The basic design came from Sir Alec Issigonis a British subject from Greece in 1959 To that John Cooper of racing fame souped up the engine & it was so well received by the B M C British Motor Company that they produced it in quantity giving it the name of Morris Mini Cooper & therein lies the saga of the Monte Mini Initially the Morris Mini was a comfortable compact about the town automobile that was easy to drive & park It could carry four large English gentlemen with ease or four rather stout English Women It has a top speed of about 87 mph but it could out perform the great Porsches Shortly after its release to the public the Morris Mini Cooper was recognized as a possibly excellent rally car due to its positive performance on slippery surfaces The annual Monte Carlo Rally is held during the harsh winters of Europe & this little car was so easy to handle on snowy surfaces because of its front wheel drive that a number of them began to be built up