Known as the MINI Electric in the United Kingdom, the first iteration of the Cooper SE is on its way out to make room for the next-generation model. Before heading off to retirement, the zero-emission hatchback served as a canvas for kids aged 4-10 who were invited to use their imagination and envision the cars of the future. This was part of an initiative organized by MINI UK with Crayola, the 138-year-old American manufacturing company specializing in art supplies.
The winner of the “MINI Minds… with Crayola” competition has now been announced, and his work can be seen on this colorful Cooper SE. Mind you, nine-year-old Oliver Gorrod from Oxfordshire didn’t actually use crayons on this car but rather on a template that has been uploaded as a PDF of MINI UK’s website where it’s still available to download. His drawing has now been transformed into a full body wrap to make an already cheerful car even more fun to look at.
The competition generated some interesting results as more than a quarter of participants said they’ll want an environmentally friendly car when they are old enough to drive. As for the star of the contest, Oliver Gorrod was predictably happy with the outcome: “I can’t believe I have won! It was such a surprise and was so fun to enter as I love designing things.”
What did he win? No, not the car. However, he got to admire his work being turned into a vinyl wrap applied onto the MINI Electric. He also received a large batch of supplies from Crayola to share with his colleagues at school. In addition, he is also going to take a tour of the Oxford plant where the car is made. The tour is likely to take place soon because the next electric hatch is going to be made in China by Spotlight Automotive, a 50:50 joint venture between the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. In 2026, the electric MINI will once again roll off the assembly line in the UK together with the Aceman subcompact crossover.
Source: MINI UK
