Reinventing A Classic 1998 MINI Paul Smith Edition

An exhibition being premiered at the Salone del Mobile 2022 in Milan, displaying rather unique design of the MINI Recharged by Paul Smith. Visitors also get a chance to see the newly designed model as well as last year’s MINI STRIP for themselves.

Sir Paul Smith, a British designer modified a classic Mini from the 1998 MINI Paul Smith Edition as part of MINI Recharged project.

The conversion is to celebrate the blend of traditional with pioneering technology by installing an electric motor in the original model and debuted during its world premiere. 

“We have made a 1990s car totally relevant for today,” the designer stated. 

“Ideas are never the problem; you can find them everywhere. The challenge is to implement them. Here it worked. A dream has come true," he added. 

Apart from that, MINI has create locally emission-free driving pleasure with the all-electric MINI Cooper SE and the MINI Cooper SE Countryman with plug-in hybrid drive (PHEV) and is on its way to delivering an all-electric future.

The designer believes that this car also respects the past. Through this project, he is reassessing some older project synced to him for the last 20 years and build MINI 1998 limited to 1800 vehicles unit only.  

Looking at the prototype, the bright blue paint was inspired based on a swatch taken from one of Paul Smith’s favourite shirts. The new unique model retains this unmistakable, memorable shade of colour, while the lime green battery box recalls a 1990s colour palette. 

"When you move into your old aunt's flat, out of respect you don't change everything, but you do some modernising," is how Smith puts it. 

Remember the oil crisis during 1959? Sir Alec Issigonis formed the classic Mini in response to the issue. 

Then, an idea popped out to use minimum fuel consumption and maximum use of space has convinced millions of people over many decades to invest in a Mini and is still partly responsible for the success of MINI today.