Blue Bell Mini in Wilmslow, Cheshire, has completed work on what is believed to be the only ‘Barbie Pink’ Mini Cooper S in the country. The pink leather interior certainly seals its status as a one-off. The car was ordered by Blue Bell customer Janette Benson and converted by the dealership’s bodyshop.

Says operations manager Terry Moore: “It’s not just a matter of getting the paint and spraying the car. We had to ensure the correct base-colour car was provided – red in this case – and then we had to completely dismantle it. The car itself was painted to the same standards and in the same way as it would have been at the factory. It took four weeks to get the paint shade match absolutely right, and then we had to introduce a high metallic content.”

It was a three-stage pearl paint process with aluminium binder and a clear lacquer finish – quite a technical challenge, and a first for Moore’s team. “We had to ensure every nook and cranny was covered, but we got it right first time,” he says, adding that the painting process took 10 days.

“The leather interior was not quite as straightforward but it was a fantastically enjoyable and challenging project,” he says. “Initially we were a bit bemused, but having seen the car through to completion everybody agrees it looks fabulous.”