2000 Mini Cooper Sport 500 – Auction Car of the Week

As far as the humble Mini goes, it may seem as though there are about a million different incarnations of Britain’s diminutive but plucky working class hero. There’s the original BMC Mini and Morris Mini Minor, the Cooper, the traveller, the Mark II, III and IV, the 1275 GT, the Mini Mayfair, the Clubman, the Mark VI and VII and Mini Cooper Sport 500, to name but a few. And that’s not even including all of the various special editions! Phew.

To be fair though, the original Mini did remain in continuous production for over 40 years, with more than 5.3 million cars being produced over that time, which is an insane amount. But throughout all those years and ridiculous production numbers the Mini prevailed as an instantly recognisable icon fully deserving of its place among the pantheon of all time greats, and the fact that it has endured so long without really changing all that much in the grand scheme of things is testament to its popularity and, well, just how bloody good it is.

It’s quite the legacy, there’s no denying that, but all good things must come to an end and before BMW took over in 2000, prompting Mini to go all capital letters on us and grow exponentially larger ever since – becoming now ironically named in the process – Rover wheeled out 500 final edition cars as a fond and fitting farewell to the original Mini, an example of which we have available right here, and one that is as near as dammit to a brand new car that we’ve seen. But we’ll get to that…

The commemorative cars in question were named the Cooper Sport 500, and after a deep dive into that nomenclature following hours of painstaking research, one can determine that these were Rover Mini Cooper Sports. And there were 500 of them. But what marks them out as different from the Cooper Sport models that came before? Well, the Cooper Sport 500s were produced exclusively with the Sports Pack and offered with platinum silver roofs and in only four liveries: Solar Red, Tahiti Blue, British Racing Green, and Anthracite. They also received a plaque in the glove box proudly stating: “This Mini is one of the last 500 built to the original Sir Alec Issigonis Design”.

But it’s not really about what the Cooper Sport 500 cars are. It’s about what they represent, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the last ever opportunity to get hold of Alec Issigonis’ classic design before the Germans took over. Yes you get 13” alloys, an additional high-level brake light and spot lamps, as well as a better appointed interior, but cast all of that aside and you’re still left with one of the most fun and exciting cars to ever grace tarmac – characteristics that make the Mini such an esteemed and universally praised car that’s transcended mere metal, glass and rubber, and anyone who’s ever driven a classic Mini Cooper will currently be nodding their heads in agreement.

Rare and sought-after today, the Cooper Sport 500 models are one of the most desirable of any of those myriad Mini edition we listed at the beginning of this feature, especially one that has covered just 66 miles from new.

Yep, you read that right. This Mini Cooper Sport 500, currently available via our auctions platform, has been driven just 66 miles. That’s it. Total mileage. That’s about half way around the M25. Or Birmingham to Nottingham. Some of you probably covered more than that last week on your push bikes! That makes it practically a brand new car and you just have to look at the photos and video attached to the auction listing to appreciate just how Trebor Extra Strong this thing really is.

One of the very last Mini Coopers built, this is number 37 of those special 500 examples from 2000 and one of just 110 supplied in Solar Red. With full history and all the relevant paperwork, signed certificates, original gift pack and documents the car has been regularly serviced, maintained and cherished despite its limited use.

As with all Cooper Sport 500 models the car is equipped with the the final evolution of the 1275cc A-Series engine and a four-speed manual gearbox so it’s every bit as lively as you’d expect and seeing as how this Cooper Sport 500 is still in the running in period, it’s the closest thing to a brand new classic Mini as you’re ever likely to get.

Hurry up though, the auction ends on Monday the 16th of December at 19:45, so get your bids in now!