List of Mini limited editions explained

The Mini was offered in a number of limited editions that usually included a special combination of trim and badging, but some also included mechanical upgrades.

Anniversary editions

Mini 20

see below Mini 1100 Special

Mini 25

Mini 30

Of the 3,000 produced for the UK, 2,000 were in Cherry Red and 1,000 were Black; 2,800 were manual and 200 had an automatic gearbox.600 were made with an optional sun roof.

Mini 35

The 35 did not come with alloy wheels as standard. An automatic transmission was offered as an option. This limited edition was also offered in France, Italy and Japan, although it was identified by different names in those markets. Four hundred left-hand drive Mini 35 cars were also built for export to the Netherlands and Germany late in the model year (November 1994). They were painted British Racing Green Metallic and had all-leather interior with piping trim that matched the exterior color. Some references were painted in black edition. They had 13-inch alloy wheels and extended wheel arches. The LHD cars also had the same silver lines, special decals, and some units with a special wood-rimmed steering wheel and 35th anniversary horn button. Only a few were sold and the rest were rebadged and sold as 1995 models.

Mini 40

London Collection

Mini Mayfair

Mini Ritz

Mini Chelsea

Produced after the supply of Mini Ritz's had been sold.

Mini Piccadilly

Many examples were exported to France and Japan.

Mini Park Lane

Mini Advantage

First launched in France in May 1987 to coincide with the French Open, the Mini Advantage also appeared in the UK in June of that year to be available during The Championships, Wimbledon. Originally the name was to be the Mini Wimbledon, to match the London theme of the other names, but the All England Lawn Tennis Association would not allow this use of name with a tennis themed styling.

Colours

Mini Red Hot

Mini Jet Black

Mini Rose

This 1960s theme was introduced in preparation for the Mini's 30th birthday.

Mini Sky

This 1960s theme was introduced in preparation for the Mini's 30th birthday.

Mini Racing

Some Mini Racing cars were fitted with the John Cooper 998 conversion. Otherwise, the 'Racing' was identical to the 'Flame' apart from the colour.

Mini Flame

Apart from the color, the 'Flame' was identical to the 'Racing'.

Mini Racing Green

Fitted with a 3.44 final drive (as was found in the original 1961 Cooper), the 'Racing Green' could be bought with the Rover-approved John Cooper performance kit. Identical to the 'Flame Red' and 'Checkmate' apart from the color.

Mini Flame Red

Fitted with a 3.44 final drive (as was found in the original 1961 Cooper), the 'Flame Red' could be bought with the Rover-approved John Cooper performance kit. Identical to the 'Racing Green' and 'Checkmate' apart from the colour.

Mini Checkmate

Fitted with a 3.44 final drive (as was found in the original 1961 Cooper), the Checkmate could be bought with the Rover-approved John Cooper performance kit. Identical to the 'Racing Green' and 'Flame Red' apart from the colour.

Designer

Mini Designer

The Mini Designer was often called the "Quant" in reference to the Mary Quant-designed interior and Quant Daisy motifs on the steering wheel and bonnet badge.

Mini Paul Smith

Paul Smith also designed a one-off Mini with 86 different-coloured stripes.

Cooper

Mini Cooper RSP

The RSP (Rover Special Products) was the first Cooper in 21 years and the first Mini with a 1,275cc engine in 10 years. The most powerful carburettor engine (with the S works conversion) and the only non-Works Mini fitted with an oil cooler as standard.

It was an instant success and sold out even before cars began to appear in showrooms which prompted Rover to put the Cooper in full-time production a year later.

Mini Cooper Monte Carlo

The 1994 Monte Carlo was released to celebrate Paddy Hopkirk's return to the Monte Carlo Rally, 30 years after his original win.

Mini Cooper Grand Prix

Only two of the Grand Prix cars were made in a left-hand-drive configuration. The engine produced 86 hp.

Mini Cooper 35

The five, John Cooper S specification Cooper 35 produced 86 hp. The conversion consisted of a replacement cylinder head, 1.5 roller rockers, Janspeed exhaust, K&N air filter element and modifications to the injection system. An oil cooler was also fitted.

These cars had the roof resprayed in Old English White with matching painted on bonnet stripes which run over the scuttle panel as a tribute to the Cooper Car Co racing cars. Badging was updated with red enamelled Cooper inserts on the winged bonnet and boot badges, and the 1.3i badge on the boot lid was replaced by a Si badge. The original side graphics were retained.

They also had a unique dashboard and matching door capping's in elm rather than the walnut which featured on the factory car, and three signed ivory auxiliary dials were added, clock, voltmeter and oil pressure, rather than just a clock on the standard car. Alloy door furniture was fitted, signed on some cars, but not all as the door furniture was redesigned around this time. A steering drop bracket was also standard on the Si. The factory steering wheel and gear knob was retained.

Externally, in addition to the changes already highlighted, the Si gained clear indicator lenses, and polished metal Cooper wheel centre badges.

Only four of the five John Cooper S specification Cooper 35's still exist.

A number of cars were subsequently converted to S specification by John Cooper Garages, and the S pack cars can be distinguished from the original five cars by a plaque stating conversion number rather than car number.

Mini Cooper Sports LE

Built to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Cooper's victory in four Saloon Car Championship races in 1968.

Mini Cooper S Touring

On the Cooper S Touring, the Jack Knight 5-speed gearbox was available as an optional extra.

Mini Cooper S Sport 5

The Sport 5 was very similar to the Cooper S Touring except that it was offered with the five-speed Jack Knight gearbox as standard.

Mini Cooper S Works

14570R12

With 90 hp output from its big-valve high-compression engine, the S Works is the most powerful Cooper ever made.

'Mini' John Cooper LE 40

Built to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Cooper's victory in the Formula One World Championships 1959 & 1960. The Le 40 Editions were the most Expensive Minis ever sold as standard from the Factory. Also the only Mini not to registered as a Mini, instead as only 'John Cooper LE 40'

Mini Cooper Sport 500

Export-only

Mini After Eight

This trim package adopted the branding of the After Eight chocolate mint in a partnership with its manufacturer, Rowntree & Company (then owned by Nestlé).

Mini Belfast

Mini Blue Star

The steering wheel used in the Blue Star is a RAID model 13D.

Mini Brighton

Mini Brooklands

Mini Cooper Serie 300

This car, also called “Last 300 Series” or “Super Cooper” is known as the last Italian classic Mini as the Innocenti production ended with this limited edition model. Originally fitted to counter the competition of the just launched Mini 90 (introduced in the same year), it is now considered as one of the highest-quality and best-finished Minis of all time.

Mini Cosmopolitan

Mini Jubilee

Mini Kensington

Mini Lady

Mini Lapagayo

Named for the Lapagayo fashion brand.

Mini Monza

Mini Printemps

Mini S

Mini Silver Bullet

The steering wheel used in the Silver Bullet is a RAID model 13D.

Mini Silverstone

Mini Twinings

Mini Woodbury

Mini John Player Special

Special

Mini 1000 'Stripey' LE

Mini 1100 Special

Built to celebrate the Mini's 20th anniversary, the 1100 Special was the only round-nose Mini to be supplied with the 1098 cc engine in the UK. British Leyland supplemented the original run of 2,500 cars with an additional 2,600 due to its popularity.

Mini 1100 Special (BE-version)

Built between for Belgium market in Seneffe from 1976 to 1978 as an experiment to test demand. The success on the continental market inspired BLMC to launch it, in 1979 for Mini's 20th anniversary, the 1100 Special was the only round-nose Mini to be supplied with the 1098 cc. The model was popular in the Benelux market and somewhat in France.

Mini Sprite

The Mini Sprite was released in anticipation of the 25th anniversary of the Mini. Its name revived the old Austin-Healey name last used in 1971. The Sprite was intended to be an intermediate trim level between the "City" and the "Mayfair".

Mini Studio 2

The Studio 2 name was first used on the Metro in 1987/88.

Mini Neon

The "Neon" was originally meant to be produced in Caribbean Blue Pearlescent, but problems with the new paint meant that the production version was made in Nordic Blue,at least one was produced in Caribbean Blue and sold by Startins of Redditch. The "Neon" decals on the car still had a Caribbean Blue border, which was meant to blend with the paintwork, so looked a little odd on the Nordic cars.

Mini Cabriolet

Rover first ordered 75 cars from Lamm Autohaus, and this was shortly followed by an order for an additional 25. After the success of this limited edition, Rover went into full-time production on the Mini Cabriolet.

Mini British Open Classic

A similar folding sunroof that appeared on the British Open Classic had been an option in 1991 only in Japan, but the model was known as the 'Canvas Top.' Only 400 were made. Some unsold models were registered as 1992s, but this model was only officially sold in Japan in 1991. One difference between the British Open Classic and the Japanese Canvas Top model was the fact that the Japanese canvas top could be opened from the rear as well as the front. Opening from the rear was done manually by first releasing two latches on the inside rear of the top akin to those commonly found on convertible tops, and physically pushing the top forward. Opening from the front was accomplished via an electric motor just like in the British Open Classic.

The British Open Classic was also made for other markets in larger numbers, these can be identified by either being left hand drive, fuel injected or no tweed inserts in the seats. UK spec Open Classics were all carburetor engines but the shell is single point injection as it has the bracket on the bulk head to the right of the carburetor. Unlike most limited editions the Open Classic has opening rear windows and a two pod dash, i.e. no rev counter. The export version has a three pod dash (this seems to vary, a German version and an Italian version are known, which have two pod dashes, so further research please). Also, there are export versions in existence, which are black, again, known are German and Italian cars. The Italian version also has beige cloth upholstery, without leather trimmings, also prepared for a radio (speakers, cables and antenna, but delivered without actual stereo unit).

Mini Italian Job

Inspired by the 1969 film "The Italian Job", these cars were made to look like Coopers though they produced only 50 hp.

Mini Rio

The colours offered on the Rio were usually extra-cost options on the standard Mini Sprite. The Rio name was also used on the Rover Metro in 1994. This was before Kia used the Rio name on its supermini model.

Mini Tahiti

Mini Sidewalk / Mini Tartan

Mini Equinox

Mini ERA Turbo

96 bhp@8 psi turbo boost[1]

Registers

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ERA Mini Turbo - Little Devil . 2014-01-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140904022003/http://www.eraturbo.co.uk/roadtests/littledevil.htm . 4 September 2014 . dmy-all .

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