On the 8th May 1959 the first Mini rolled off the production line at Cowley, now called Plant Oxford.
Plant Oxford built 602,817 Minis from 1959 to 1968, before production was moved to Longbridge. Since 2001 more than 1.4 million new MINIs have been built at the production facility and in total, more than six million classic and new MINIs have been sold since the car first went on sale in 1959.

"Where is MINI going? Where will it be in 10, 20 or even another 50 years' time?" asked BMW Group member of the Board of Management for Production, Frank-Peter Arndt "Perhaps it's rather ambitious to look that far ahead, but one thing is certain, MINI is a brand not only with a great tradition, but also a fantastic future."

Dr Jürgen Hedrich, Plant Oxford's managing director, said: "Little did anyone know just how popular Sir Alec Issigonis's car for the people would be - or that half a century later it would be reborn as the MINI and once again be built in Oxford.

Thousands of visitors from across the globe will also be celebrating MINI's 50th birthday at MINI United, which is being staged at Silverstone from 22-24 May. The festival welcomes MINI owners and non-owners, and the stunning entertainment line-up is sure to attract visitors from right around the world. Paul Weller, Calvin Harris and Twisted Wheel are the entertainment highlights and tickets are priced at just £35 for the full festival weekend. Children under 14 are admitted free. Tickets and further information can be found at www.miniunited.com