The BMC Mini 9X was a project which Sir Alec Issigonis worked on from 1967 to 1979 designing a replacement for the Mini in the form of an experimental model.
Mini 9X[]
The 9X was produced in 1969 and was longer and more powerful than the original Mini. It had a 0.8 Litre (0848cc) Straight 4 petrol engine. The 9X was a two-door hatchback with its suspension being vertical struts at the front and torsion bars at the rear. The design gave increased passenger space within a smaller overall package and with the objective of a 5% lower price than the existing Mini.
At the end of the sixties, Issigonis thought about replacing about the popular Mini.Due to politicking inside British Leyland (which had now been formed by the merger of BMC's parent company British Motor Holdings and the Leyland Motor Corporation), the car never got past the concept stages and never reached production.
Gearless Prototype[]
The Gearless 9X was a car made in 1975 and was fitted with a 0.8 Litre (0848cc) Straight-4 petrol engine. The car has no clutch, gearbox or variable ratio drive mechanism although it does have a reverser.. Although Issigonis officially retired from BL in 1971, he retained as a consultant and he wished to push the concept on as he did with the original Mini but he never managed it.