This gem of a 1999 Mini Cooper was initially sold in Japan, where it was used until the early 2000s, before being purchased by a garage in Ireland. It is then believed to have had another two owners before it was spotted by our seller who saw the Mini for sale online, contacted the lady owner and after travelling to Dublin to see it, it was love at first sight.

The seller purchased the Mini, brought it to the UK, and since then, she has been the only UK keeper. Being a car from Japan meant no salt on the roads, equalling less corrosion. The Mini also comes with air conditioning, a 1275cc fuel-injected engine and an automatic gearbox. 

Perfect for any Mini fan who wants to enjoy the classic shape Mini with the more modern 1275cc fuel-injected engine and air conditioning. The car has been well maintained with regular servicing since it came to the UK in 2010.   

Inside the Mini, the first thing you will notice is the seats which are colour matched to the exterior. These are in good condition with just some age-related creasing which is in keeping with the age of the vehicle. 

The door cards are in the same colour and finished with a wood veneer trim to the door tops. Unfortunately, this trim has started to delaminate, and some of the clear finish has cracked and come off.  

The wood on the dashboard fascia has also suffered and has begun to lift in places. The instruments are working as they should, with the odometer reading 96,471 miles. 

The switchgear is reported to be working as it should, with just a small amount of wear on the lettering to some switches. The car does have air conditioning, but is currently not working, it may just need re-gassing, but this would need to be confirmed by a garage. 

The carpets are in good condition, fitted with rubber over mats to protect them. Looking up, the headlining is in good order with no sagging. Inside the boot, the spare wheel is present along with the jack.

Finished in Turquoise, the Mini presents well, with just a few things to point out. Looking at the front of the car, the bumper is in good condition with just some small areas of tarnishing. The headlights have been fitted with chrome eyebrows. 

These and the headlight surrounds are in good order, as are the spotlights. The grille does have some slight damage to the bars. It looks like the spotlights have pushed slightly back and bent the grille bars. 

The bonnet aligns well and opens and closes as it should. The Cooper decals have shrunk a little on the bottom edge, but these are readily available items should you wish to replace them.

Around to the sides of the Mini, it looks nice and straight with no signs of any dings to the bodywork. There are a couple of dings to the chrome arch trims which have been fitted. 

The glass looks to be in good order, with no noticeable scratches to point out other than a small chip in the driver's side of the windscreen. The doors look to align as they should. 

There is a small amount of blistering on the bottom of the passenger door. Looking over the whole car, the paintwork on the roof and sides would benefit from a machine polish, as it has faded a little over time. 

To the rear, the bumper is the same as the front with some tarnishing to be seen. The boot lid is in good condition with no issues to report, and the light lenses have no splits or cracks to mention.

The Cooper Minilite wheels are in nice condition with no apparent signs of corrosion to the faces. The tyres are also in good condition with a good amount of tread remaining.

Fitted with the later fuel-injected engine means that the Mini starts on the button and sounds as it should, with no untoward noises coming from the car that shouldn't be there. 

The Mini has been serviced annually, ensuring it has always had whatever was needed to keep it in order. In addition, the car has had a replacement automatic gearbox which was fitted in 2011. Since coming to the UK in 2010, the car has covered approximately 15,000 miles, having had little but regular use, as seen from the MOT history. 

The seller reports the car drives as it should with no noises coming from the suspension or transmission, and there are no issues with the car changing gear through the automatic gearbox.

The brakes are also working as they should, bringing the Mini to a stop with no juddering through the pedal.

A clean Japanese import Mini, which is automatic and the later fuel-injected engine. 

There are some cosmetic issues which could be addressed if you felt the need, but as it is, it's a usable car ideal for someone stepping into the world of Mini’s and the perfect city car.