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The Heritage Motor Centre gave the Mini a birthday bash to remember on Friday 8th May, precisely 50 years since the first Morris Mini Minor rolled off the production lines in Cowley, to celebrate the opening of the brand new "50 Years of the Mini" exhibition on 10th May.

The  Heritage Motor Centre invited over 100 guests including Mini enthusiasts and members of the original design team to the opening of a brand new exhibition to celebrate the life of Britain's favourite little car.



9 Minis from the 1959 Mini Register with the first Morris Mini-Minor in the centre of the photograph

The day kicked off with Stunt Diver, Russ Swift, who wowed his audience with fearless stunts in Minis that included high speed parallel parking, driving on two wheels and J turns. He picked brave members of the audience including local woman, Liz Wood, who like the car 621 A0K, also turned 50 on Friday. "It was a super afternoon and the exhibition looks great, I enjoyed the stunt ride in particular and my father enjoyed looking at all the Minis from the 1959 Mini Register as it  bought back fond memories of his days of owning a dealership selling Minis. The Heritage Motor Centre has helped to ensure that I won't ever forget my 50th!"

Guests were then treated to a special cavalcade of 9 of the earliest Minis restored by members of the 1959 Mini Registers club. Led by 621 AOK they paraded around the grounds of the museum before coming to a halt to be photographed in all their glory. The day was rounded off by speeches, a buffet of miniature portions of another British favourite, fish and chips, and tours around the new exhibition and museum.

The day's activities were overseen by HMC staff including Curator, Stephen Laing,  who commented "The "50 Years of the Mini" Exhibition is open until 23rd December 2009 and will tell the fascinating story of the Mini's design, production and development and show how the Mini has become part of the social history of our nation. It will make for interesting viewing for anyone who has a soft spot for the Mini."

The Mini celebrations are part of a year-long Celebration of Imagination – events to mark key anniversaries of iconic heroes in the Heart of England.  The anniversaries include 200 years since the birth of naturalist, Charles Darwin in Shrewsbury, Stratford–upon-Avon’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s sonnets, 300 years since the start of the Industrial Revolution in Ironbridge and 200 years since the birth of Dr William Penny-Brookes, the man behind the Wenlock Olympian Games. It’s also the 300th birthday of Samuel Johnson, 250th anniversary of Josiah Wedgwood and Matthew Boulton’s bicentenary in Birmingham. More details can be found at www.visittheheart.co.uk/celebrations