The Issigonis Mini named as best British car ever built.

• Lotus is most successful manufacturer, with seven models in top 100
• Special 220-page edition of magazine celebrates buoyant British industry  

The original Mini is the best British car ever built, according to a survey of Autocar readers.

The world’s oldest and most respected motoring title invited its readers to vote for the top 100 British cars as the publication celebrates the strength of the British car industry with a special 220-page issue.

Meanwhile, Lotus is revealed as Britain’s most popular manufacturer of all time, with seven models making the top 100 - more than any other. Hot on the Norfolk car maker’s heels are Jaguar and Ford, both with six models on the list. Aston Martin is up next with five.

Overall, the closest rivals to Sir Alec Issigonis’s original Mini are McLaren’s iconic F1 road car, which placed second on the list and the Jaguar E-type in third.

Autocar is unique in that it is the only motoring title to have covered the British industry since day one, having been established in 1895.

Autocar brand editor Chas Hallett commented: “It comes as little surprise that the original Mini has topped the list of all-time British greats. It’s such an iconic vehicle and represents a lot more than the British car industry; the Mini is associated with Great Britain around the world and, in many ways, it was ahead of its time.

“Everyone loved and still loves an original Mini; it ensured a fabulous drive every time, with a wheel literally at each corner and a low centre of gravity, plus it was cheap to own and run. Many a former owner will undoubtedly be wishing they had held on to theirs, as good examples are now worth tens of thousands of pounds.”

Autocar Top 100 - the top 25

1	Original Mini
2	McLaren F1
3	Jaguar E-type
4	Range Rover
5	Yamaha Motiv.E
6	McLaren P1
7	Jaguar XJ220
8	Aston Martin DB5
9	TVR Griffith
10	Ford Escort Mexico
11	Jensen FF
12	Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
13	Jaguar D-type
14	Lotus Elise
15	Rolls-Royce Phantom
16	Ford GT40
17	Jaguar XF
18	Bentley Blower
19	New Mini
20	TVR Chimaera
21	Rover SD1
22	TVR Speed 12
23	Lotus Elan
24	Morris Minor
25	McLaren 12C

The ‘Lotus seven’ – the models that made the top 100 as opposed to the classic model in its own right – are the Elise, Esprit, Elan, Cortina, Evora, Carlton and Sunbeam.

“Again, it’s no surprise that a manufacturer that is held in such high regard tops the list of manufacturers,” said Hallett. “Over the years, Lotus has produced some wonderful examples of British engineering, so it is a worthy winner of such a prized accolade.”

For the full 100 go to http://www.autocar.co.uk/britains-best-ever-cars