The Little Red MINI
Like many children, Ryan cherished her collection of toys, but her Matchbox cars were something special. Among the trucks, emergency vehicles, and sports cars, her favorite was a shiny red MINI Cooper. When she wasn’t zooming it around the house, she would keep an eye out for real MINIs on the road, proudly pointing them out to anyone nearby. It seemed only fitting that Ryan was laid to rest with her beloved little red MINI in her hand—a final tribute to something she loved so much.
Wanting to celebrate Ryan’s love for her little red car, our family began searching for more of the same Matchbox red MINI Cooper. After countless trips to local stores and bids on eBay, we had found only a few. Then the Matchbox Collectors Community learned about Ryan.
Almost overnight, red MINIs began arriving from around the world. In the end, more than 300 MINIs and unique variations were collected—a remarkable outpouring of kindness from strangers who simply wanted to honor a little girl who shared their love of Matchbox cars.
One especially generous collector reached out to our family and offered to customize some of the MINIs in Ryan’s memory. When the customized cars arrived, we sent a special Ryan’s MINI to each of the people around the world who had lovingly donated a MINI in her honor—a small gesture of gratitude for the incredible kindness they had shown our family. Others were given to family and friends who had played an important part in Ryan’s life.
All About the MINI
- Name
- Ryan’s MINI, AKA #03
- Date of Production
- 2007
- Number Produced
- 103
- Series #
- Matchbox #6
- Scale
- 1/56
- Color
- Chili Red
- Fuel Type
- Love Power
- Top Speed
- Unlimited
- Avg Price (Non Custom)
- $1.00
- Kelley Blue Book
- Priceless