Hasegawa 20814 - 1:24 Mini Cooper Sports-Pack Limited Amaranth Purple 1998

Plastic model kit of the Mini Cooper Sports-Pack Limited “Amaranth Purple” (1998) car in 1:24 scale

Hasegawa 20814 is a kit for self-assembly representing the classic Mini Cooper in its limited Sports-Pack version from 1998. In the final years of classic Mini production a Sport Pack was introduced, comprising flared wheel arches, a set of auxiliary lamps and wider 13-inch wheels.

This release reproduces an example in the distinctive amaranth purple colour. Despite its small size, the model offers plenty of detail.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with body and interior parts
• Clear parts (windows, lenses)
• Parts for the flared arches and auxiliary lamps
• Metal mesh for the intake
• Chrome-plated parts
• Rubber tyres
• Window masks
• Waterslide decal sheet
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Specifications:

• Scale: 1:24
• Catalogue number: 20814
• Manufacturer: Hasegawa
• Assembled length: 128.5 mm, width: 67.5 mm
• Difficulty level: intermediate

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Assembly:

Despite its small size the model calls for care – small parts such as the auxiliary lamps, the intake mesh and the flared arches strongly affect the car's character. The interior is best painted before the body is closed, and the masks make it easier to paint the window frames evenly.

This version is reproduced in amaranth purple. Factory chrome-plated parts can be left in their original finish or airbrushed with dedicated chrome-like paints. The body is usually finished with a clear coat, and decals are best applied over a glossy surface to avoid decal silvering.

Tools required:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sandpaper for cleaning up sprue-gate marks
• Plastic cement
• Brushes in various sizes
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Clear coat for finishing the body
• A wash to bring out the detail

About the car – Mini Cooper:

The Mini is an iconic British city car, produced in its classic form for several decades, until 2000. Despite its small size, thanks to a transversely mounted engine and front-wheel drive, the Mini offered surprisingly generous space and excellent handling.

The sporting Cooper version built the marque's legend over the years, partly through rally success. In the final years of production a Sport Pack was offered, with flared arches, auxiliary lamps and wider wheels, emphasising the car's sporting character.

The Hasegawa model allows the limited Sports-Pack version from 1998 to be reproduced in amaranth purple.

Original car specifications (Mini Cooper Sports-Pack, 1998):

• Layout: small city car, transverse engine, front-wheel drive
• Engine: inline four-cylinder of approx. 1.3 litres
• Version equipment: flared arches, auxiliary lamps, wider 13-inch wheels
• Year: 1998
• Vehicle manufacturer: Rover/Mini

About the manufacturer – Hasegawa:

Hasegawa is a Japanese manufacturer of model kits based in Shizuoka, a region regarded as the centre of the Japanese model industry. The company has operated since 1941; it began with wooden products and from the 1960s focused on plastic models. The brand is best known for its aircraft kits, but its catalogue also includes ships, cars, motorcycles and models from popular science-fiction series, including Macross. Hasegawa models are valued for their accurate shapes, finely reproduced panel lines and good parts fit. The manufacturer regularly releases limited editions of established moulds with new decal sheets and additional parts that reproduce specific versions and liveries. Hasegawa remains one of the most recognisable model brands in the world and is available in many countries.