MINI THIRTY (1989)

WHY IT’S SPECIAL The best of the special edition Minis that paved the way for the Mini’s 1990s revival

The Mini got an anniversary model every five years after its 25th birthday, but the Thirty was the most special of them all, being of a much higher specification than the rest of the Mini range at the time. In fact, it was so well-received that its wheels and interior remained almost unchanged for the revived Cooper a year later. Only 3000 were made, 2000 in cherry red and the rest in black, the latter being marginally more desirable. Interestingly, a surprising number of Thirtys were stored away from new, with the model seeming an obvious investment in the speculative market of the late 1980s – so ultra-low mileage examples aren’t as rare as you might think.

WHAT TO PAY £2500-10,000