Fancy an original Mini in pristine showroom condition with just 33 miles on the clock?

If the answer’s yes then a specialist car dealer in the Home Counties is willing to oblige - but you’ll need to fork out almost twice the price of a modern day equivalent.

GC Motors based in Swanley, Kent, is currently selling a Birmingham-built Rover Mini Classic 1.3i Cooper Sport that has travelled just 33 miles since it was registered in the year 2000 for £29,995.

And the Solar Red motor is far from being just a one-off, with several cars on the dealer’s books fitting the bill as a barely used Mini.

Kevin Cornish, who runs GC Motors with his brother Michael, said: “This particular model recently came in but we’ve actually got quite a few, with 31, 32, 94, 98 and 200 miles on the clock and they all look brand-spanking new

“I think a lot of people must have bought them and put them in bubble wrap or heated garages, as they knew a car with very few miles on the clock would be a good investment.”

And the low-mileage Minis are certainly in demand, particularly from Mini enthusiasts and collectors overseas where they command a premium price.

“Quite a few of those we’ve sold have gone to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates or places like that,” added Mr Cornish.

“Also the French, Dutch and Germans come over a lot to buy them. If you’re in Dover you’ll often see one on a trailer being shipped abroad.”

As to what makes them so sought-after, Mr Cornish said: “It is something almost everyone has owned - every family has had a Mini in it somewhere or other at some point.”

Mr Cornish said that often the Minis they buy are being given up reluctantly by their owners.

“People do love them,” he added. “Generally when I go to pick them up they are crying their eyes out when they have to say goodbye to them.”

The seller of the latest low mileage car was also a reluctant seller, though for a different reason.

Mr Cornish said he was a dealer and classic car collector who was having to part with some of his cherished cars because of a divorce settlement.

The Mini remains one of the most iconic and popular cars of all time and enjoyed a lengthy production run that ran from 1959 until 2000.

Created by legendary car designer Sir Alec Issigonis it became one of the enduring symbols of the Swinging Sixties.

Manufactured at both Longbridge and Cowley - though the majority were made in Birmingham - it was badged as both a Morris and Austin car before eventually wearing the Rover badge towards the end of its run.

It also celebrated rallying success, winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967.

The Mini name was retained by BMW who launched an all-new MINI in 2001 inspired by the original which is produced in Cowley.

At £29,995 the 1.3i Cooper Sport is almost double the price of a current entry-level MINI Cooper which would set buyers back £15,485.

So is it worth the outlay?

Motoring author and classic car expert Martyn Nutland, who is also an acclaimed historian on Birmingham’s Austin factory at Longbridge, said: “At face value I wouldn’t say this one was necessarily over-priced.

“They are a desirable and popular car that in good condition will hold their value and may even appreciate.

“This one seems to be in as new condition and is a rare chance to buy an iconic car, that’s no longer made, with ‘delivery mileage’ - so it’s a bit of curio into the bargain.”

But Mr Nutland also sounded a cautionary note for would-be buyers about the potential pitfalls of cars that haven’t been used for much of their lifespan.

He added: “Cars that are bought for investment and/or to sit in museums or private collections and never used are often concealing the ravages of deterioration that will afflict any machine that is left idle.

“A motor car is no different to a lathe in that respect. Neither is supposed to be an ornament.

“So the Mini maybe lovely and shiny with an unmarked interior, but what about the tubes, and hoses and seals and wires and all the other items you can’t see that are really not designed to be left festering for 15 years.

“In a nutshell - 33,000 miles of proper use and correct maintenance would make for a better car than a 33-mile curio. So personally, I’d be wary.”

And Midland motoring journalist Ian Donaldson, chairman of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers, said the car’s special status as a low mileage example might be lost if it were used as an everyday car.

“My first thoughts are that the Mini is too young to be asking such a spectacular price,” he said.

“It is more an ‘oldish car with no miles’ than a proper classic old Mini, which go for less even in half decent condition.

“My gut feeling is that every mile a new owner puts on top of the mere 33 recorded so far is going to knock off value, as it will simply become an oldish car with gradually increasing miles.

“You could always stash it away and hope the value rises, but I’d much rather put my cash into a properly old Mini if that was the way you wanted to go.”