on the design team for the original Mini and he revealed the origins of the car.

John Sheppard spent 20 years working with Sir Alec Issigonis, originally meeting him at Alvis and then following him back to Austin in 1956. According to Sheppard

“The chairman, Sir Leonard Lord, was fed up with seeing bubble cars everywhere and told us to make a small car.

“We had to replace the A30 anyway and an entirely new department was set up to produce the Mini.”

Sheppard revealed about Issigonis:

“He did not draw like we had to do – he sketched designs on pieces of A4 paper like Rolf Harris.

“He was looked upon as the conductor and we were members of the orchestra. He conducted us to put his sketches into proper drawings.”

Sheppard also helped design the Mini Metro and Montego before retiring in 1982, and said he was always surprised by the Mini's success.