1998 Mini Cooper | The Pinnacle of Motoring Fun

Описание: Thanks to my day job at Kelley Blue Book, I drive and review lots of cars. This 1998 Mini Cooper isn’t one of them. It’s owned by MINI in Germany who kindly invited me and my wife to drive it from Frankfurt to Bristol, England for the 2019 International Mini Meeting.

As previous MINI Cooper owners (2002 and 2008 model years) we were excited to finally drive a classic Mini cooper. To our surprise, our “classic” Mini was built in 1997 and first sold in 1998. In fact, original Minis were built until the year 2000. Considering the first Mini, dubbed the Morris Mini-Minor, debuted in 1959, that is an amazing run.

As the latest and greatest rendition of the classic Mini Cooper, our 1998 Mini Cooper 1.3i included such indulgences as an airbag, a tape deck, and fuel injection. And that’s pretty much it. The Mark VII Minis were built from 1996 till 2000 and even though they were the most refined, most technologically advanced versions sold, they were still elemental in the classic Mini sense. The 1.3-liter engine only made 62 horsepower, the manual transmission only had 4 speeds, the brakes were rear drums, and the wheels were 12 inches large (unless you go the Sport Package, then they were 13 inches).

Honestly, it seemed a daunting undertaking to drive such a tiny and elemental car 600 miles from Frankfurt to Bristol (minus the distance of the English Channel of course). As it turned out, Marge the green Mini Cooper gave us some of the most joyful moments of our motoring lives. I absolutely fell in love with how the Mini Cooper drove, with sharp, unvarnished handling and a need to constantly floor the accelerator. My wife adored its charming demeanor and fun nature. As with every review we examined the 1998 Mini’s family friendliness, practicality, interior, cargo space, and arm rest situation, which was not favorable. But the overwhelming takeaway is that the classic Mini Cooper is an absolute joy to own and drive.

How much did we like our time driving the old Mini? There is a good chance the Muzio family will buy one. In fact, in 2023 Marge will be 25 years old, meaning we could theoretically import her. Fun per dollar, a 1998 Mini Cooper might be the best investment we could make. #MicahDrives

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