Mini Cooper dubbed ‘Mini royalty’ that belonged to legendary co-founder John Cooper up for sale at eye-watering £120k
A RARE Mini Cooper that inspired kids' toys and belonged to the prestigious Cooper family is up for sale at auction.
The Almond Green car, part of John Cooper's private collection, is Mini royalty and expected to go for around £120,000.
The Mini Cooper is synonymous with Britain and is a beloved sign of the swinging 60s and Cool Britainia all over the world.
The brand has even been a James Bond car.
John Cooper was the co-founder of the Cooper car company along with his father in 1947, with the family giving their name to the company.
Cooper had the 1965 Austin Mini Cooper S MK1 1275 in his private collection, but its pedigree doesn't finish there.
This particular Mini was the model used for the Vanguard/Corgi children's toy model.
Kids of the Sixties and Seventies will recognise the LWY 733D number plate as the same as the ones they zoomed around their bedrooms.
It has a contrasting Old English White roof and Dove Grey/Porcelain Green interior and grey carpets to its green exterior.
It was restored back to factory specification by five years and has covered just 250 miles since the rebuild.
The full-size Mini, with its 1275 cc four-cylinder engine has featured in a wide variety of magazines and numerous videos and also comes with a Mini Heritage Certificate.
This model is badged as an Austin Cooper S, but the car was also sold as a Morris.
After John Cooper persuaded the British Motor Corporation that the Mini had major motor racing potential, the very first Cooper hit the market in 1961.
Such was the popularity of the pocket rocket that 12,000 had been sold by 1964 when the 1275 upgrade was introduced.
The extra power (up from 55 hp to 75 hp) was instrumental in the Cooper’s giant-slaying victories in the Monte Carlo Rallies of 1964, 1965 and 1967.
When it was launched the 1275 cc Cooper cost just 756 English pounds.
Almost 60 years on this car’s value has risen more steeply than almost any other vintage car.