Jay Kay’s custom Mini is for sale (disco light included)

Subtle it ain’t…

Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay has owned countless rare classics over the years, but for pure quirkiness few come close to this Mini.

A Rover Mini Cooper Sport, it won’t be to everyone’s taste – but with its all-red interior and pop-star additions, it’s nothing if not distinctive.

It’s being sold by Silverstone Auctions on 11 May and whether you’re a hardcore Jamiroquai fan or a Mini maniac, you might fancy bidding on it. Here’s what you’ll find inside.

Millennium special

Finished in the year 2000, the frontman’s crimson Cooper Sport comes from the classic Mini’s final run.

By the end of the ’90s, the diminutive icon was costing too much to make and Rover’s losses were heading deeper underground. BMW, which owned Rover, decided to kill it off – but not before one last model.

One more model

And so Rover launched the Mini Classic, a swansong run of the Alec Issigonis machine that came in four variants. 

Best of the bunch was the Cooper Sport – a fitting homage to the legendary rally weapon developed by John Cooper in the 1960s, equipped with full leather trim, an alloy dash, flared wheelarches and those all-important nose lamps.

Step inside for funky vibes

It’s not clear who first owned this particular Cooper Sport – registration W32 ANO – but Jay Kay picked up the pocket rocket back in 2008, complete with original four-cylinder 1.3-litre motor.

And that zippy engine’s probably the only thing standard about it: while the exterior might look run of the mill, the inside is more ‘jazz club’ than ‘club sport’.

Armchairs on the road

See, this Cooper Sport – known, for some reason, by the moniker ‘Chuckles’ – has received a rather distinctive interior upgrade. One that definitely won’t be to every taste.

Take the seats: they’re leather, of course, but they’re otherwise distinctly different from your average Mini pews. Like a Chesterfield sofa in a seedy smoking lounge, every chair has been fully upholstered in dark-red cowhide, armrests and all.

Toasty under your toes

And there’s more. Besides some fairly hefty speakers in the doors – presumably a Jamiroquai tape is included in the sale – it’s hard to miss the lashings of red fabric that line every inch of the dinky cabin, including thick pile carpets so dense that you won’t need canned heat for your feet.

Styled for privacy

Look up and you’ll find the all-red theme continues overhead, with lashings of crimson velvet lining the roof canopy, matched by cushions and curtains cut from the same cloth – the latter doubtless there to help mortified passengers hide in the back.

Lights up high

The bespoke party continues in the centre of the ceiling, where a red disco light takes pride of place, complete with 19 gleaming bulbs that illuminate the cabin like one of Jay Kay's headpieces. Whether it’s synchronised to the sound system isn’t clear.

Green for marque, red for the car

And don’t think the driver of this party car is missing out on any fun: even the steering wheel, door trim, dashboard and seatbelts match the rest of the cabin. The only element that bucks the trend? The Mini logo, cast in green at the centre of the wheel.

Minibar in a Mini car

Need a drink after all that virtual insanity? Hop out and head round to the back, where you’ll discover a bar in the Mini’s boot. A Minibar, you might say.

Seriously, pop down the rear flap and you’ll find all manner of bottles, glasses and measures safely stowed between the wheels. There’s even an ice bucket, ideal for when the roadgoing disco becomes a lay-by rave.

Over to you

Alas, it seems Mr Kay might have grown tired of his raving days. He’s put the nutty little runner – which, it’s worth saying, is reportedly in excellent mechanical condition with just 16,000 miles on the clock – up for sale with Silverstone Auctions.

It’s going under the hammer at the Sale of British Marques on 11 May. The price? There’s no reserve, so it’s anyone’s guess what this bespoke motor will go for. Just stay away from that Minibar until after the bidding.