The classic Mini’s overall length was about 3.05 metres.
More precisely, the classic Mini saloon measured 3,054 millimetres, which rounds to 3.05 metres. That compact length was central to the car’s purpose: BMC wanted a practical small car that could handle Britain’s fuel shortage and crowded urban streets after the 1956 Suez Crisis.
Designer Alec Issigonis placed the engine transversely at the front and drove the front wheels. This layout, combined with the Mini’s tiny 10-inch wheels and wheels pushed close to the corners, left unusually large amounts of interior space for such a short car. Around 80 percent of the floorpan could be used for passengers and luggage.
The figure applies to the classic saloon, not every Mini-bodied variant. Estate and commercial versions were longer at roughly 3.30 metres, while the Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet had different bodywork and dimensions. The later BMW-era MINI models are substantially larger, so “classic Mini” is an important qualification.