IT'S the car the nation has loved since it was first launched in 1959.

Now a Sussex motor dealership is celebrating the Mini with a special display on the little car's history. Caffyns' showroom in the Kingsway, Hove, has looked after dozens of happy Mini drivers and is now hosting an exhibition on the cult car's heritage. It is even displaying a vintage 1914 Morris Oxford Bullnose, the car many see as a forerunner of the Mini. Taking pride of place at the showroom is a Mini emblazoned with the Italian flag, based on the minis driven in the 1969 Michael Caine film The Italian Job. The car was first prize in a lottery at the 1996 Italian Job rally - a ten-day, 2,500-mile trek which has raised £500,000 for children's charities since it began in 1990. Owner Keith Ballard, who has raised £18,000 through his involvement with the rally, said: "The design of the Mini has stood the test of time, and it's a car that's actually a good little mover too." If you have a Mini marvel you want to tell us about, call the Argus newsdesk on 01273 544544.

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