The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) in the USA have never included any regulations relating to vehicle package dimensions, so the comment that the Mini was 'killed' in the US market by the car's short wheelbase is an utter fabrication. The congressional authority that approved the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1965 specifically forbid requiring specific engineering technologies and solutions (including package dimensions) to allow compliance. As Flatlander has pointed out the arrival of the Honda 600 in the 1970 model year indicates that the 'regulation' was non-existent.