Mini Cooper is an iconic brand, and many might wonder: Who owns Mini Cooper? Although many people admire Mini Cooper, not many know about the company that owns it. So, who is behind this brand?
BMW is the manufacturer and owner of the Mini Cooper. In 2000, BMW released the Mini Cooper, with various iconic cars. Before BMW acquired Mini, the Rover Group owned the brand. After BMW acquired Rover Group, Mini became a vital part of BMW. A split of the BMW group took place in 2000, with the Mini badge retained.
Let’s take a closer look at this decades-old sporty brand.
What Is the Mini Cooper?
Mini Cooper is the iconic car brand that belongs to the original Mini series manufactured by the British Motor from 1961 to 2000. Mini Cooper also refers to the cars of the Mini Marque manufactured by BMW since 2000 with the name Mini Cooper.
Austin Mini and Morris Mini were the first to use Mini. These brands, Austin and Morris, were owned by Leyland Motors, a British vehicle manufacturer of buses, lorries, and trolleybuses.
Mini gained outstanding popularity such that it became a brand in 1969 by combining the resources of Austin and Morris. BMW had bought the Mini Cooper brand in 1994 from the Rover Group.
Over the past two decades, BMW has enlarged the Mini series to add various body styles such as Countryman, Convertible, and Clubman. Although Mini Cooper is a distinctive car, it shares many parts with other BMW models.
Mini Cooper lovers can now have a 2-door, 4-door, convertible, or a crossover Mini. Soon BMW is going to launch an electric Mini Cooper too.
Who Owns Mini Cooper?
BMW owns and manufactures the Mini Cooper. Most car lovers admire Mini Cooper, but very few of them know about the owner and the manufacturer of Mini Cooper.
Since it is a UK-based company, many people get shocked when they come to know that A German automaker owns a Mini Cooper. BMW launched the Mini Cooper in 2000.
Before BMW, MINI was owned by the Rover Group. In 1994, BMW acquired the Rover Group. Then in 2000, BMW split the group, retaining the Mini badge.
Mini cars have British origins, but BMW, the most famous German car manufacturer group, now owns the Mini brand. The German automaker used to manufacture Mini Cooper in two factories, one in the Netherlands and one in England.
But now, Mini Coopers are being manufactured at BMW headquarters, Germany. Mini Cooper’s different popular models include Mini Cooper 3-door, Mini Cooper Convertible, etc.
Conclusion
One of the most popular car brands, Mini Cooper, is owned by BMW’s renowned German car manufacturer. Mini Cooper was a British brand, but BMW bought it in 2000 since the Mini brand became more popular.
Since 1969, Mini has been manufacturing successful hatchbacks for the European market. MINI entered the U.S. market in 2002 due to BMW’s purchase of Mini.
The Mini lineup offers the same high levels of performance and technology as BMW models. All MINI cars come standard with luxury automotive features such as twin-turbo engines and different driving modes.