There was an inherent mischief to the Jet Black right from the start. A City-based special edition launched in 1988, it was notable for its oh-soeighties fusion of inky black and lipstick red, and among its plentiful charms the model came complete with a mixtape of ‘original soul and chart hits’. Which you couldn’t play in the car because it only came equipped with a push-button radio. Buyers were, however, furnished with their own Jet Black Sony Walkman, presumably to listen to as they buzzed about the metropolis with onlookers wondering why they were driving around with their headphones on.
It’s this cantankerous devilment that no doubt drew the Jet Black to Steve Watts, owner of the scary woodland creature you see scampering about before you today. “As cheesy as it sounds, I wouldn’t say I chose this car – this car chose me,” he explains. “I first saw the Mini competing at a stage rally in 2002; my dad was on the pit crew for his best mate and we were servicing next to it. We helped each other out through the day and I thought no more of it. But less than twelve months later, our friend was doing some work on the car in his garage
