Bespoke Paul Smith Mini

Some cars already feel like artwork long before they reach our studio.
This Paul Smith painted classic Austin Mini is one of them.

For this commission, the owner wanted a piece that didn’t just show the car, but captured its personality, its colours, and its story. We began by photographing the Mini ourselves at a local event.

From there, the project took shape in three parts:

1. Photography & Editing

Each selected image was carefully edited to make the iconic Paul Smith palette stand out against a softened black-and-white backdrop. This selective colour approach gave the Mini a bold, almost pop-art presence while keeping the composition timeless.

2. Sourcing the Rare Matching Model

To complete the display, we tracked down an extremely hard-to-find scale model painted in the same Paul Smith scheme, at the time, the only one available anywhere. It now sits mounted beneath the photographs, echoing the real car in miniature form.

3. Crafting the Final Presentation

The owner then picked out the frame type and border colours:

Background tone

Border and mount colours

Frame style

Image arrangement and spacing

A genuine period-correct Austin Mini metal badge was then sourced to top the piece off.

What emerged is a one-off display that blends photography, memorabilia and design into a single cohesive piece. It’s personal to the owner, faithful to the car, and built to last.

This project is a perfect example of what we love: turning automotive passions into tangible, meaningful artwork - each one shaped around the story of the vehicle and the person behind it.