"Following the success of the Italian built Innocenti Mini
850, introduced in November 1965, senior management at
Innocenti were quick to identify a growing market for small
sporting cars in Italy, especially as the competition
victories chalked up by Mini Coopers had given the car a
following across Europe. However, UK built versions were
extremely expensive in Italy compared with home-grown
equivalents like the Alfa Romeo 1300GTm so Innocenti decided
to build its own Mini Coopers. The decision to make the
998cc Cooper instead of the 1275cc Cooper S was the result
of Italy's car taxation structure and the spiralling cost of
fuel and insurance premiums, all of which suggested that
demand for the larger-engined car would not be strong
enough.
The March 1966 launch date for the new car is easily verified by the UK
production records, which show that the first batch of cars
left Longbridge on 19 February 1966. These were in the form
of Completely Knocked Down (CKD) units which were then
assembled under license at Innocenti's enormous plant to the
east of Milan. For economic reasons, many of the components
used were locally sourced. The most notable were interior
and exterior trim, some of the electrical equipment, various
body pressings, wheels, tyres and glass. The engines and
transmissions all came from the Coventry engine plant, but
they were built to Innocenti's specification..."
"...Having spent so much time studying the Innocenti Mini
Coopers, I have become impressed by the styling ingenuity
and foresight of those who built them. In terms of build
quality and level of equipment, these Mini Coopers were
second to none. What is more, each model was noticeably
better and more refined than its predecessor. If many of the
excellent ideas incorporated in the Innocenti Minis had been
adopted on the UK models, there is little doubt that the
effects on sales would have been enormous. One can only
lament that this did not happen."
