But while the Beetle and the PT Cruiser did well for their respective carmakers, they didn't manage to prevail, let alone become their own brand like BMW's MINI, which went from a single model to ...

Relaunched in 2002 by new owner BMW, the iconic British Mini brand traces its roots to 1959. New Minis retain a family resemblance to the brand’s original, influential front-wheel-drive cars.