1,275 cc OHV four-cylinder engine, SU carburettor, four-speed manual transmission, independent front wishbone with rubber cone suspension, rear sub-frame with rubber cone suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 84 in.

• Number 63 of 66 built

• Double the cost of a Mini Cooper S when new

• Tested by Autocar magazine for 1,000 miles at up to 99 mph

• Driven by Sir John Whitmore on the Mini’s 50th anniversary parade at Goodwood

Sir Alec Issigonis’ 1959 Mini rewrote the book on small cars. The car was a huge hit, and by the time production ended in 2000, 5,387,862 Minis of all types had been sold. Modified sports models attracted dedicated fans, as they are lighter, more agile, and much faster. They include the Jem, Marcos, Midas, Radford, Sprint, and the car on offer, the Ogle SX1000 GT, which was perhaps the most sophisticated. The Ogle SX1000 GT’s were very rare, with just 66 built from 1961–1963.

The Ogle was based on the longer van chassis and featured a one-piece fibreglass body. It was six inches longer and four inches lower than the Mini. Designer David Ogle used the Mini platform, drivetrain, and bulkhead, and could convert a buyer’s own Mini for £550, or sell them a complete car for £1,190. Ogle was building six cars a week until he tragically died in an accident in May 1962.

The car on offer is one of around 26 known surviving SX1000 GTs and is considered to be one of the best. Originally registered by David Ogle himself and still on its original registration today, it was fully restored eight years ago by Ogle connoisseur Geoff Hunter, who fitted it with a 1,275-cubic centimetre A+ engine. This was also the car featured in the recent book by Jeroen Booij, Maximum Mini, as well as being the car driven by Sir John Whitmore at Goodwood in the Mini’s 50th anniversary parade in 2009. Supplied with a comprehensive history file and a current MoT, the new owner can enjoy this SX100 GT as a road car or convert it to a lightweight to go vintage racing, where it will be eligible and welcome at many of the very best events. It is certainly a quirky, rare variant of the evergreen Mini design from the combined talents of David Ogle and the genius of the great Sir Alec Issigonis.