Designed by Alec Issigonis for BMC, the classic Mini ran from 1959 to 2000 — over forty years and more than 5.3 million cars. Its transverse engine with the gearbox in the sump and wheels pushed to the corners gave remarkable interior space for its size and set the template still used for front-wheel-drive cars today. The Cooper and Cooper S versions developed by John Cooper won the Monte Carlo Rally three times. The last car left Longbridge in October 2000, months before the BMW-era MINI debuted.