Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300 Export

One of the very last

There are few cars that manage to pack so much character into so few centimeters as a classic Mini. But if you look a little beyond the well-known British Coopers, you’ll discover what is perhaps one of the most interesting variants of them all: the Innocenti Mini Cooper.

Starting in 1965, Innocenti built the Mini under license in Italy. What began as an Italian interpretation of the British original evolved over the years into a car with an identity all its own. The Italians refined the Mini with more features, distinctive details, and that typical Italian flair that makes it so appealing today.

The Mini Cooper 1300 Export was both the highlight and the finale of that story.

With its 1,275 cc engine, lightweight body, and responsive handling, it has everything that makes a classic Cooper so much fun—but in a version that’s much less common. As a result, well-preserved, original Innocenti Coopers have become highly sought after among Mini enthusiasts and collectors.

And then you come to this car.

Chassis 568180

At first glance, it is a particularly charming, unrestored Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300 Export. But take a look at the chassis number, and the story gets a lot more interesting.

According to the available production data, the Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300 Export production run extended up to chassis number 568193. This means our car is at the very end of the known production run. Only thirteen chassis numbers separate this car from the last registered number.

Among collectors, these very last cars have become known as the “Last 300” or “Series 300.” That name does not appear to have been an official Innocenti model designation, but was later used to refer to the last units produced.

And it’s precisely with a car like this that originality becomes important. This Cooper remains unrestored to this day. That means we’re not looking at a car here that was completely taken apart and then rebuilt to look better than new. Its history is still evident. Details, signs of wear, and patina tell the story of a car that has truly lived. To us, that just makes him even more attractive. Because restoration is always an option. Originally, a car is built only once.

Verde Chiaro

Its original color scheme also makes it special. This Cooper rolled off the assembly line in the beautiful Verde Chiaro, a color that perfectly complements the Innocenti’s distinctively Italian character.

The original Innocenti maintenance manual is an important part of its history. Under “Colore della carrozzeria,” it still says “VERDE” in handwriting; it also lists the engine number.

A late-model Cooper in such a unique factory color, with matching numbers, and still in its unrestored condition—that’s exactly the kind of combination that gets us excited.

Without a sunroof

There’s one more detail that makes this car even more interesting: it was produced without a sunroof. That is remarkable in the context of the story of the so-called Last 300. In fact, several well-known late models are equipped with a large sunroof. We also see this version in historical Italian sources, where a late-model Innocenti is described as “una super Cooper.” Italian documentation on the Last 300 specifically discusses another very late model car without a convertible top. There, its absence is even considered a potentially extremely rare trait.

A History on Paper

What really makes this Innocenti complete is its documentation. The original Italian registration document dated August 20, 1975, lists it as a Mini Cooper 1300/N with chassis number 568180. Subsequent Italian documents continue this history, and even the original Italian license plates, TR 314779, have been preserved with the car.

The result is not only a unique Mini, but a car whose history has been exceptionally well documented.

Small car. That’s quite a story.

An Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300 Export is something special in its own right. But an unrestored model in Verde Chiaro, without a sunroof, complete with its historical documentation and a chassis number from the very end of production?

That’s a different story.