With 2019 marking the 60th-anniversary of the Mini Cooper, it already is an exciting time for Mini specialists and enthusiasts alike. Many events and commemorations are planned at numerous fairs and rally events across the country – one of the most recent was the BMC’s Mini Fair at Bingley Hall back in January.
The modern-day iteration of the Mini, owned by BMW, will also be celebrating the anniversary of the Cooper with the launch of a special model named the ‘Mini 60 Years Edition’. It will be released in March with only 500 models produced, sold exclusively in the UK and priced at £29,990.
Celebrating Over 60 Years of Mini Specialists
It was the natural racing ability of the original Mk1 Mini that attracted famed racing car designer John Cooper to this innovative British brand. By chance, he was already aquatinted with the original Mini’s designer, Alex Issigonis but his friend was unsure on the feasibility of the Mini winning popular racing events, such as the Monte Carlo Rally.
Eventually, John got the go-ahead from the Mini’s owners, the British Motor Corporation, to produce the sportier model, with Alec working alongside him. Despite being told by many of his fellows that tweaking this small car into one that could compete at the top level of motorsport ‘could not be done’, John and his team successfully upgraded the engine to a 1071cc – with the ‘Mini Cooper’ going on sale in 1963. It was just the beginning.
The crowning moment for the Mini Cooper has to be the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. Up against bad weather, difficult terrain and not to mention, other cars that were as much as FOUR TIMES more powerful than the Cooper’s engine, Paddy Hopkirk piloted his car to victory, sealing the ‘cool’ image that has been part-and-parcel of British culture ever since. Just think, Michael Caine owes his whole image (and possibly, career) to Paddy Hopkirk, John Cooper and Alec Issigonis!
The New Mini 60 Years Edition: ‘A Modern Classic’
All 500 units of the 2019 Mini Cooper have been finished with British racing green, with a black roof and black mirror caps. Also featured, are limited edition two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps and Mini spot-lamps, along with 60th anniversary bonnet stripes and badging across the interior and exterior of the car.
Speaking of the interior, Mini specialists would be delighted to learn that this model is trimmed with dark-brown leather, with green piping and white stitching – not just evoking a classic, great-looking image, but actually feeling comfortable too.
There are also plenty of modern innovations inside. Such devices include; customisable ambient lighting, a wireless smartphone charger, parking sensors, as well as the BMW Mini’s own 8.8-inch ‘infotainment’ system – complete with satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and even Apple’s CarPlay.
The car is powered by the 189bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that can be found in the standard Cooper S model. This allows for this 60th-anniversary edition model to do 0-62mph in under 7 seconds, topping out at 146mph. The transmission will be automatic, which results in fuel economy figures of just over 43mpg, as well as CO2 emissions of 129g/km.
This model just underlines the timelessness of the original Mini – whilst it has all the mod cons inside, it still looks, feels and drives similar to how it did all those years ago. You can’t say that about many 60 year-olds!
High Quality Mini Parts and Spares From Mini Sport
As the world’s leading Mini Specialists here at Mini Sport, we are able to supply you with everything you need to repair, restore or even completely reimagine your classic car. No matter the model, we have a vast selection of products that can help you to achieve all of your Mini servicing requirements.
Please feel free to browse around our website for anything of interest. If you would like to learn more about our service or for any Mini advice in general, our dedicated customer support team are on hand to help. Give them a call on 01282 778 731 or send any e-mail enquiries to sales@minisport.com