Our Retirement Sale: Emptying Our Personal Toy Box
We announced our retirement sale a few months ago and we have to thank everyone for all of your support, every message and call and of course for buying our entire stock at the time. We are now preparing to sell one final batch of Mini’s and that batch includes Mini’s that we were intending to keep as toys or investments. That being said me and my girlfriend have decided it's time to run away into the sunset, empty the toy box and buy a small sailing boat in the Mediteranean and so they will all be listed this week :).
As usual, we are happy to personally deliver Mini’s anywhere in the UK at £0.85 per mile (return journey), work with overseas purchasers (deliver to the port / we recommend Hill Shipping as agents) and chat for hours totally off subject (our speciality) but also give helpful to the point advice where possible even if it’s not about our cars. Call me anytime, email or instagram us by using the following link www.gbminigarage.com.
1997 Rover Mini Cooper Sportspack 1.3 59bhp Rare *Semi Automatic* - 21k Miles Only - Like New Underneath - The Burberry Style Interior - One From My Own Collection
For more pictures and a walkaround video please use the following link www.gbminigarage.com/nds
This is a very rare Automatic example of one of the ultimate models (the Rover Mini Cooper Sportspack), the final, fully upgraded specification model that had significantly more power, reliability and safety features as well as all the luxury final touches including her Burberry style interior.
Her speedometer reads 21,600 miles (34,000 Kilometres), she is in beautiful condition throughout and has the very rare benefit of air conditioning (Japanese Export Specification). She is supplied with a recent MOT, no structural issues and fully serviced, ready to enjoy.
In fact she is outstanding underneath, exceptional. See the pictures. I have invested a small fortune in all new chromework, overriders, new chrome spotlights etc etc to finish her off as I intended to keep her for my own collection.
1. Driving Her
Driving beautifully, she is a top specification model combining much greater power with that classic Mini rally winning handling making her terrific and/or terrifying fun. Being a very rare semi-automatic variation you have the choice between therapeutic classic no effort cruising or switching between gears 1-2-3 using the shifter.
2. Excellent Bodywork
She is excellent underneath, just fantastic condition... really nice. See the pictures. Finished in the most iconic colour scheme, her Metallic British Racing Green paintwork is finished with those world re-known Cooper emblems and she has very few blemishes and no obvious corrosion.
3. The Most Sought After Interior
She has the most sought after Burberry style interior and a brand new headlining which cost £900 alone. Being a Japanese spec Mini she has air conditioning (!) which was never fitted to British cars and is a HUGE bonus.
4. Ready to Enjoy
Ready to enjoy, she is sold with a recent month MOT, fully serviced and she is structurally sound. There is a minor advisory for an oil leak, but what Mini doesn’t have one. We’ve given up chasing them.
5. Low Mileage
Reading 34,806 kilometres (21,600 miles), she seems to be a very low mileage example. As usual we can’t verify this on paper, but her condition, age (younger than most Mini’s), gearbox (automatics tended to do less miles as they were more popular with older people in the nineties) and specification (Japanese Mini’s tended to do less miles) would support this.
6. Why Do Many Enthusiasts Prefer Japanese Mini’s
We don’t get involved with any export vehicles whatsoever, except Japanese Mini’s. Why? Because they are so much better and I’ll explain why below.
Manufactured in Britain, she was bound for the Japanese market where she lived until 2021. Surpassing the UK in the early 90’s, Japan ascended to become the number one worldwide market for Mini’s after the introduction of Austin Rover Japan in 1985. These Mini’s were still built in the UK, but then exported to Japan. There are roughly seven reasons why many enthusiasts prefer Japanese exported examples to UK Mini’s:
A. Less Rust
Being from a warm climate with less salt on the roads, Japanese Mini’s generally have less or no corrosion.
B. Better Bodily Condition Generally
Having the requirement that Japanese city car owners MUST have a private off road car parking space before purchasing a vehicle, vehicles are usually stored off the road in indoor facilities and therefore remain in much better condition generally, with less dints and corrosion.
C. Used Less
Japanese people drive much less generally, covering fewer miles.
D. Luxury Purchase
Fewer Japanese people (relative to other countries) own vehicles (57% of people own vehicles according to Statista) and therefore they are more cared for generally, think of car ownership in the 60’s when such would have been a real luxury, how your mum or dad looked after their car way back when.
E. Better Maintained
Having much more stringent MOT conditions, vehicles must be maintained to the highest standard in Japan.
F. Air Conditioning
Only Japanese Mini’s were fitted with air conditioning. Air conditioning was not fitted to UK vehicles, however maintenance parts are readily available in the UK due to the popularity of imports from one of the main suppliers.
9. Reason For Sale
Supplied to our client by one of the leading Mini Specialists in 2021, he has only decided to let her go her to buy a Morris Mini pick up from us.
10. Twenty Six Years Young
Being twenty six years old she will have some age related imperfections, albeit she is an excellent example. The only things to note is the standard Japanese cigarette burn on the drivers seat (photographed) and the minor oil leak which is just a Mini thing (you come to feel).