1959 - 2000 original Mini is one of the G.O.A.T. timeless designs, in the same league as the Beetle and Model T. 1965 - 1971 Coopers are the most iconic, and the final couple of years under BMW ownership are the most competent examples. Weakest years are probably 1975 - 1994 when British Leyland endured a slow death in the wake of the Oil Crisis.
The fat 2001 onwards "Mini" is a fucking travesty though that goes against all the principals of the original and basically served as a testbed for the BMW 1-series.
What they need to do is get the goddamn Rocketman in production, but make sure they get rid of those fucking stupid detached tail lights first.