Paul Weller Designs Mini for Charity

Just the Facts:

• British rocker Paul Weller designs a Mini Cooper for charity.
• The pink and brown striped Mini will be auctioned to benefit two children's charities.
• The Weller Mini Cooper is on display in Mini's flagship showroom on Park Lane while it is being auctioned online.

LONDON — British rock star Paul Weller is the latest celebrity to create a one-off Mini Cooper, which is being sold via a live global online auction to benefit charity.

The 52-year-old Weller is known widely as the Modfather in his native Britain, where he was a founder of such influential rock groups as The Jam and The Style Council before branching out as a solo artist.

His design for the 2009 Mini Cooper is "mod" in the extreme, with wide pink and brown stripes that run the length of the body, as well as a single silver stripe down the middle.

Weller says he drew the inspiration for the car's design theme and colors from a shirt he created several years ago for Ben Sherman, the popular British apparel maker that once flourished on London's Carnaby Street.

This is not Weller's first gig with Mini. He was the headline entertainer at the brand's 50th birthday celebration at Silverstone in 2009.

Weller's bespoke Mini Cooper was hand-painted by Mini craft workers and is fitted with $6,400 worth of extras, including 17-inch crown spoke alloy rims, black leather upholstery, Bluetooth and heated front seats.

The Weller Mini Cooper is on display in Mini's flagship showroom on Park Lane while it is being auctioned online, with the bidding to run through early December.

Proceeds are to be divided between War Child, which Weller describes as "an amazing organization which works tirelessly to provide protection for kids who live in some of the world's most dangerous places [such as] Iran and Afghanistan," and Nordoff Robbins, which "uses music to transform the lives of kids."

Inside Line says: Strange-looking car, but definitely worthy causes. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent