Mini · 1961
Cooper (Mk1)
Manual · FWD · United Kingdom
AutoIndex value · good UK car
£24,000
Researched from UK sold prices and auction results. How we value cars
Estimated price by condition
Project
£14,400
Restoration candidate
Driver
£24,000
Good usable example
Concours
£36,000
Show standard
Indicative condition bands · not a valuation of a particular car
Price check
Looking at a Cooper (Mk1) for sale? Is it a good price?
Buyer’s notes
About the Mini Cooper (Mk1)
The Mini Cooper of September 1961 was John Cooper’s fast Mini: the 848 cc engine stretched to 997 cc, twin SU carburettors lifting output from 34 to 55 bhp, a closer-ratio gearbox and front disc brakes, rare on a small car then. BMC commissioned 1,000 for Group 2 homologation, and a shorter-stroke 998 cc engine replaced the 997 in 1964. About 64,000 Mk1 Coopers were built.
What moves the price
- Engine: the early 997 cc cars, with their shorter production run, are the ones specialists seek out.
- Originality: a Cooper on its original shell with its original engine is worth considerably more than one rebuilt with later parts.
- Identity: a genuine factory Cooper, proven by its numbers and records, against the many cars built up from standard Minis.
Before you buy, check
- A heritage certificate from the British Motor Museum, and chassis and engine numbers that match it.
- That the car is not being sold as the more valuable Cooper S: the two look almost identical, and Coopers were often given S parts.
- Rust in the subframes and their mountings, sills, floors, A-panels and boot floor.
From our research for Classic Mini · Mini-Minor to Rover Cooper, in preparation.
Vehicle data
Specifications
From 1961
Performance
Production
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Mini Cooper (Mk1): value questions answered
- How much is a Mini Cooper (Mk1) worth?
- A good, usable UK example of the Mini Cooper (Mk1) is worth around £24,000 on the AutoIndex index. A project car that needs restoration is nearer £14,400, and a concours-quality example around £36,000. Condition moves the price more than anything else.
- What makes one Cooper (Mk1) worth more than another?
- Service history and paperwork — complete, stamped, explained
- Mileage against the norm for the model
- Originality — matching numbers, original paint and trim
- Specification — gearbox, colour, factory options
- UK-supplied versus imported
- Is the Cooper (Mk1) I'm looking at fairly priced?
- Enter its asking price and condition in the price check above. It compares the price with the index for that condition and tells you what to ask the seller about.
- How many Cooper (Mk1) cars were built?
- Around 64,000 were built, by our production records.
Embed this valueFor club pages, forum posts and listings: a live value card that links back here.+
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