Retro Resto: Piccolo Espresso Mini restoration

MK6 Mini Flame reimagined as a MK1-style café racer

Originally bought brand new as a humble Mini Flame, this car’s story came full circle. After selling it on, the owner later tracked it down and bought it back - determined to restore and reimagine it with a nod to classic Mini heritage.

The result is Piccolo Espresso - a beautifully subtle MK1-style café racer. Early MK1 bumpers, overriders and corner bars, MK1 Cooper style grille and badging, rose petal 5”x10” alloys together with other race-period touches gives it that period 60’s look. The once factory-standard paint is now a striking Scuderia Ferrari Blue, adding a refined, almost Italian flair - inspiring the car’s name.

It’s a build full of personal history and tastefully executed details, earning it a well-deserved spot on the front cover of Mini World. A modern classic, reborn with soul.