The traditional Mini had a really lengthy 41-year manufacturing run. Amazingly, solely half these years included the perpetually enjoyable Mini Cooper, festooned with decals and numerous upgrades that set it aside from different trims. The Cooper was dropped after 1971 however made a comeback in 1990 to usher out the ultimate 10 years of Mini manufacturing.

You possibly can thank the Mini Cooper featured on this new James Could video for that. It is one among three prototypes constructed within the late Eighties to herald the Cooper’s return. Furthermore, it is the one one nonetheless identified to exist. So in fact, Could makes use of it to go purchase a few of his personal gin.

We’ll give the previous High Gear and The Grand Tour host some credit score. Showcasing a really particular Mini Cooper prototype in a video on his gin-focused YouTube channel is impressed advertising. However it’s additionally correctly informative—Could explains the historical past of the automotive and the way Rover used it to advertise the rebirth of the Cooper. It began life as a regular Mini 30 on the meeting line and was upgraded to Cooper standing, with the bigger 1.3-liter engine, cool wheels, stickers, you recognize the drill. Alongside the opposite two prototypes, it did press-related duties to get consumers excited concerning the Cooper’s return.

It’s, nonetheless, a prototype. Which means not the whole lot is production-quality, as Could showcases within the video. There are some notable panel gaps in locations, and the end is a bit tough. He really pulled a few of the trim off merely drying it after a automotive wash. Later within the video, it stalls out whereas he is giving us a condensed highway take a look at evaluate. But when we’re trustworthy, that is typically a Mini factor anyway.

Being a really uncommon prototype, it is hardly executed any mileage. Could purchased it with just below 1,000 miles on the odometer, however he isn’t letting it sit in a storage. There are over 1,200 miles as of the video, a few of which got here courtesy of a procuring journey to purchase—watch for it—a bottle of James Gin. See? Impressed advertising.

No matter what you drink, it is good to see such an essential piece of Mini historical past not simply within the highlight, however being loved by a correct fanatic. Effectively executed, sir.