Filed under: Car Buying, Auction Action, Etc., Euro, Hatchbacks, MINI
eBay Find of the Day: Dale Jr.'s Mini Cooper

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking to rearrange his personal car collection, so his customized 270-horsepower Mini Cooper is officially on the block. Mini tuning house Mini Mania is responsible for the barrage of modifications to the car, which include upgrades to the computer, suspension, exhaust and more.
In addition to the go-fast bits, the Mini sports new wheels, a body kit, and a custom carbon fiber and chrome interior. Dale Jr. has autographed the visor already, and will do likewise to the dash at the buyer's request. Best of all, the winning bidder will have the chance to take delivery directly from Dale Jr. at his house in North Carolina.
As of this writing, the current bid is $28,501. That's not a lot of cash for a pretty fun package where you get the car and meet the star. The auction ends Thursday, June 29.
Thanks to reader Robert K. for the tip!
[Source: eBay]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aaron 3:27PM (6/24/2006)
He lives about 5 mins from my dads house. They are friends but he's a dick in real life tho.
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Richard Warren 3:38PM (6/24/2006)
I'm sure he thinks the same of you if you asked.
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Carlton 3:55PM (6/24/2006)
Why is it that I can't picture the typical low-brow NASCAR fan driving a Mini?
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scott 4:18PM (6/24/2006)
wait a minute...
this isnt for charity? doesnt he have enough money? jeeze, talk about milking it...
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Finished.Law.School 4:39PM (6/24/2006)
I'd have him clean his signature off the visor first. That is probably why the bids have been so low...
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Rich 4:41PM (6/24/2006)
Scott, you speak the same way jealous losers speak.
I live near DEI, etc. and the local word is that Junior is a jerk, unlike his old man.
But that has nothing to do with this car or this auction. I am a disabled person with little in the way of worldly goods but I am happy for those who do, like Junior.
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chewy 7:09PM (6/24/2006)
In the Q and A section, it says that the car is dynoed at 223 with 20% drivetrain loss. That is a giant number. Most front wheel drive cars, have about 15% dribetrain loss at the most.
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bert 8:44PM (6/24/2006)
Turns right only every 18th day.
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Eric 11:11PM (6/24/2006)
@chewy,
Actually, 20% is about average. And how can you say that's a 'giant' number, when RWD cars lose somewhere in the area of 30%? On top of all that, the Mini Cooper S has 160 bhp stock. His car DYNOES at 223? That's quite an improvement for a Mini, since there's not a lot of room to increase performance in that tiny engine bay! And the John Cooper Works package can only get you 210 bhp. So don't hate. It's an impressive number for a Mini.
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apple_computer_freak 11:32PM (6/24/2006)
YAY!!! I am winning!
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risingsunofnihon 12:07AM (6/25/2006)
I agree with Carlton upthread. I can't imagine the average NASCAR fan driving around in something like this. Actually, I can't imagine why Dale Jr. would want to drive around in that thing either!
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Roland 12:52AM (6/25/2006)
The car will definitely sell for a higher price if the seller would use the services of http://SpreadYourAd.com to promote the car the right way. You can sell your car faster and for a much better price if you Spread Your Ad on all major car listings on the Internet. http://SpreadYourAd.com is fast and easy. Plus you can see on a daily basis how many people looked at your ad. It's simply COOL! Check it out yourself: http://SpreadYourAd.com
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Roland 12:56AM (6/25/2006)
The car will definitely sell for a higher price if the seller would use the services of http://SpreadYourAd.com to promote the car the right way. You can sell your car faster and for a much better price if you Spread Your Ad on all major car listings on the Internet. http://SpreadYourAd.com is fast and easy. Plus you can see on a daily basis how many people looked at your ad. It's simply COOL! Check it out yourself: http://SpreadYourAd.com
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jordan 8:57AM (6/25/2006)
can we kill that spam comment? (currently #10)e
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Stoneman 9:20AM (6/25/2006)
Bid at the very last second...that's the only way to play.
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
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bill 11:36AM (6/25/2006)
I started laughing when I saw this picture. I too couldn't believe he owned this. No wonder he wants to get rid of it by promoting himself along the way.
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Nate Wesley 12:07PM (6/25/2006)
No surprise, but the intellectual capacity of most Autoblog posters toward this story is severely lacking...again.
Is it REALLY such a stretch to believe that a NASCAR driver (or ANY race car driver for that matter) might drive something else than a big honkin' truck, SUV, or musclecar when he/she isn't racing?
Contrary to popular belief, there is driving happiness without eight or more cylinders and rear-wheel drive. Stop being so damned myopic.
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jmfangio 8:55PM (6/25/2006)
Did anyone notice that the picture of the back seat is a completely different color than the rest of the car???
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mac 9:26PM (6/25/2006)
jmfangio, the seats in the back seat are the same scheme as the front seats. Black leather with blue inserts. It's a factory option that I had in my 2003 MCS.
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Fabulo 12:42PM (6/26/2006)
At least it has low miles.
Re: the previous owner, I'd rather have John Voight's former convertible. They would not believe me if I told them Dale Earnhardt Jr. was driving a mini, they would all laugh to my face: you bough a used mini for ofer 30Gs thinking it belonged to whom? What a retard you are!
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