Put about $1000 into exterior/interior detail, add some new quality tires, have the brakes fully serviced, get a PPI done by a well known MINI specialist in your area... an oil report following the oil change would be a good idea too.

This info and ability to show "near new' is what will change the value of the car from a $7500 car to a $13-$15k car IMO.
The GP's seem to be the only MINI models, save a couple non GP's on BAT... that are fetching good prices.

Show that you have all the keys and literature... take more than 50 excellent photos including engine, undercarriage etc... plus a good video of the car with 'dead cold' start up and running/driving.... and post the CarFax report...

THEN...

Put it on BAT and let the bidding take care of itself...


my 2¢



Auctions... are hit and miss at best... sometimes cars go for great money... sometimes they don't.... if that is good or not depends on which side of the check-book you are standing on. Someone that wants an EXCELLENT condition car, which this one seems to be from this cursory presentation... and does not want to mess around with modded out cars... I could see this car going for $10,000 to $15,000 based on it's low miles and hopefully STELLAR presentation on BAT. IMO, BAT is a good fit for getting the most money out of the car. These cars really have not reached true collectables with the exception of maybe some of the GP's.... $15,000 is still less than many a used Hyundai ... go figure.



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Could always throw it on eBay auction with a minimum bid of what your happy to accept for the car and see where it goes..advertisement will be the key to selling a car like that imo as not many people are looking for that car though it may catch an eye as it does have a lot to offer .
if I had the money I would jump on it in a heart beat ! I'm not much on these brand new cars and all the unproven problematic technology .

 

I've looked at the MC40's for sale over the past year.... CL and FB listings for nice cars that have not seen snow/salt etc... that are not rusted like the one on BAT currently.... In decent condition to excellent condition could have been had for $3500 on the low end to $7500 on the high end.

To me....Rust or use in corrosive environments like salted roads or stored near the coast... really lowers the value, to me, more than higher milage cars that have been well maintained and have not seen these conditions.

Pics like this... for cars that I'm considering buying... make me 'cringe' a bit.
NOTE: This is a photo of a random car on BAT.... just as an example... NOT the one the OP is representing.




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I just saw a like "New" MC40 listed in SoCal with 15K miles they are asking $27K for it.

Motor On!

 

Can you point us in that direction? (link etc) It must be immaculate... 15k is teetering out of the hyper low mile mark, IMO, compared to the OP's kk version..
Thats in GP2 range for a low mile car

"Ask" and "Get" can often me much different.... but, there is always someone for everything....especially in auctions.

JaBowders, sincere question here... since you own the most MC40's of anyone I've heard of... what was the average price you were seeing MC40's buy/sell for?

I've seen the MC40's in good condtion go for as little as $3000, and as much as $10k.
The JCW version MC40 on BAT just sold for $8500. (which had surface-rust on the undercarriage and was north of 50k miles)
There was a super nice '02 R53 that went for $10k on BAT a while back .... It was nice to see that the car was getting well used in a follow up story.

It's nice to see buyers that are happy about their purchases... and well maintained cars on offer too.... and enthusiasts willing to step up...were still talking about the price of a used Kia here... so all good and fun.

These are great indicators that the OP's MC40 should go for a good price with right audience.... BAT seems to be the place.

I paid a lot more than average for my R56... but the car was/is exceptional !

Exceptional cars, like what seems to be the OP's R53-MC40, or the other BAT R53 mentioned above, can fetch exceptional prices.... and some exceptional cars are had everyday low prices when the marketing is not done (barn finds still happen )

Please keep us all in the loop... and PLEASE... post up some good pics of that car !!





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I'd love to see some more pics of this 5,000 mile car in the sun !!!

It would be nice to see it sell to someone that will love and use it !






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My wife has decided to inherit her Dads 5K mile MC40. She loves it!

 

That's what I like to hear !!!

I hope she drives the heck out of it!

Can you post up some good pics anyway for us to admire?

Even though it's low mile... Do the maintence for a 17 year old car..

Flush the coolant
Flush the brakes
Change the belt
Chek the motor mounts and add inserts if they are still good.
Change the cabin air filter
Have the paint corrected and ceramic coated
Condition the seat upholstery.
Change the tires if they are original.
Consider changing the SC oil.

Have fun!

 

Good luck to the owner trying to get $27k for a 15,000-mile MC40. I find it interesting how different people view value. The MC40 was simply an extra $8,000 (not exactly good value), dealer-installed cosmetics package to an S model with few additional options (no cruise control or sunroof for instance). Granted, there were only 1,000 of them built but nothing mechanically different than any other S in 2004. Don't get me wrong. I love mine and its uniqueness but I don't expect it will ever cross the Barrett-Jackson auction line at Kissimmee at $3.4M like the Bullitt Mustang. Or sell at its original purchase price from 16 years ago.

 

I drove #24 this morning, I noticed I need to fill up with fuel and I now have over 268K miles on it ... I wonder if I could get $27K for it? I do know the car was only $1999.99 when I bought it and I replaced EVERYTHING ... not really but yeah, pretty much. From the initial cost plus all the work and parts that went into it an easy $15K to date (I did complete the JCW engine performance retrokit). Sure it runs and handles like it should and I continue to take care of it like I do with all my things. But like my 1975 MG Midget that was a complete restoration ... almost it is 99% I don't have the heater coolant valve... I just found one on eBay (NLA NOS) $68.90 ... Well that is done... point is, I have them because I enjoy them and maintaining parts of automotive history. And if and when I ever sell any of them it will because the person wanting them values them as much as I do.

Motor On!

 

There's one in SoCal at 25k miles with an asking price of $23,000.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sg...062938285.html



I always liked the MC40 because it's a slicktop and it's difficult to find R53's without a sunroof. Back when I was looking I came across one in Florida with 60k and all the JCW bits for a great price, but it sold very quickly in 2 days in fact, so I missed out on it.

Market fluctuations are strange and often there are outlier anomalies dependent on who's actively seeking a certain thing at that specific time.

I'm sure y'all have seen the '71 240Z which sold yesterday for $310,000...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-datsun-240z-124/

...I guess a number of different factors played into that spectacular final hammer price?

 

Think that $310,000 is a record price for an old Datsun Z?

I did too until I saw this:
an example that sold a couple of weeks ago for ¥88,550,000 which equates to $814,373.
Nearly a million dollars!

https://bhauction.com/en/result/toky...ary/lots/432-r

Of course, it is mega rare, being a Z432R variant which was a hardcore factory race-spec version.