11 replies to this topic

[greg.harvey]

Hi all,

I have a charcoal grey 1275 Mini, registered 1999, and I'm wondering what sort it is as I haven't seen anything quite like it. There are no clues in the handbook and I have all the official Rover-issued docs. It may be simply the last of the 'standard' Minis and they upped the spec a bit?

Anyway, it has airbag, seatbelt pre-tensioners, immobiliser, radio/cassette with two factory-fitted speakers in the parcel shelf, beige and tartan seats, dark red carpet, a wood dash all the way across, white dials with silver surrounds. It's a lovely interior, not at all what I've seen on others, which makes me wonder if it's some special, but I can't find any info. The Mini Sidewalk descriptions I've read sound close, but the upholstery doesn't match.

Can provide pictures tomorrow, don't have any handy right now.



Greg

[danie garry]

it definatly not a side walk if its a 99 unless its wasnt registered til late in its life!
what wheels and arches are on it??

[MiniSprite93]

Hi Greg!

Been doing some research, and come up with a shortlist of all the mini editions that were registered in 1999 with a 1275 engine...


Mini Cooper S Touring
Year: 1999 (March)
Based on: Mini Cooper
Engine: 1275cc
Exterior trim: Stainless steel sill covers, alloy fuel flap, Cooper valve caps
Decals/badges: "Cooper S Touring" side decals, "Si" boot badge, John Cooper chassis plate under front seat
Interior: Leather steering wheel, walnut dashboard and door cappings, alloy door handles
Equipment:
Cost new: £11,595
On the Cooper S Touring, the Jack Knight 5-speed gearbox was available as an optional extra for £1,655.


Mini Cooper S Sport 5
Year: 1999 (March)
Based on: Mini Cooper
Engine: 1275cc
Exterior trim: Chrome bumpers and grille
Decals/badges: Cooper S Sport 5 decals
Interior trim: Leather gear knob
Equipment: 13x6" Rover Sportspack alloy wheels, Sportspack wheelarches, 2 auxiliary driving lamps
Cost new: £13,650
Options:
Leather interior
Electric sunroof
The Sport 5 was very similar to the Cooper S Touring except that it was offered with the 5-speed Jack Knight gearbox as standard.


Mini Cooper S Works
Year: 1999 (March)
Based on: Mini Cooper
Engine: 1275cc
Exterior colour:
Brooklands Green
Roof: Old English White
Exterior trim: Chrome grille, door handles and bumpers
Decals/badges: Coachlines with "S works" decals. Special red-winged badges front and back.
Interior: Alloy dashboard, door cappings, door furniture, and foot pedals; leather steering wheel and gear knob
Equipment: CD player, 12" alloy wheels
Production: 25
Cost new: £12,495
Options:
Jack Knight 5-speed gearbox
Sportspack
With 90 hp output from its big-valve high-compression engine, the S Works is the most powerful Cooper ever made.


Mini John Cooper
Year: 1999 (August)
Based on: Mini Cooper
Engine: 1275cc
Exterior colour:
Brooklands Green (HFB - BLVC1265)
Roof: Old English White (NNX - BLVC1205)
Exterior trim: Chrome bumpers, grille, and handles
Interior: Grenadine red leather upholstery (with black piping for seats) on dash top, door liners, gear gaiter, and door pockets; red carpeting; black leather steering wheel, handbrake grip and gear knob; alloy dashboard
Decals/badges: John Cooper signature in chrome-plated steel.
Equipment: 13" Sportspack alloy wheels, Sportspack arches, two spotlamps, CD player
Production: 300
Cost new: £10,995


Mini 40
Year: 1999 (April)
Based on: Mini Cooper
Engine: 1275cc MPi (Multi-Point Injection)
Exterior colours:
Island Blue (BU5)
Mulberry Red (CDM - BLVC1274)
Old English White (WT3)
Tahiti Blue Metallic
Exterior trim: Chrome bumpers, grille, and handles. Optional Webasto electric sunroof.
Decals/badges: Gold "Mini 40" bonnet badge, anniversary decal on the body sides, chrome "GB" on boot
Interior: Color-matched leather seats with contrasting piping, alloy dashboard, chrome detailed instruments, and a leather facia top, handbrake, and gear knob.
Equipment: CD Player, 13" Sportspack wheels, Sportspack arches, twin spotlamps
Production: 250 for UK
Cost new: £10,995




Obviously, even though it says all the interior fittings and exterior colours that it came with from the factory, don't take this as definite, as it will probably have been customized over the years! Alternatively, put your registration into this website:
http://www.freecarcheck.org/
When I put my reg in there, it comes up with the engine size, colour and the actual model, so hopefully will do the same for you!
Hope this has helped, and would love to see a picture of the mini!

[greg.harvey]

Hi everyone,

Wheel arches are black plastic.

More mysterious! The free car checker just said "Rover" and "Mini", so not much info there. And none of the models you found match perfectly. It has "pepper pot" alloys on, maybe that helps?

Here's a couple of pics from the ad when I bought it - haven't had chance to take my own yet:
https://picasaweb.go...feat=directlink

[stocky]

Rover did a classic cooper in the last years of production which had pepperpot wheels and plastic arches I believe

[Bungle]

what does the V5 say it is ?

[MiniSprite93]

Hmmm... Looks great from the pictures by the way! Not at all like the mini I have. Looks like you have one of the more upmarket ones. Obviously the classic mini went out of production in 2000, so you could be right in saying that it is one of the last ones, and as a consequence they spruced it up a bit. Did you buy it from new in 1999 or is it second hand? Obviously with the mini being one of the best and most popular cars for customization and spec-ing up, you may find that one of the previous owners just did a lot of work on it.

[greg.harvey]

Hi all,

Thanks again for responses...

I've only just bought it - I'm third keeper, though effectively second keeper as it was father then daughter in south London before me.

V5 just says 'Mini' ... don't think it's had any mods. If it has, they've been *very* well done - no clue anything's not factory.

Here's how the chassis number breaks down, courtesy of http://www.minimania...82/ArticleV.cfm

SAX
Maker: MG Rover

XN
Mini 1300

W
Class: HLS, Mayfair

A
Body type: 2-door saloon

Z
Engine: 1300MPi (high compression ratio, 10.1:1 - ouch!)

E
Transmission: RHD Manual

X
Model Change: not listed

D
Assembly plant: Longbridge


That X under Model Change, which they don't have a value for, is perhaps denoting some sort of special? Otherwise, uprated engine and everything else points to stocky's suggestion of a classic Cooper, perhaps. Strange, given the age, it didn't have a CD player.

Trim codes are LQW (paint) and SMJ (interior) if that means anything to anybody?

Anyway, it certainly is a thinker!


Cheers,


Greg

[mininuts]

What you have there is a 'standard' mini, it's not a limited or special edition I'm afraid, just a standard production mini.

In '96 the Mpi minis were introduced. There were only two models at the time, yours, the standard Mini and the Mini Cooper. Both had the same 1275 engine. Looking at your pictures, it is exactly as it should be apart from the grille which has been changed to a Cooper one. The wheels are 'Pepperpots' as fitted from new, the Cooper had the 12" Minilite style alloys fitted as standard.

A 'sportpack' option was available on both the standard and the Cooper at extra cost.

The 'last' of the production minis were introduced in April 2000. The Mini Seven, Cooper and Cooper Sport.

Your mini is lovely and I don't think there are many standard models around as most people would have opted for the Cooper model. It's nice to see one that has been left as standard.

Here is press photo from early 2000 of your model but, it looks like it's got the optional leather interior fitted.



Enjoy it

Edited by mininuts, 22 July 2011 - 03:51 PM.

[greg.harvey]

Yay! That's the one!

Thanks. So it's a late 'standard' in (near) original trim. Cool. I wonder when/why the grill was changed? Seems an odd thing to do to a car that's otherwise original...

Anyway, wonderful. I can stop Googling.

[mininuts]

I wonder when/why the grill was changed? Seems an odd thing to do to a car that's otherwise original...

A lot of people prefer the look of the Cooper grille, simple as that. Unless the original had been damaged somehow and it was just replaced with the first grille the owner found, which usually is the Cooper one.

[greg.harvey]

Photos, for the interested:
http://www.theminifo...dpost&p=2197167