Registration - R778 AJW Chassis No. - SAXXNNAZEWD147026 M.O.T. - December 2021 Odometer - 49,643 This smartly-presented Rover Mini is finished in the pleasing combination of white over metallic blue, that’s teamed with beige and grey interior trim. It was acquired by the vendor in May last year and he presently rates the engine, manual transmission, bodywork, paintwork and upholstery as all being in ‘excellent’ condition, and informs us that the Mini is free of dents and scratches and that the engine is clean with no sign of leaks. The only minuses of note are apparently a minor paint blister on the nearside front wing and slight mark on the nearside front alloy wheel. ‘R778 AJW’ is now offered complete with rear Mini-logoed mud flaps, a quartet of auxiliary driving lights and ‘good’ tyres all round. The Mini’s association with the Cooper Car Company of F1 fame was formed in 1961, and for the next 10 years or so all performance versions of the little car bore the Cooper badge. Their place in history was sealed with outright victory in the Monte Carlo rallies of 1964, 1965, 1966 (from which the team was subsequently erroneously disqualified) and 1967. Many other rally and race successes were accrued before the relationship was shelved in the early 1970s. But you can’t keep a good name down, and it reappeared under Rover’s control almost 20 years later. The initial offering was actually a touch slower than the best of the ‘60s cars, but proved sufficiently popular that, from 1992, the Cooper Minis were fitted with a punchier, fuel-injected version of the 1275cc engine more worthy of the badge. In summary: • A modest indicated total mileage of 49,643 • A well-presented example in an attractive colour combination • Comes complete with an MOT valid into December this year