Which company originally manufactured the Mini?

The company that originally manufactured the Mini was the British Motor Corporation (BMC).

BMC launched the original Mini in 1959 as two closely related models: the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven. Although the cars carried different showroom badges, they shared Alec Issigonis’s groundbreaking compact design, with front-wheel drive, a transverse engine, and wheels pushed toward the corners to maximize cabin space.

BMC produced Minis primarily at its Longbridge plant in Birmingham and the former Morris plant at Cowley in Oxford. The car’s success eventually made “Mini” a marque in its own right, rather than simply a model name associated with Austin or Morris.

BMC became part of British Motor Holdings in 1966. A merger with Leyland Motors created British Leyland in 1968, and later ownership passed through the Rover Group before BMW retained the Mini name. Rolls-Royce, Vauxhall, and Ford were not the original manufacturer, though Ford later owned other British automotive assets and competed in the small-car market.