Small cars are big business again - or at least bigger business than they have been. Renault is leading the charge, from Dacia Hipster to Turbo 3E and electric Twingo to A290 Rally, but there’s also the ID. Polo GTI coming, the Peugeot 208 GTI, and probably another hot Vauxhall Corsa.
No discussion about small, fun cars is complete without Mini, and they too have recently demonstrated that it can still make cool Cooper concepts; nothing like the Deus Ex Machina pair will ever be on sale, but it shows a willingness. And maybe they can influence future option packs and special editions; both are undoubtedly interesting in a way that concepts seldom are.
And no discussion of modern Minis is complete without mention of the original. Even more than 65 years since the first Issigonis car, and more than six decades since the first Cooper S, there’s still plenty to see about the most famous British car in history. In this case, that’s thanks to Swiftune. For almost as long as Minis have existed, Swiftune has been there to make them faster and even more fun; in recent years, they’ve become perhaps best known for their giant-killing Goodwood race cars. But they’ve also been turning their hand to a bit of restomodding…
See this is not just a beautifully restored 1963 Cooper S. It’s called a Madgwick (the first corner on the Goodwood Motor Circuit), Swiftune’s vision of ‘a classic Mk1 high performance Mini for the road.’ So that means all its motorsport expertise put into the hand-built A Series (now 110hp strong), steering (with ‘race proven’ geo), bespoke Koni suspension and competition-spec brakes. Which sounds pretty fabulous, especially in a car that looks as good as an overhauled Cooper S. It’ll take a year to make a Madgwick, and cost anything up to £100,000.
Or you could buy this one. It’s Swiftune Madgwick number eight and it was finished in 2022, yet it’s covered just 250 miles since then. Effectively brand new then, with more than £75,000 spent on the original build. It’s easy to see how that total racked up, given the apparent quality of the brightwork, paint, upholstery and so on. This is much more than just a raw road racer of a Mini, even if that must be the main appeal.
Now it’s for sale at £50k, which is certainly a lot for a Mini - though it’s not the most that can be paid. And it’s a darn sight cheaper than having one made from scratch. Plus it’s Swiftune’s 60th anniversary year in 2025; you might say it’s the perfect time to experience the Madgwick magic…
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