One of the last John Cooper Works original Mini Coopers will be sold at auction next month. The specially-tuned Cooper is expected to draw bids as high as £60,000.
Engineer John Cooper transformed the original Mini, that went on sale in 1959, into a motorsport icon. The Mini was designed to be a simple, practical, affordable car for the everyday people. However, perhaps unwittingly, it was truly a groundbreaking vehicle, and John Cooper turned them into tire-smoking racing machines that claimed 3 Monte Carlo victories during the mid 60’s
The Mini Cooper became an accoutrement of the well to do, a style icon owned by the likes of Steve McQueen, The Beatles and Enzo Ferrari.
This particular Mini Cooper was built in 1998, and was shipped straight to John Cooper at his Littlehampton, Sussex workshop.
His goal was to build one last special Mini Cooper for himself. He completely stripped the car down and rebuilt it with a host of unique parts.
The engine was overhauled, with power boosted to 138bhp.
A new exhaust and gearbox followed, along with uprated disc brakes, twin fuel tanks, an electric sunroof, and seats upholstered in leather and Alcantara.
The Mini Cooper will be sold by Artcurial Motors on February 5 in Paris. The auction house estimates it will sell for £60,000. That would be enough to make it one of the most valuable 'original' Minis of all time.
John Cooper passed away in 2000.
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