2001 MINI COOPER
Keith looks back at his best – and worst – classic buys. This week, an early production MINI Cooper that switched him on to these increasingly desirable cars
WHY DID YOU WANT ONE?
I’ve always had a strong opinion about the R50-generation MINI and remember how it felt like a pastiche to me when it was launched. But it’s grown on me as time has passed, especially as I’ve become so intimate with the story of its development.
I think what triggered my decision to buy one was the slow build-up of interest in the earliest models, their availability, and how values crashed in the wake of the launch of the third-generation BMW-era MINI in 2014. I started seeing a lot of them kicking around for less than a grand – a point that any car really starts to get interesting. So I decided to take a punt when I spotted this one, with its early build date and a modest price in the windscreen, as a replacement for a Vauxhall Calibra that I’d just sold.
WAS IT A JOY – OR A NIGHTMARE – TO LIVE WITH?
I bought it without looking at it first, figuring that it would be cheap enough to ‘flip’ if it wasn’t good enough. But after picking it up and shrugging off a few cosmetic issues that I hadn’t been warned about, I drove it home and quickly fell in love with its steering, handling and sheer chuckability. But it had a very long ‘to-do’ list, which I set about getting on top of as quickly as possible – it had a full oil and filter service (easy), a new set of tyres to replace the mismatched Chinesemade cheapies and a load of warning light put out. Oh, and it had no working ABS or stability control, which required buying and fitting a new ABS pump (fiddly, but rewarding), which was a first for me – and very worthwhile it was, too! Once the major faults were ticked off, the car became a real joy to live with – so much so that I gave it to my son as an 18th birthday present after running it for about a year!
WHAT’S YOUR ABIDING MEMORY OF IT?
I think there are three abiding memories that came from owning this car and still have me scouring the adverts for another. The steering and handling were – and are – truly sublime; although it’ll never come close to the original Mini for making you feel like your spine is hardwired to the car’s tyres, the R50 MINI is certainly fun, with quick steering, fun roll-free handling and beautifully progressive and trustworthy brakes. Knowing that it drives so well because of the Rover engineers who worked on it makes me even happier, and is the main reason why you’ll never hear me calling it a ‘BMW MINI’. Secondly, it is part of an inclusive and closely-knit social scene that I enjoyed being part of, even if it sometimes felt like people were a little too hung up on chassis and build numbers. Finally, giving it to my son for his 18th birthday to replace a Peugeot 106 and seeing him smile the first time he drove it is a priceless memory that I doubt I’ll ever forget. As they say, everyone has a MINI memory – and this one, especially, is mine.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR BUYING ONE?
MINIs were fundamentally well engineered but there are a number of weak spots that you do need to take into account when looking at buying. There may be a temptation for previous owners to skimp on servicing now that values are so low, so do check that it has a decent service history with a good garage or specialist and look for the usual signs of wear and tear or poorlyrepaired accident damage. Check for the airbag warning light (usually the wiring) and the ABS/TCS, which can be costly to sort if it’s the pump or wiring to it. Other weak spots are the steering pump (it needs changing if it whines loudly) and R65 five-speed gearbox on pre-2003 cars. It probably needs changing if it’s noisy or selection is difficult.