The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. Designed as project ADO15 (Austin Drawing Office project number 15), the Mini came about because of a fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis. When production of the classic Mini ceased in 2000, BMW Group (the new owner of the brand) announced the successor to the Mini. The brand name for the new car is MINI (written in capital letters), and it is commonly called the "BMW MINI" or the "New MINI".