Mini Tapa blanda - 2013

Excerpt from Mini:

Britain was changing in the 1960s.The early part of the decade is hard to distinguish from the post-war era in terms of attitudes and fashions, but gradually the culture of shortage and stoicism gave way to a strong desire to leave memories of the war and its consequences behind. The economy began to boom, and young people in particular wanted to enjoy themselves, rebelling against the restrictions of tradition, convention and class. As much as any pop star, the romance of the photographer and the princess epitomized a modern era when a commoner could marry into royalty. People took notice when the popular young couple took to the road in this unusual car. Before long Issigonis was being asked to give the queen a drive round Windsor Park and, as the decade progressed, a whole host of people who were famous for very different reasons became fans; the Beatles, Twiggy, Peter Sellers, Marianne Faithful, Christine Keeler – suddenly, it was the thing to have.

Gillian Bardsley has a special interest in the rise and fall of the motor industry in Britain. She is the author of Issigonis, the Official Biography and has also written books about the Longbridge and Cowley factories and the craft of coachbuilding. As Archivist to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust she has contributed to many programs and articles on TV, radio, and in the press.