Under which two brand names was the original Mini sold?

The original Mini was sold under the Austin and Morris brand names.

British Motor Corporation introduced the car in 1959 as the Austin Seven and the Morris Mini-Minor. The two versions were mechanically very similar, but separate Austin and Morris identities allowed BMC to sell the new small car through both companies’ dealer networks. The Austin name recalled the earlier Austin Seven, while “Mini-Minor” played on the larger and well-known Morris Minor.

The Austin version was renamed Austin Mini in 1962. For much of the 1960s, buyers therefore encountered Austin Minis and Morris Minis, including related Cooper and Cooper S versions. In 1969, BMC dropped the separate Austin and Morris badging for the Mini range, making Mini a marque in its own right.

A frequent mistake is treating BMC and Leyland as the two original brands. British Leyland became the corporate successor after later industrial mergers; it was not the pair of names used when the Mini launched.