Who would have thought that the British mini car would have turned out to be one of the most popular classic cars of all time for all sorts of reasons? In August 2009, the classic mini car celebrates half a century.

This illustrious career began with the construction of the classic Mini in 1959 and continued until 2000 under the ownership of BMC. Eventually the old company was sold to BMW, who produced the Mini again in 2001, this time the car had been renamed the BMW Mini.

There were many updates to the base models over the years with sportier models being added to the range as early as 1961 called the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S.

These latest models are probably what made the Mini the famous car it is today. In the 1960s he won the Monte Carlo Rally three times with a fourth victory cruelly denied by a somewhat suspicious disqualification.

Following the path was the beginning of an acclaimed film and television career. Who could forget the lead role he played in the original 1969 movie called ‘Italian Job’ starring Michael Cain? In the most recent remake of the film in 2003 with Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron, the classic Mini was played by the new BMW Mini.

Another major role for the Mini was a fast-paced car chase in the 2002 film ‘The Bourne Identity,’ where they went through four Classic Minis to make the film.

A Mini 1000 starred on the long journey through New Zealand in the 1981 film ‘Goodbye Pork Pie’.

A British cult show also cast Mini to appear in their popular comedy series. The main character, Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson), was the somewhat strange owner who used the car in numerous amusing sketches.

It may be a small car, but it has certainly experienced great moments throughout its career. Today there is no less enthusiasm for the classic Mini car than before the millennium.