1993 Rover Mini Italian Job

Registration: K230 VLJ

Chassis: SAXXNYADBBD060284

Odometer: 43,602

Transmission: Manual

MOT: November 2026

• One of only 1,000 right-hand-drive UK-market examples
• Desirable Electric Blue with correct JSA paint and PMA trim codes
• Largely original and unmodified specification

Few cars are as inseparably linked with a film as the classic Mini, and in October 1992 Rover decided to celebrate that connection with the aptly named Mini Italian Job. Based on the contemporary 1.3-litre Mayfair, the special edition took its inspiration from the three Minis immortalised in the 1969 Michael Caine film and combined distinctive cosmetic detailing with the larger 1,275cc engine.

Production was limited to 1,000 right-hand-drive cars for the UK market, with the Italian Job offered in four colours: Flame Red, Diamond White, Metallic British Racing Green and Electric Blue. Period information records the UK cars with body-coloured mirrors, white grille and wheels, black bumpers, distinctive bonnet stripes and Italian Job badging, together with twin driving lamps, tinted glass and opening rear quarter windows. The 1,275cc engine produced around 50bhp and drove through a four-speed manual gearbox.

This is one of those home-market cars and is finished in Electric Blue, with the car carrying the appropriate JSA paint and PMA trim codes. With four colours offered across the 1,000-car UK production run, the model is commonly recorded as having been produced in batches of approximately 250 per colour. Most importantly, there is no ambiguity over this example's identity: Italian Job is recorded on its V5C, a reassuring detail on a limited-edition Mini where cars have inevitably been replicated over the years.

The car remains pleasingly close to its original specification and presents very well overall. Its Electric Blue paint retains a good appearance, although the bonnet has previously been repainted and is noticeably brighter than the surrounding panels. There are also areas of surface corrosion around the bottoms of the doors and to the left-hand rear section of the roof. These imperfections are visible rather than hidden and leave the next keeper with the choice of enjoying the car as it stands or improving it cosmetically over time.

Recent work has included having the bumpers powder-coated back to their correct black finish and restoration of the distinctive front grille, which has also been shot-blasted and powder-coated. The result retains much of the character that makes an Italian Job immediately recognisable.

The interior is another strong point. The seats, door cards, carpets and headlining all present very well and, according to the vendor, the generally low level of wear is consistent with the mileage displayed. The Italian Job received its own distinctive interior treatment when new, including black trim and special-edition detailing, helping distinguish it from the Mayfair upon which it was based.

Its odometer currently shows 43,602 miles. Although there is no continuous service record sufficient for us to independently warrant that figure, the available MOT history provides useful supporting evidence. Online MOT records go back to 2009, when the car was recorded at 39,560 miles, meaning it has covered only around 4,000 miles during the subsequent 17 years. The previous keeper owned the Mini from 2009, giving it a pleasingly long period of ownership before its recent change of hands.

The current vendor acquired the car earlier this year after seeing it while it was being worked on at a friend's workshop. Affectionately nicknamed ‘Binky’ by its previous lady owner, it had remained with her since 2009 and was reportedly sold only because her husband was finding it increasingly difficult to get in and out of such a small car.

During the vendor's relatively brief ownership, attention has been concentrated on sympathetic maintenance rather than modification. In addition to the powder-coated bumpers and restored grille, the heater matrix/heat exchanger has been replaced. A new battery was fitted in October 2025, the car was serviced the same month and an invoice records the fitment of a cat-back exhaust system in November 2025. The grille refurbishment followed in June 2026.

Despite its modest recent mileage, this has not simply been a static display car. The vendor reports taking it to shows and recently completed a journey of around 200 miles without issue. It was also driven to the auction venue, starts readily and is said to run and drive well.

The accompanying history includes previous MOT certificates, invoices for recent maintenance, photographs and a workshop manual. The vehicle has six former keepers, while the long-term ownership from 2009 forms an important part of the car's more recent history.

For somebody seeking one of the more characterful factory special-edition Minis, this car has plenty in its favour. It is not being presented as a concours example, there are cosmetic areas to attend to, but it is an genuine Italian Job in one of the model's four correct colours, retaining the specification and identity that matter, with very limited mileage recorded over the past 17 years and useful recent expenditure already undertaken.