Vintage car lovers out there might be excited to know that Petrolicious – an automotive lifestyle brand which provides classy short films and tasteful editorials on the world’s finest classic vehicles – has restored two vintage MINI Coopers just for you.

Each model offers a colourful snapshot of MINI’s history, starting with the oldest – and most expensive – the 1964 Austin MINI Cooper S.

This from Automobile Mag:

Finished in it’s original colour, a very light hue called Fiesta Yellow, as well as a white roof, the original 1,275cc engine is jumped up to 1,293cc along with a hotter camshaft, head, ignition system, carburettors, and a lightened flywheel.

Power is sent to the front wheels through the original and very rare four-speed manual transmission. To improve handling, the original rubber cone suspension was swapped out for a more traditional Koni dampers.

And get this – the quintessential MINI experience can be yours for just $40 000.

Yup, that’s R550 000.

But if that’s just a little too out of your budget, then you can always go for the other option, a Bronze Yellow 1971 MINI 1275 GT for just $25,000 (R326 000):

The later-year MINI isn’t as desirable as the ’64, but it still has buckets of tiny British charm behind the two round headlights. Like the other car, the 1275 GT’s 1,275cc four-cylinder is hopped-up to 1,293cc. Extra oompf comes from the exact same engine modifications as the older Cooper, right down to the lightened flywheel.

Niiiiice – although we can hook you up with a brand new MINI of your choice for a whole lot cheaper than that with a discount.

No kidding – just email “The Vintage Is Too Much” to editor@2oceansvibe.com and we will help you out.

In the meantime, here’s lead MINI designer Alec Issigonis, who was a friend of John Cooper, talking about his creation:

[source:automobilemag]