Only two invites to Mini's 50th

Mini is 50 years old and going strong, and is a byword for driving fun. Photo / Supplied

The factory has built 500 so that means New Zealand gets ... two.

Both of the Mini JCW World Championship 50 cars are expected to arrive in April, commemorating 50 years of the classic Mini and victory in the F1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship for John Cooper's racing team.

In 1959, Alec Issigonis presented his concept for the small car that was to become a byword for driving fun. The same year, sports car constructor John Cooper won his first Formula One World Championship title with Jack Brabham at the wheel.

John Cooper, a close friend and business partner of Mini creator Issigonis, had been casting his eye over the original Mini even before it was launched. A boost in engine output and a few minor tweaks transformed it into a competitive car. In the 1960s the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S made their mark as winners both in rallying and racing. Highlights are its three overall wins in the Monte Carlo Rally of 1964, 1965 and 1967.

John Cooper's son, Mike, inspired the commemorative car and his signature appears on both the fascia and one of the bonnet stripes. His full name is John Michael Cooper and he signs himself John Cooper. These days, the Mini name belongs to BMW.

The car is based on the Mini John Cooper Works with its 155kW four-cylinder turbo engine that uses petrol direct injection. Power goes to the wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and Mini claims a 0-100km/h time of 6.5 seconds with a top speed of 238km/h. Average consumption in the EU test cycle is 6.9 litres/100km, with CO2 emissions of 165g/km.

The specials are painted in Connaught Green, a colour that harks back to British racing and sports cars of the 1950s and 60s. The green-with-white bonnet stripes mirror the colours of the Cooper F1 cars.

The John Cooper Works World Championship 50 has a bunch of carbon-fibre add-ons, including a bonnet scoop, rear diffuser, exterior mirror caps and tailgate handle. Their role is to provide a link to the modern racing era.

Inside, the leather sports seats are finished in black with red piping. There are red knee-rolls, armrests and stitching on the floor mats, gearshift and handbrake gaiters. Fascia and door-grip finishers are in carbon fibre.

New Zealand's two commemorative cars have been picked up by Auckland's Team McMillan Mini.