1981model Innocenti Mini De Tomaso

“The Mini, the most influential car in history, was created by Sir Alec Issigonis… The unique packaging allowed four adults to comfortably sit in a small body with tires stretched to the corners, and as soon as BMC announced it in 1959, it was met with worldwide acclaim… The layout boldly placed a transmission-integrated engine horizontally directly above the front wheel axle, providing roomy space and marking the moment Alec Issigonis became a trendsetter of his time…

The essence of the Mini lies in its direct driving feel, thanks to the accidental discovery of rubber cones that replaced traditional suspension springs during development… With tires at each corner, it drives like a racing cart, and the understeer produced by the engine at the front can be expertly handled with throttle work using the four-speed transmission, making tight mountain corners feel exhilarating in a way that no other car can offer…!

Perhaps the sporty essence that boils the blood of its drivers was better suited to the hot Latin blood of Italy than to its native Britain…!

After its global success following the 1959 launch of the ADO15 Mini MK1, Innocenti began knock-down production of the Innocenti Mini 850 in Milan by 1965 due to its immense popularity… Founded in 1947 and initially known as a steel tube manufacturer before World War II, Innocenti started serious automobile production in 1961 after manufacturing scooters post-war… With its excellent technological capabilities recognized, the then-nationalized British Motor Corporation (BMC) granted Innocenti licenses to produce the Mini, Allegro, and Austin Healey versions for the Italian market. Even for the Mini, models like the Mini 1000, Mini Cooper, and Mini Cooper 1300 continued to be produced using locally sourced body shells and parts, differing from their counterparts in Britain…

Amid the oil crisis, when large displacement cars faced tough times, Innocenti’s business model for small car manufacturing continued to grow successfully, leading to its status as the second-largest car seller in Italy by the early 1970s, following Fiat…!

The first oil crisis, a global threat, severely impacted the British economy, and the nationalized BMC faced falling performance due to excessive internal brand competition and long-term labor disputes, leading to product quality deterioration and ultimately a near-bankruptcy, transitioning into the privately-owned British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC)…

British Leyland couldn’t overlook Innocenti’s strong sales in the small car market… Seeing small car manufacturing as a new business opportunity, they fully acquired Innocenti in 1972. Reflecting on this historical context half a century later, it led to the creation of Innocenti’s unique identity, which can be described as a hybrid of British and Italian elements…

During this time, the Italian-made models crafted by Innocenti clearly surpassed the quality of their British counterparts in structure and interior features… By this point, over a decade had passed since the shocking debut of the Mini in 1959, and it was considered a moment for a model change, leading to the new Mini design project being entrusted to Marcello Gandini of the Italian Bertone workshop…

Thus, the new three-door hatchback was born in 1974, featuring the “Mini 90L” with a 998cc engine and the “Mini 120L” with a 1275cc engine, symbolizing the hatchbacks of the ’70s. While maintaining the Latin blood in its exterior and interior, it housed a familiar British OHV engine in the engine bay, creating a super-hybrid vehicle with rubber cone suspension. It was widely embraced in the European small car market, achieving higher sales figures…

However, the national economic crisis in Britain showed no signs of recovery, and British Leyland was driven to bankruptcy in 1975, ironically creating a drama that would produce today’s rare vintage cars… Prime Minister Wilson and the British Parliament decided to let go of Innocenti, which was thriving in the small car market, leading Alessandro De Tomaso, an Italian from Argentina and the owner of Automobili De Tomaso, to step in with a buyout offer… Alessandro De Tomaso was known not only as an engineer but also as a businessman passionate about launching new ventures, with a love for sports cars, dedicating himself to building Formula machines after founding De Tomaso in 1959…

Alessandro De Tomaso produced memorable cars such as the De Tomaso Vallelunga, of which 400 units were made starting in 1963, and the De Tomaso Pantera, with 6,128 units produced from 1971, but with the oil crisis of the ’70s putting pressure on large displacement sports cars, he pivoted to small car production, repurchasing Innocenti and implementing a strategy of business expansion during the late ’70s to ’80s…!

The demand of the times was for small cars… Alessandro De Tomaso was highly enthusiastic about completely reviving the Bertone-designed Mini Cooper, which had been produced under license from British Leyland until 1975… The base was the “Mini 120” with a 1275cc engine, and through modifications to the exhaust, intake, and camshaft, engine output surged to 75PS! Featuring a dynamic front bumper that can be considered an air dam, and further armed with overfenders, this lightweight and fast car, which disregarded fuel efficiency and emissions regulations, was announced as the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso in 1976, going on sale the following year…

In 1982, it transitioned from the previous Type A OHV 1275cc engine to a three-cylinder engine manufactured by Daihatsu, and the distinctive rubber cones were changed to more conventional suspension shapes, leading to a name change… Therefore, the pure Latin bloodline of the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso effectively made the 1981 model year its last… A few units were imported to Japan at the time by Garage Italia, but most were later brought in through parallel imports…

Now, over 40 years later, the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso, with its unique birth background, has completely transformed into a valuable vintage to neo-classic car, and it seems to have become a car that one can only wait to encounter, as they are rarely found…!”