In 1959 the MG design team were toying with the idea of a prototype small sports car based on the front wheel drive Morris Mini-Minor, which had just been launched.

The BMC board, however, would not approve this project and designer Alec Issigonis was also against the idea. Nevertheless the project was revived in 1960 by the engineering department at Longbridge.

The prototype on display was constructed using two Mini sub-frames and fitted with a Mini Cooper S engine. The chassis was then sent out to Italy, where Pininfarina designed and built the body.

It was not put into production and no small front-wheel drive sports car reached the market until 1990 when the Lotus Elan was introduced.