John Cooper "Works" Edition: 2007 Mini Cooper S

This next seller needs a lesson in first impressions -- when you advertise a car, the first thing you should not include in your description is the phrase "works" complete with quotation marks.  What the seller meant to say is that it is the John Cooper Works edition, which is a special edition of the Cooper S from the factory.  One can probably assume it "works" based on the sellers description of it "running amazing" and these little Coopers are cheap cheap cheap these days! Find this 2007 Mini Cooper S JCW offered for $4400 in West Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.

Venom: 1961 Morris Mini Cooper with Toyota AE86 SWAP

Spider Man is an interesting hero, but he is mostly clueless and his biggest assets are his perky persona and agile reflexes...sorta like a classic Mini. But imagine, for a minute, if you poured some of the awesome power of someone like the vampire hunter Blade into Peter Parker's suit and spider-abilities...now you'd have a bitchin' superhero like this 1961 Classic Mini Cooper with Toyota AE86 SWAP offered for $10,000 in Santa Cruz, CA via craigslist.

Bag & Tagged: 2004 Mini Cooper

The re-invented 21st century Mini was designed/developed around the turn of the century in a collaboration between Rover and BMW...but ultimately the design was much more Munich and not so much Gaydon.  The car was produced in Oxford, England, but with an American designer, French engines, and German engineering, so it is about as British as bratwurst, Laissez-faire politics, or the metric system.  It was, however, a paradigm of practicality, maneuverability, and unpretentious fun...this next example...not so much.  Find this 2004 Mini Cooper offered for $2,600 in Kennesaw, GA via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.

British Classic: 1980 Austin Mini Cooper

The original Mini was produced for an insanely long period of time -- 41 years to be precise -- with only minor changes from 1959 through 2000.  The long in the tooth Mini was probably the best 1950s designed car you could buy in 1980 (aside from that Alfa convertible thing) but does that mean it was a good car?  It doesn't really matter because today you buy it for the 1960s looks and enjoy 1980s (albeit British) reliability.  Find this 1980 Mini Cooper offered for $5,500 in Litchfield, CO via craigslist. From Cory.

You Little Trucker: 1966 Austin Mini turned Kenworth

The long term effects of amphetamines and barbiturates, the tool of the 1970's trucker, and a dabble of LSD can be studied using this rolling Rorschach test. Likely devised while licking the last bit of truck-stop cheese grits from the bowl in a 4AM meth-and-Jolt induced fog, this rig, let's call it the Waste-ern Star, was comprised of one half Austin Mini and one half of a lifetime of bad decisions. Find this 1966 Austin Mini turned Peterbilt on craigslist in Dallas for an undisclosed price.

2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe

BMW's revived Mini brand has been on a tear in the past few years with lots of new models and generally positive press.  Mini released the Coupe at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show with raked windshield and funky backwards baseball cap styling attributed to Marcus Syring who is probably best known for his work on the BMW Z3 / M Coupe Clownshoe. Worldwide sales through 2014 totaled under 28,000 units for the Coupe, so Mini canned the car at the end of the 2015 model year.  Find this 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe offered for $13,500 from a small dealer in Houston, TX. This post is part of DT's 2016 Birthday Celebration of 100 cars; enjoy the ride!

Mini For Maxi Price: 2006 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP Kit

In 2006 BMW decided to let the outgoing first generation Mini Hatch leave with a bang. It started with the Cooper S model (around $22k), and added the John Cooper Works GP kit (another $10k) to create one of the most expensive first gen Neue-Minis to leave the factory in Cowley, Oxfordshire.  The JCW GP Kit was not only the fastest Mini Cooper to be built, but the limit of 415 units sold in the USA means it is also the most exclusive.  Find this 2006 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP Kit here on eBay offered for $24,900 buy-it-now or make offer located in Ft Myers, FL.

Red Bullchero: 2007 Mini Cooper

The R56 generation Mini Cooper was assembled from a variety of European parts in Oxfordshire, England and was about as English as Boutros Boutros-Ghali.  This next Mini started life as a standard (BMW designed and built) hatchback but was converted into a pickup truck for RedBull advertising purposes by California based Custom CRS.  Find this 2007 Mini Cooper offered for $6,500 in Rochester, NY via craigslist.

Right Hand Driver: 1968 Mini Clubman Wagon

One of the common complaints from classic British car collectors is that nobody makes a good 12-inch tire anymore.  A quick search for 165/70R12 on Tirerack gives a single option and even if you upgrade to the blingy 13s (yo! check out that lip dawg) you still end up with the choice between some 800 treadwear Korean built economy tire or a barely DOT legal slick.  However, this is a small price to pay for correct size tires on my classic British driver, because size does matter.  Find this 1968 Mini Clubman Wagon offered for $9,500 in Culver City, CA via craigslist.  Tip from FuelTruck.

Mid Week Match-Up: A New Car

Everybody knows that guy or gal.  The person who rolls his eyes when you tell him how much money he'll save by buying a 5 year old car.  That person always buys something new, often the cheapest economy car he can find and ignores your sound advice about owning a fleet of old Saabs.  When your Viggen is getting its weekly dash rewiring, you drive the Sonett unless its raining, then you drive the 99-- you say...and then your friend buys something from the first dealer he stumbles into on his way home from work.  Lets help him out this week with a Mid Week Match-Up for the guy who needs something new.

Reader Ride: Rally Bred Austin Mini Cooper

Time for another edition of DT's Reader Ride feature, also known as a festival of fuel, fire and Fieros!  It might be my imagination, but these cars keep getting nicer!  This next feature comes from reader Todd who not only provided us with photos and formatted text, but also put it on his own website to make it easy.  Whatta fellow!  Oh, did I mention the car is everything you'd ever want in a classic Mini?

15k: Cosworth Tuned: 1963 Austin Mini Cooper

The original Austin Mini Mk I is one of those iconic cars that makes the driver cool no matter how much a of a douche bag he may be.   There are some cars...cough cough newish BMW...gak...something in my throat...any 911...cough...yeah, better now...that turn any nice-guy driver into an immediate target for ridicule (porcupine jokes...etc), but the original Mini brings with it an instant aura of awesome like an invisible Chuck Norris is giving you a pat on the back for some unknown success.  Great job man, and you can rub my beard for good luck.  Find this 1963 Austin Mini Cooper for sale in SF Bay Area, CA for $17,500 via craigslist and hardtuned.com.  As posted by CKEFFER on oppositelock.

10k: Frugal Fun: 2004 MINI Cooper Base

The 2001 MINI reboot introduced the world to a much larger Mini design and built by BMW.  It added BMW build quality and Germanic heft to the small hatchback and sold decently well around the world.  Speed junkies will claim the MINI Cooper S with its supercharged (and later turbocharged) engine is the one to get, but if you want the feel of the classic Mini (old Mini, new MINI is correct capitalization practice) go for the base Cooper.  Find this 2004 MINI Cooper base for sale in Super Clean, WA for $8,900.  Tip from Chris L.