here we go again - 3600 miles on this 2006 Hyper Blue R53. Already $10k and it will likely go up to 20k. Bone stock, clean, nicely equipped. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2006-mini-cooper-s-50/ I have no idea how this seller keeps finding these low mile cars. He is just down the road from here in Wisconsin, but those cars he is selling are rarely from Wisconsin.
I didn’t look at every photo with the intent of trying to find imperfections but I didn’t see any and the bottom of the car is amazingly spotless. It’s a wonderful find and a beautiful car.
Look at the frame rail under the upper engine mount! Not a single drop of black goo has oozed from that mount! Stunner!
Something must be wrong. The British rustproofing isn't working. No oil drips means no oil. Better stay away from this one.
Actually... that's an interesting point when taken literally. I don't even see any drips of Cosmoline, which I would have expected after 15+ years.
OK... that's just crazy! I love our little gen 1 cars, but 15k (and more time to grow)? I paid a hell of a lot less for my R53 JCW about 4 years ago... sure it was around 80k miles, but I can't imagine that I've got $15k into it even after all of the repaint-n-body-work, BBK, wheels, tires and suspension. Good for them! Good for me too, I guess, if I ever have to sell.
Try to buy any nice used car right now... Prices "on average" are up 25+ % over last year. Cars that are harder to find and popular are even more expensive. What you gain in the sale of your Mini you lose buying anything else. I bought a big SUV in mid April. Today, I doubt I could even find one offered online for less than 20% more for the same condition vehicle. Dealer lots here are empty, trade-ins aren't coming in because new car sales are down, so there aren't any used vehicles to sell. The dealer I got my SUV from in April said he had room for 50 cars in his lot but only had 13 for sale, because nothing was coming in from the dealerships across the street he usually gets his inventory from. Used prices are skyrocketing. Now, that doesn't completely explain the prices people are paying for nice R53s, but it does add potential buyers to the bidding pool who may think this is a good place to "invest" their money rather than to buy something everyone drives that will suddenly depreciate much more rapidly when supply and demand get back to normal. I may just clean up my blue Mini and see if I can get it on BAT one of these days. 90+k miles, though, no matter how well taken care of, will mean $10k max, or more likely, it won't be accepted by BAT. They rather list a 1997 Volvo wagon than a 2005 R53
Bidding is $15,250 with less than two days to go. I would imagine that things should really heat up Friday afternoon.
Prices are so crazy! This morning I was talking to my wife about putting the Lotus and maybe the Helmet up for sale and sit on the money until the market goes back down. The only problem is I don’t want to get rid of them.
With a little less than four hours to go the bidding is at $20,000. There seems to be one bidder now that is very serious.