RAISING THE STANDARD

There is no doubting that the Classic Cooper Sport, with its raft of factory-fitted upgrades, was a very desirable variant when it left the production line. Desirable, although as with any Mini there was still plenty of scope for modifying and personalisation. The feature car, a late 1999 model, belonging to motor trader Paul Gershon who, with his son Troy, owns and runs Different Class Cars in South Woodford, is a perfect example of how to take the factory product and enhance it.

“I already owned a nice Mini which my son and I had used on one of the Italian Job runs, and which was used by the last owner on the 40th commemoration of the film in 2009,” reveals Paul. “It was in great condition and good to drive, but I started thinking about getting another Mini, one that I planned to have brought up to concours condition.”

“I started looking for a suitable car, and eventually found this Cooper Sport, which I purchased from its lady owner in 2015. It had been the dealer’s demonstrator. Although she’d owned it for