1999 Rover Mini 1.3 MPI 63bhp - Genuine 37,000 Miles, The Ultimate Specification and the Full Mini 40th Edition Birthday Interior, Finished in one of the Rarest Colour Combinations and Owned 7 Years
 
This is a beautiful Mini that I have driven often; she is excellent to drive, has eleven months MOT with no advisories and is ready to enjoy. That being said the new owner needs to be prepared to do some tinkering as if you let go of her steering wheel she pulls slightly to the right (she doesn't if you hold it like a normal person). This could be a multitude of things, but we haven't been able to find the specific reason and nor could another specialist and we are now quite backlogged so we would rather sell her as a bargain for the new keeper to tinker :). The latest diagnosis is that her steering needs adjustment, but it could be something else, we don't know but it hasn't stopped me driving her. We have just run out of time, we're backlogged and short of space and funds. We would rather not store her over christmas and would rather someone enjoy her.

First registered on the 22nd of November 1999, she was one of the last Mini’s produced giving her the ultimate specification (expanded upon below). Having spent many years with a collector she has a genuine 37,000 miles from new and accordingly drives beautifully. Being finished in Old English White, she has one of the rarest, most iconic and sought after colour schemes.

Other than her ultimate factory specification, this Mini has been upgraded with what some may regard as the most sought after Mini interior ever supplied (The Mini 40th Birthday Edition Interior). Such interior has been widely regarded as being the most luxurious interior produced, combining red leather fully bolstered seats with an aluminium fascia dash and leather bound dash with three extra gauges to celebrate the Mini’s 40th and final birthday (birthday celebration editions always had an impressive interior, but this time they knew that production would cease in the coming year and this would be the Mini's final and biggest birthday). She has the factory optional extra rear seat belts and opening rear windows which are a nice touch.

She is supplied with twelve months MOT and no advisories for your peace of mind. She is also supplied fully serviced so that you have nothing to worry about and can just enjoy her. The service includes new NGK spark plugs, Silicone HT leads and Millers Classic Mini Oil and filter as well as a new oxygen sensor. Her sought after Cooper Sportspack 13” alloy wheels are wrapped the premium Yokohama Tyres and this combination would be £800 alone. She recently has had lots of expensive new chrome-work which gleams and her chrome spotlights are brand new, albeit they aren’t wired in (easily done).

The Ultimate Factory Specification

Paraphrasing from several official records and well reputed books, the final Mini’s (1997-2000) were the ultimate classic Mini’s designed by Rover to give more than ever before, designed to revitalise sales figures and designed to solidify the classic Mini’s place as a British icon in order to rocket fuel the sale of the modern Mini which had been designed and would be launched shortly thereafter. Why were these the ultimate Mini’s? Well there’s broadly five reasons, those reasons are that they are more powerful, more reliable and more luxurious than earlier Mini’s as well as safer and greener. I’ll very briefly expand upon each as this is a question we’re asked often.

(a) More powerful because she has 20% more horsepower as standard (63bhp) compared to the earlier 1275cc models (generally 50-53hp) and 50% more horse power when compared to the earlier 1000cc (39hp). Such output when combined with her 800kg weight and exceptional renowned rally winning handling provides for terrific and/or terrifying fun.

(b) More reliable because the troublesome earlier carburettor, distributor and manual choke are replaced with modern multi-point fuel injection, dual spark technology and automatic choke. If I’m taking a classic Mini on a long drive, I use one of these Mini’s. Another reason I take these on longer drives is because they are better designed for motorway driving, not only do they have more power but they also have more sound deadening, a revised gearbox ratio and mechanical layout to reduce driving noise (earlier Mini’s roar on the motorway).

(c) More stylish because the interior evolved, they had higher quality seats with proper seat bolsters and support, a higher quality dash, steering wheel and seats, higher quality gauges etc. Most importantly, more stylish because some wore the iconic wide arches and the larger 13inch wheels which earlier Mini’s didn’t.

(d) Safer because she has a drivers airbag, door safety crash bars and inertia seatbelts as well as SRS.

(e) Greener because she has a catalytic converter, produces less emissions and is more fuel efficient overall.

So all round, a better specification.

History

Purchasing her on the 1st of June 2015, she has lived with a collector in Essex throughout the last seven years covering less than 2000 miles only. Prior to the collector she has just three previous keepers. One of those keepers was a local Essex car dealer who’m owned her for two weeks only and supplied the collector leaving just two keepers between 1999 and 2015. She’s HPI clear also so you know there isn’t anything untoward in her past.

Condition Report

This is one of my favourite Mini’s and I have driven it over 250 miles personally. That being said she’s a classic Mini and she will have age related imperfections throughout and I would recommend viewing her as she isn’t a brand new car but a classic car that has lived a life (like just about every Mini really).

Inside; her seats are excellent and her interior is nice and clean minus some small marks. Her radio head unit has been removed by the previous keeper and it would be nice to fit a bluetooth head unit (I have just been using a bluetooth speaker left under the seat).

Outside; most of her chrome work is brand new and gleams, but her paintwork is older and has some marks here and there.

Underneath; she has at some point in her life had new floors and boot floor, a new subframe and the correct vented sills which are all solid so that you can have peace of mind.

Driving her, she drives beautifully and she is my first choice of driving Mini. She has been serviced and passed her MOT with no advisories. But she pulls to the right if you let go of her steering wheel, as described above.
 
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