MINI builds one-off classic Mini Electric

The all-electric restoration precedes the modern brand\'s foray into the production EV market.

MINI has revealed an all-electric version of the classic Mini, described as "a look back into the future."

The modern company's electric heritage only traces back to 2008 when a few hundred MINI E prototypes were manufactured to help test the BMW i3 powertrain.

In any case, the one-off heritage EV attempts to connect MINI's electrified future vision to the brand's iconic cars of the past.

"The classic Mini Electric is the result of an imaginary journey through time, where the story of classic model is extended by a consecutive chapter," MINI says. "The original from the second half of the 20th century becomes a sympathetic ambassador for environmental awareness and a form of sustainable mobility whose future has just begun."

The automaker revealed the much more futuristic Electric Concept in Frankfurt last year, previewing a production model that will begin rolling off the assembly line in 2019.