Mini turns 60 years old in 2019 and, to mark the occasion, it has launched a special model. The Mini 60 Year Edition is a limited numbers variant of the Cooper S
Italy had the Fiat 500, Germany the Volkswagen Beetle, and France the Citroën 2CV. Every nation has its ‘car of the people’ and for the UK that machine was unequivocally the Mini. In 2019 the plucky little model celebrates its 60th anniversary and modern-day Mini is beginning its sixth decade with a special edition model to mark the event.
Based on the three-door Cooper S hatchback, this limited-run Mini 60 Years Edition model features a deep shade of British Racing Green with a contrasting black roof. The black theme continues on the fuel filler cap, door mirrors, bonnet stripes, door handles and headlight surrounds.
60th anniversary cars also receive a set of rally-inspired spotlights and new 17-inch lightweight alloy wheels. There’s also a smattering of 60th anniversary badging and unique LED puddle lights that project a motif on the ground at night.
The interior hosts dark leather upholstery with green piping outlining the Cooper S sports seats. There’s plenty of standard equipment thrown in such as an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless charger for smartphones, rear-view camera, and Apple CarPlay.
This new special edition car is mechanically identical to the Cooper S meaning that it packs a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine. With the help of a seven-speed automatic gearbox, the car will get from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and go onto a top speed of 145mph.
The special model commemorates that day in 1969 when BMC revealed the Mini. Designed by Sir Alec Issigonis who achieved its compact proportions by mounting the engine transversely, the affordable car became a hit.
Starring in cult-classic movies such as The Italian Job, the Mini also became a cultural icon with everyone from royalty to rock stars owning one. It also proved capable of punching well above its weight with the help of engineer John Cooper, who helped Mini win the Monte Carlo rally on several occasions.
Just 500 Mini 60 Year Editions will be coming to the UK at a cost of £29,990 ($38,500) each, making it considerable more costly than a standard Cooper S. Similarly small numbers of limited-run cars will be arriving in Mini’s key markets, providing plenty of collector potential in the future.
