Mini Cooper – a British icon and globally adored car – are celebrating their 60th Birthday and have launched a Limited Edition three-door model, sporting the British Racing Green metallic. With a limited number of units worldwide, the Mini Anniversary Edition aims to harken back to the collaboration between the traditional sporting spirit of the Mini brand and John Cooper’s successes in Formula 1.
Not only is the Anniversary Edition finished in the infamous Rebel Green with a contrasting white roof, but it will be sporting bonnet stripes, headlight rings and door handles. Along the body, there are also flares of red detailing such as red pinstripes on the bonnet decals and a classic Cooper Company badge on the side scuttles. Complimenting the appearance, Mini has included a set of 18-inch John Cooper Works light-alloy wheels in Circuit Spoke two-tone design comes standard and the COOPER logo on the door sill trims.
Mini Cooper hasn’t skipped out on the details with this limited-edition vehicle. Impressively, the car also features the number 74 on the doors and bonnet. This pays homage to the starting number of a classic Mini Cooper that won its first race at the Snetterton Lombank Trophy.
What’s the new Cooper like inside? Well, you’ll find more classic Cooper Company badges on the sill plates and steering wheel. This classic touch really emphasizes the detail Mini Cooper have included. The rest of the interior is trimmed in Dinamica upholstery and piano black trim. On top of that, even the dashboard has been given a special touch, with signatures from John Cooper, his son John Cooper and grandson Charlie Cooper.
Mini Cooper – A history
John Cooper, Formula One team owner and racing legend, saw Mini’s potential for motorsport from the beginning. John transformed the original Mini into a track-ready racer – the Mini Cooper and took the racing world by storm. Charles Cooper and his son John built their first racing cars in Charles’ small garage in Surbiton, England.
“This humble beginning would ultimately change the course of motorsport, and help create a thriving worldwide racing legacy that still exists to this day.” (source: https://www.mini.co.uk/en_GB/home/why-mini/history-of-mini.html)
Cooper began the construction of a small series of vehicles with larger brakes and an increased engine output from 34 to 55hp which led to the Mini Cooper being born. Fast forward a few years and the more powerful Mini Cooper S followed. This laid the foundations for three overall victories at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. The Mini vehicle may date back to before the ’60s, but the team-up between Sir Alec Issigonis and John Cooper gave birth to the Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper.
Our final thoughts
This limited edition car is a great release from Mini Cooper. The detailing of the logo which is located throughout the vehicle, the infamous racing green and the “74” located on the doors and bonnet are brilliant features for the car.
Although the Anniversary Edition is mechanically unchanged from the standard JCW, we still think it is worthy of the infamous name. Equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and either a manual or automatic gearbox, the new Cooper can go from 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds.
To see our range of Mini Coopers, click here or contact the team today.