The Collins MINI fleet has a new member and Modern MINI has a new project car: an early R50 Cooper. Editor Martyn tells us more about his purchase.
This whole thing started with an email that pinged into my inbox on the last day of November 2016. As the Editor of Modern MINI magazine that’s nothing unusual, as I get hundreds of emails every day. It was the title of this email that piqued my interest: ‘Original R50’. I opened the email quickly to discover that reader Andrew Boreham had come across an early ‘OBL’ R50 Cooper and was wondering if I was interested in buying it.
There was no denying that the thought of owning an R50 Cooper hadn’t been far from my mind since featuring (and getting a ride round Plant Oxford in) John Corbett and Tanya Field’s Coopers (Y501OBL and Y304OBL) for the July/August issue last year. Sadly there were no pictures attached to Andrew’s email, so I replied asking him for some then put thoughts of early Coopers to the back of my mind and got on with putting the next issue together.
Tidy and original
This story is from the May - June 2017 edition of Modern MINI.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May - June 2017 edition of Modern MINI.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Goes Round Comes Round
Thought lambo doors have had their day? Wrong – vince wong’s highly detailed build is here to show that eyecatching mods are timeless. And this build’s about far more than a set of fancy doors…
The Full Works
After cutting his teeth on a Mini Roadster, morgan gray managed to get his dream car – a fully loaded, Jen 3 John Cooper works, and he uses it properly, too…
How To…De-Chrome A Mini
De-chroming is a quick, easy, and very effective way to improve a modern mini’s looks and appearance. Here’s what’s involved…
Purple Haze
THE SPIRIT OF THE SIXTIES IS STRONG IN THIS BLACK EYE PURPLE R53 – AND YET AT THE SAME TIME, IT’S A THOROUGHLY MODERN BUILD, HIDING HILARIOUS PERFORMANCE BENEATH ITS SPANGLY DISCO PAINTWORK…
Driven: Mini Cooper S 60 Years Edition
MINI HAS A REPUTATION FOR MAKING SPECIAL BIRTHDAY EDITIONS, SO MARTYN HAS BEEN DRIVING THE LATEST TO FIND OUT IF THE COOPER S 60 YEARS EDITION IS A WORTHY CONTENDER…
Cruel Sport
UNFORTUNATE MISTAKES HAVE SHOWN ALEX JUST HOW FINE THE MARGINS ARE IN THE PRO CLASS, AND JUST HOW CRUEL MOTORSPORT CAN BE AT TIMES…
Teenage Dream
MINIs are an aspirational car for many - we’ve published lots of stories about owners who’ve wanted nothing else. Kirsty Atkinson is one of them and now owns this rather special R53 Cooper S.
Wolfsburg Influence
Clark Caughey was a VW man through and through, but a failed Golf project saw him build this stunning R53 Cooper S for the 2016 show season.
Purple Passion
Steve Davidson dreamed of owning a Cooper S since school and we reckon his BMW-wheeled R53 has been worth the wait.
Family Business
MINIs have been a part of Antonio Sapata’s whole life, leading him to build this R53 with unique custom touches as a tribute to his uncle.