1990 Rover Mini Cooper RSP

This cheeky automotive character is indeed one of those limited edition cars produced only between 1990 and 1991. This one has been under the stewardship of keeper, Giles, since 2018. With Giles becoming the Mini’s tenth keeper at that stage, records suggest the car spent four years or so off the road between 2016 and 2020. Those same records also show that this special edition Mini has covered a trifling 18,000 miles or so in the last 19 years.

During the current ownership this Cooper has been bought back to the impressive condition you see today. An engine refurbishment has been undertaken together with the body being stripped back, panels and metal replaced where required and the car professionally resprayed in its original black livery – complete with stripes, decals and... John Cooper’s signature.
 

It comes as a reminder, on viewing this Mini, how relatively few black examples you tend to see. Small and cheeky cars like the Mini tend to wear bright and cheeky liveries. To our eyes, this car’s predominantly black livery accompanied by Wimbledon White roof panel, twin coach lines and Cooper decals, looks amazing. Those wide bonnet stripes, dainty chrome bumpers and horizontally fluted radiator grill only serve to further guild this stealthy looking lily. The twin driving lamps are part of the special edition kit, as is the tilting mirrored glass sunroof. Other really nice details include the bullet style, chromed door mirrors, the clear lensed indicators and door handle guards. Given this little car’s recent reported respray, the condition looks impressive overall for a car now 35 years old (a frightening realisation!). 

This Mini sits, with a familiar forward leaning stance, on a set of Minilite style, 12-inch RSP alloy wheels. These are finished in a powder coated silver finish with Cooper laurel centres. The condition of these looks pretty good, too, with the ample 70-profile 145 tyres doing a good job of keeping the rims away from kerbs and the like. At the front some red finished AP callipers can just be seen between the chunky spokes of these charming, LP-sized wheels. Wide plastic wheel arch extensions make allowance for the wider than standard wheels and tyres.
 

By now almost everyone probably knows about the Mini’s legendary interior packaging courtesy of the “wheel at each corner” design and the transversely mounted engine. Danielle Maynard certainly does. Danielle lent her name to Dani and the Mini Skirts – a group of 27 friends who reclaimed the Guiness record for the most people crammed into a “classic” Mini in 2014. The all, presumably small, female group included a mother and daughter, a pair of twins and Dani herself.
Exceptional packaging aside, this Mini features the striking special edition Cooper treatment courtesy of part leather seats with red piping and stitching and faces finished in self-patterned grey cloth. The bright red carpets add still more drama as do the perforated alloy door fittings. There are even electric windows which was the height of Mini luxury in 1990, no question. The rear bench is identically trimmed and, like the fronts, appears to be in an excellent overall condition. A pair of red lap straps are fitted, and the signature Mini side pockets formed from the body structure are in evidence. 

By 1990 the Mini’s instrument cluster had moved directly ahead of the driver, sitting low in its own hooded binnacle. The three-gauge set consists of a white on green speedometer, a multi-purpose gauge monitoring water temperature and fuel level and a tachometer. These sit behind a chunky three spoke leather steering wheel with a stitched red leather rim and a “Cooper” inscribed boss. The full width dashboard storage shelf from the earliest Minis remains and a smattering of rocker switches populate the centre panel. Little Cooper based Easter eggs include the Mini Cooper fabric labels stitched into the front seats and the polished alloy kick plates adorning each sill top. The condition in here appears generally good. The carpet underneath and behind the driver’s seat appears discoloured and deteriorated and the plush fabric headlining is a little wrinkled in places. The boot appears to be lacking any lining and there is currently no sign of a spare wheel.
 

The 1275cc A-series engine in this Cooper was originally rated at around 60bhp and 67 Ib-ft of torque. A modest tally, it may seem, but the Mini’s secret is its weight, or lack of it. With a quoted dry weight of 695 kg, the A-series was sufficient to lend this diminutive diva the type of verve and spirit that originally endeared the car to John Cooper. A four speed manual gearbox sends power a very short distance to the front wheels.

Lifting the dinky bonnet reveals more red and black, with the red adorning the block of this refurbished unit and the black the cam cover. Some unexpected yellow is provided by the heavy duty looking HT leads. A lifelong, cleanable air filter is fitted to the single SU carburettor and the tiny radiator is side mounted in this application. What can be seen of the underside of the car seems to be admirably straight and leak free. There are some slightly corroded areas in evidence but clearly nothing significant enough to trouble the MoT tester.
 

There is some useful, provenance providing paperwork included with the Mini Cooper. This includes the current V5 registration and current MoT. The latter is valid until May 2026. Numerous earlier MoTs in hard copy are also present.

The remainder of the paperwork is predominantly made up of numerous invoices detailing remedial and service work undertaken across the life of this Mini.
 

Given the revolutionary design brilliance of the Mini, it is perhaps no surprise that it went on to enjoy a much longer and more varied life than originally envisaged. The Mini’s enduring appeal was certainly prolonged thanks to the slew of model variants and special editions which would go on to number close to 100, ultimately. With most special editions produced in strictly limited numbers and awash with extras and quirky design touches, the demand for these remains strong and is likely only to strengthen as availability diminishes. That is likely especially true of Cooper models, such is the enduring kudos that racer and engineer John Cooper bought to the Mini marque.

With somewhere around 1,000 home market models of the 1990 Mini Cooper ever built, this is a Mini with scarcity built in. Its bodily refurbishment lends it true kerb appeal, and its black and white livery is appealing and eye-catching in equal measure. The special edition cabin is especially well resolved and a very nice place for you to spend time in... with up to 26 of your closest friends. A lovey, if potentially quite crowded, ownership prospect indeed.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £10,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.