Whether we like the fact or not, the ownership history of a car is important. Not just many there have been or where they’ve lived or whether they’ve kept up with the service schedule, but actually who they are. Whether music royalty or actual royalty, there remains something of a cachet when there’s a famous person associated with a car for sale. Sometimes there’s a premium, and sometimes not - but there’s almost always additional interest.
Short of Alec Issigonis himself, this Mini could hardly have a more significant name linked with its past - this Cooper S was part of the John Cooper collection. It’s impossible to imagine the Mini without the hot ones; making motorsport history, introducing young drivers to proper fun, and creating one of the most recognisable classic cars along the way. Mini without the Mini Cooper is a very different proposition indeed, back then and certainly nowadays. The car wouldn’t be as loved today were it not for John Cooper’s desire to make a quick one.
As well as the back story, this 1275 Cooper S benefits from a recent restoration - this is the very opposite of a rolling wreck with a cool history found at the bottom of the garden. Subject to a restoration five years ago and having travelled just 250 miles since, it’s surely as good a 1965 Mini as could now be found. Helps that the original spec was so good, too: Almond Green is perfectly paired with an Old English White roof, the interior then decked out in Dove Grey and Porcelain Green. Who says style was merely a concern for the new Minis?
If the car looks familiar, in fact, that’s because it’s the very one used by Vanguard-Corgi for their Mini model half a century ago. In case it wasn’t a significant enough Mini already. The reg plate (LWY 733D) is a match for the miniature; they’d make quite a pair if the toy has survived all this time, too.
And besides all that is the simple fact this is a 60s’ Mini Cooper S, the car that forged one of the great automotive legacies. It’ll surely be absolutely glorious to drive, a reminder that nothing quite does fun on four wheels like one of the originals on its tiny wheels with modest power. That restoration ought to mean it feels as good as ever, if not better, too. It would have to be driven - Minis are too fun to be tucked away.
Take it easy, mind. Owing to the condition and the provenance, this one is for sale at… £140,000. Only the Aston Martin Tickford Mini comes close on PH in terms of price, and that’s £80,000, so it’s really a whole new realm for an old Cooper S. Still, unrepeatable opportunities come little more recognisable. And we all know there are plenty of Mini mad fans out there; one of them has the chance to buy a true piece of history...
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