Mini (styled as MINI) is a British automotive brand owned by the German BMW Group that has produced a redesign of the traditional Mini in Oxford, England since April 2001. Currently three body variants are available: Hatchback, Convertible and Clubman (estate).
The car, whose first generation was designed by Frank Stephenson,[1] is drawing inspiration from the original Mini, which was manufactured by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 to 2000. The name of the car´s brand, MINI, is all-capitalized to distinguish it from its predecessor.[2]
A Typical MINI Dealership, this one in Moncton, Canada
A Typical MINI Dealership, this one in Moncton, Canada

The development of the first generation had been done between 1995 and 2001 by Rover Group in Gaydon, United Kingdom and BMW AG in Munich, Germany and was accompanied by continual contention between Rover and BMW. Especially the positioning of the car was contended. Rover wanted an economy car, whilst BMW supported a small sporting car and finally prevailed. In 1999 BMW assumed control over the whole project after BMW´s CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder had left the company. [3] When BMW divested itself of Rover in 2000, BMW decided to keep the Mini project and to build the car, which was originally to be built at Rover´s Longbridge plant, [3] the former production plant of the traditional Mini, at BMW´s Oxford plant in Cowley, Oxford, United Kingdom, in what was historically the Pressed Steel Company body plant.