From one iconic car model to another, Mini->ke57 took the rather unexpected but ultimately gracious step in wishing Porsche's->ke1 legendary 911->ke282 a happy 50th birthday.

Maybe it's not that surprising, considering that it's coming from Mini, a company that has made an art out of steering away from the skid. But Mini isn't just sending birthday wishes to Porsche. No, that would've been too easy and not up to the standards of the Mini Way.

What it did was take the time to participate in a dedicated photos shoot that brought together a classic Mini and a first-generation Porsche 911 Targa; two cars that not only defined their respective car markets, but also came to the photo shoot dressed in equal doses of lime yellow.

The move is admirable considering that both companies are owned by different German auto conglomerates (BMW->ke178 for Mini and Volkswagen->ke94 for Porsche). It's also a shrewd move by the British brand that somehow always gets to promote itself when it's not trying to.

Click past the jump to read the press release and more about the first-gen 911 Targa

First-Gen 911 Targa

The 911 Targa debuted in 1967 as what was supposed to be just a “stop gap” model. Its purpose was to overcome the potential outlaw of full-convertible models in the U.S., which never happened of course. It bypassed this potential ban by coming with a large, stainless-steel roll bar just behind the front portion of the removable top.

It came standard with a boxer-style 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine that produced 130 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 129 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. The base model zipped to 60 mph in a respectable 8.7 seconds and its top speed was 131 mph. The 911 Targa 2.0 E received a bump to 140 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 130 pound-feet of torque, thanks to its mechanical fuel injection system. Next up was the 911 Targa 2.0 S, which featured a 160-horsepower 2.0-liter boxer six-cylinder that allows it to hit 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 136 mph. Lastly, there is was the 911 Targa 2.2 E with its 2.2-liter boxer-six engine that produces 155 horsepower and 142 pound-feet of torque.