Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2024 - Cars on Saturday the 9th of November, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. By 1986, Austin Rover was reformed as the slimmer, more premium-orientated Rover Group, and it was odds-on that the Mini would be dropped from the line-up thanks to healthy sales of the Metro. However, it wasn’t, and the Mini was marketed as a stand-alone brand, being kept alive with a number of special editions and clever advertising slogans, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 1989.
The Mini was lightly revised in 1992 so that the 1275cc engine could be fitted on the production line, creating the Mk 6 Series – generally regarded as the first of the ‘Rover Minis’, with the Cooper becoming a regular production model. It was well-received and gave the Mini a stay of execution, with the 998cc A-Series engine being gradually phased out in favour of the Cooper’s 1275cc fuel-injected unit throughout the range.
When the final Mk7 version of the classic Mini appeared in 1996, total production had declined to a low of 16, 000 units a year. The Mini built by BMW-controlled Rover was a very different car under the skin to its predecessor and now came with a long list of optional extras. The heavily revised post-1996 Mini now sat on 13-inch wheels and the car’s distinctive side-mounted radiator had been replaced with a more conveniently located front-mounted unit that allowed the car to meet new limits on drive-by noise levels. A better heater and a pair of airbags featured whilst higher gearing provided a more relaxing drive and, by now, all Minis were fitted with a 63bhp, twin-point fuel-injected 1275cc A-Series engine.
The end for the classic Mini finally came on 4th October 2000, when the last car rolled of the production line at Longbridge to the soundtrack of the film The Italian Job and thunderous applause from the gathered crowd of workers, management and journalists. And now, 24 years on, a ‘90s Mini makes a tempting classic proposition.
Due to the immense popularity of the Sports Pack, an option on 1997-2000 Minis, Rover decided to release a final stand-alone model with it fitted as standard. The ‘Classic Cooper Sport’ was born, and became the flagship of the Mini range. The traditional Old English White roof and bonnet stripes were removed in favour of the more modern Platinum Silver. The Walnut dashboard was replaced with an alloy version, previously an optional extra on 1997-2000 models; the alloy interior pack (including window winders, door pulls and door handles) was now fitted as standard. Finally, the 'Cooper' logo centre caps were replaced with green 'Mini' ones, as were the logos on the steering wheels.
Just 2, 091 RHD Classic Cooper Sports were made from the last batch of production each with the unique SAXXNP chassis number and today, these are highly sought-after and rare cars with just 587 known to the Register.
The car presented here is a 2000 Mini Classic Cooper Sport 2000 in Solar Red and Silver paintwork, representing the pinnacle of the late Rover Mini incarnations, a firm must-have for any classic Mini fan and collector. With just under 8, 000 miles covered and in a rarely seen state of preservation, this single-owner from new example is of collector-quality and needs to be seen to be fully appreciated.
