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Original Mini - best Brit car yet built

  • Lotus most successful automaker
  • Seven Lotus rankings in Top 100
 Autocar celebrates UK British industry  
  • Original Mini best British car yet built

LONDON, England - The world’s oldest and most respected motoring title, Autocar, invited its readers to vote for the Top 100 British cars in a special 220-page issue.

And the car that came out on top was the original Mini from the early 1960's

Lotus was revealed as Britain’s most popular manufacturer in history with seven models making the hot list - more than any other. Hot on its exhaust pipe are Jaguar and Ford, each with six models on the list.

Aston Martin was next with five.

COVERAGE SINCE DAY 1

Overall, the closest rivals to Sir Alec Issigonis’s original Mini were McLaren’s iconic F1 road car (second) and Jaguar's E-type was third.

Autocar is unique in that it is the only motoring title to have covered the British industry since Day 1, having been established in 1895.

Autocar brand editor Chas Hallett said: “It comes as little surprise that the original Mini topped the list of all-time British greats. It’s such an iconic vehicle and represents a lot more than the British car industry; the Mini is associated with Great Britain around the world and, in many ways, it was ahead of its time.

“Everybody loved and still loves an original Mini. It ensured a fabulous drive every time with a wheel at each extreme corner and a low centre of gravity, plus it was cheap to own and run.

"Many a former owner will undoubtedly be wishing he or she had held on to theirs... good examples are now worth tens of thousands of pounds."

Here's the top 25 of Autocar's Top 100...
1     Original Mini
2     McLaren F1
3     Jaguar E-type
4     Range Rover
5     Yamaha Motiv.E
6     McLaren P1
7     Jaguar XJ220
8     Aston Martin DB5
9     TVR Griffith
10     Ford Escort Mexico

11     Jensen FF
12     Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
13     Jaguar D-type
14     Lotus Elise
15     Rolls-Royce Phantom
16     Ford GT40
17     Jaguar XF
18     Bentley Blower
19     New Mini
20     TVR Chimaera

21     Rover SD1
22     TVR Speed 12
23     Lotus Elan
24     Morris Minor
25     McLaren 12C

The ‘Lotus Seven’ – the models that made the top 100 as opposed to the classic model in its own right – are the Elise, Esprit, Elan, Cortina, Evora, Carlton and Sunbeam.

Hallett again: "It’s no surprise that a manufacturer held in such high regard tops the list of manufacturers,” said Hallett. “Over the years, Lotus has produced some wonderful examples of British engineering, so it is a worthy winner of such a prized accolade."

For the full 100 go to the  Autocar website.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/britains-best-ever-cars
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