Like the Model T Ford and the Volkswagen Beetle, the Mini revolutionized the auto industry. This 1959 BMC promotional film takes us behind the scenes to where it all began.

Officially introduced to the public on August 29, 1959, the original Mini by BMC (British Motor Corporation) showed the world a new way to make cars. Tiny on the outside at barely 10 feet long but impossibly roomy on the inside, the Mini employed an innovative layout that placed the engine sideways at the front of the chassis, driving the front wheels. Designer Alec Issignois made his package even more space-efficient by using compact rubber springs and placing the four small-diameter wheels at the extreme corners of the platform. In 1999, the Mini was named the second-most influential car design of the 20th century, behind only the Model T Ford and ahead of the Volkswagen Beetle.

The Mini was first marketed by BMC as the Austin Seven (sometimes stylized as “Se7en”) and Morris Mini, but it quickly spawned an entire range of variations from the British auto conglomerate, including Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet luxury versions,  estate wagons, panel trucks and pickups, and the Mini-Moke utility vehicle. A performance variant, the Cooper S developed by John Cooper, became a legend in its own right. All told, around 5.3 million Minis were produced between 1959 and 2000 when the line was finally retired.

Of course, the original Mini was also the inspiration for BMW’s Mini brand, an entire range of vehicles marketed by the German automaker since 2001. More importantly, the Mini has pointed the way forward for the global auto industry, as most of the passenger vehicles produced today share the transverse engine/front-wheel drive layout pioneered by Issigonis. This video, a 10-minute segment of an original BMC film called Wizardry on Wheels (alternate title: The Incredible Seven) shines a light on the innovative engineering that created the Mini package. See automotive history made here.