British designer Paul Smith is helping to breathe new life into his own designed 1998 classic Mini Paul Smith Edition. The car is part of the MINI Recharged project, where tradition meets cutting-edge modern technology. Indeed, in this case, the iconic designer’s unique original Mini gets an electric motor.
The creative mind of Sir Paul Smith, long known to fans of the British brand, is behind a new project with inimitable style. At the Salone del Mobile 2022 in Milan from June 7 to 12, Sir Paul Smith and Oliver Heilmer, head of MINI Design, will talk about sustainable approaches to automotive design.
Last summer at the IAA Mobility in Munich, Paul Smith presented the MINI STRIP: a radically streamlined and sustainable concept car. The MINI Recharged by Paul Smith now takes up this idea of sustainable design. “Three characteristics describe this car perfectly: quality, durability and functionality,” explains the designer.
“This vehicle is also a tribute to the past,” he adds. Indeed, with this unique piece, Paul Smith picks up on an even older project that has linked him to MINI for more than 20 years: in 1998 he brought to life the MINI Paul Smith Edition, a limited edition of 1,800 copies. The prototype of this unique edition was painted in a striking blue, identical to that of the designer’s favorite shirt. This new unique piece has retained this distinctive and historic color. With the lime green battery cover, the designer adds another color from the 90s. These customization elements perfectly match the essence of the original Mini.
As it happens, the project is also about respecting the brand’s heritage, the iconic work of Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the first Mini. “When you move into your old aunt’s flat, you don’t do everything new out of respect, but you modernize it in small ways,” Sir Paul Smith explains. Sir Alec Issigonis developed the Mini classic as a response to the 1959 oil crisis. Minimum consumption, maximum use of space – that was the idea that won over millions of people for decades and is the reason for MINI’s success today.
In the interiors of this new project, Paul Smith continues the minimalist and sustainable concept he started with the MINI STRIP. Without interior elements , the raw body dominates the interior with the bare, uncoated floorboard, on which authentic-looking floor mats made of recycled rubber are laid. In addition to the innovative and environmentally friendly materials, the Paul Smith design leaves a few features: a magnet next to the steering wheel accommodates a smartphone that, except for the speedometer, replaces almost all the old buttons and functions on the dashboard. The steering wheel of this exclusive model can be completely removed to facilitate entry and exit – an innovative solution and a nod to the spirit of Paul Smith.
“We made a car from the 90s completely relevant to today,” the designer summarizes. And he proudly continues, “Ideas are never a problem, you find them everywhere. The challenge is to execute them. Here it worked, a dream came true,” says Sir Paul Smith.
The engineers at Recharged Heritage Limited are also the architects of this achievement. As MINI’s new partner, they have transformed the Mini Classic into a zero-emission car by installing a 72 kW electric motor. The British carmaker’s current range already includes the all-electric MINI Cooper SE* and the MINI Countryman Cooper SE ALL4** with a plug-in hybrid engine. Both models continue the tradition of responsible driving and pave the way for an all-electric future.
For the presentation of this unique piece at the Salone del Mobile 2022 in Milan, the showroom in honor of Paul Smith will be decorated in the colors of his MINI Recharged. During the Salone del Mobile, visitors will have the chance to take a closer look at this unique model and the MINI STRIP.
More information about the MINI Recharged program and the new partner “Recharged Heritage Limited” will be announced soon.
