2001 Rover Mini Cooper Sport 500

Number 243 of the five hundred that were built, ‘RE51 ZLY’ is a one-owner-from-new 2001 Rover Mini Classic Cooper Sport that’s still showing only 7,624 miles on the odometer. 

Finished in Solar Red and sitting on Minilite-style alloy wheels, its sportiness is further enhanced by no fewer than four extra driving lamps fitted to the front bumper. 

The interior is trimmed in black and nickel-silver hide, and the cabin still features its full suite of alloy trim and nothing more; no extra holes, switches, or instruments.

In fact, it’s still completely standard, which is a wonderful thing to see; the seller’s mum worked for the firm and tipped them off about the existence of this model; a long search ensued, and they eventually managed to snag the very last available example – and knowing how important is was to the marque’s heritage, they pampered it from Day One.

They used it as a daily driver initially, albeit lightly, but then a move to the countryside meant muddy dogs, so its use was then limited to only high days and holidays. 

It has also always been kept garaged, and has even still got the certificate that proves its status as the last of an iconic line of sporting motorcars.

This is going to be a tough section to write because the Mini Cooper presents exactly as you’d expect a 7,600-mile-from-new example to; with factory-quality shutlines and panel alignment allied to glossy Solar Red paint; the headline is that there’s very little for the new owner to do.

Of course, almost every shade of red paint is likely to fade over the years, and yet the fact this one has been used so little, and kept so diligently garaged, means that even this isn’t a problem.

Nor is the extensive chromework, which is free of pitting, tarnishing, scratches, and rust.

That meticulous curation also means there are no dents, dinks, or other damage to the panels either – and being in the same ownership from new, the seller can confirm that the bodywork has never been repaired or painted.

As for the wheels, the 13-inch Minilite-style alloys are in a good condition. They are also fitted with a matching set of 175/50R13 Dunlop SP Sport 3000 tyres, which look like they’re the same ones the factory fitted a quarter of a century ago. This is nice to see but if you plan on using it, perhaps a second set of wheels with newer tyres might be sensible?

All the other factory elements are present and correct too, including the four auxiliary lamps, the twin bonnet stripes, the silver roof, the chromed radiator grille, and the unique badging.

The only change to the factory spec we can see is the chrome GB badge on the boot lid – and if that offends, it could be removed very easily.

As for flaws, the nearside front wheel and tyre have a small chip taken out of both, and there are a few light marks to the offside front, too.

The nearside foglamp also has some black marks on the lens, but that’s it, which is remarkable.

The black and nickel-silver leather interior also features a matching two-tone leather steering wheel, polished alloy door furniture, a turned-alloy fascia, and an alloy gearknob. 

And that turned alloy dashboard contains a full suite of ivory-coloured instruments that monitor speed, engine revs, distance, fuel level, coolant temperature, time, battery charge, and oil temperature. 

Of course, the plaque inside the glovebox confirming its status as one of the 500 built is present and correct inside the glovebox, as is the tax disc holder the supplying dealer stuck on the windscreen back in 2001.

The factory-fitted radio-cassette plays through the standard ICT speaker system, and while the video shows it needs the code entering, the original purchase invoice shows the code on it, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

The headlining is clean and taut, the door cards are unmarked, the carpets and Mini Cooper overmats look like they’ve barely been trodden on, the seats are firm and barely creased, and the lettering on the switches and controls is still a bright white colour. 

The boot trim is clean and undamaged too, and the boot itself plays host to the jack and the spare wheel. The boot floor is, of course, solid and free of rust and corrosion.

Which means there’s nothing for the new owner to do other than to enjoy it – and continue to keep muddy dogs out. 

The Mini’s service history is complete up to 2016, at which point it stopped being used regularly. Indeed, its use has been so infrequent that it’s covered fewer than 600 miles since:

• 26.10.2001 and 485 miles – service by Evans Halshaw Rover
• 17.09.2002 and 1,452 miles – service by Evans Halshaw Rover
• 23.10.2003 and 3,303 miles – service by Evans Halshaw Rover
• 20.09.2004 and 4,277 miles – service by Evans Halshaw Rover
• 13.09.2005 and 4,874 miles – service by Evans Halshaw Rover
• 13.09.2007 and 5,539 miles – service by Charters of Reading
• 19.08.2010 and 6,487 miles – service by Hatch Motors
• 24.08.2016 and 7,032 miles – service by Hatch Motors

As you can see, while it might be overdue a service, the engine still starts well, even from cold. It revs and idles nicely too, and has a lovely exhaust note.

The engine bay is also exactly as you’d expect; it hasn’t been detailed to within an inch of its life but then if it had then all sorts of alarm bells would be ringing because the owners are not the sort of people who feel the need to gild this particular lily.

So, if you intend to show it – and it’s easily good enough for you to do so – then you will need to put a bit of elbow grease into preparing it. But there’s a solid base for you to work from, and we can’t see anything under the bonnet that would put us off. 

The underbody and rear subframe were professionally Waxoyl’d in 2016, and it is in the same staggeringly good condition as everywhere else with no rust, even on areas like the wheelarch lips that always seem to corrode.

The Mini’s MoT certificate is valid until April 2026, and while both front wheel bearings were identified as having play in them, this could be addressed during the service you’ll be booking.

As for the history file, the recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Mini comes with two keys and fobs, the Mini book pack and wallet, the all-important service history booklet and old invoices, the certificate of authenticity, the original bill of sale, a brochure, and every single old MoT certificate bar one.

Completely standard and very nearly as good now as it was when it left the factory all those years ago, this Mini Classic Cooper Sport 500 is a cast-iron, copper-bottomed, dead-cert of a future classic – assuming it hasn’t reached those dizzying heights already.

Which it might have done, because our research suggests this one should fetch somewhere between £28,000 and £34,000, which is a helluva price for an old Mini.

But then it’s a one-of-a-kind, and we doubt there’s a better, lower-mileage, or more original one out there.

So, if you want the best-of-the-best, it’s going to cost you. 

But then cars like this always command a premium, so whatever pain you feel now should be more than offset by the rewards you should reap when the time comes to let it go.

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’.