Mini Minor

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One of the undisputed greatest car designs of all time the BMC MIni had a classless appeal that made it welcome everywhere and by 1966 over a million had been sold. It was to remain in production for an astonishing 41 years, still remaining recognisably the same car in 2000 as it had been at launch in 1959.

When initially launched by BMC the Mini Mk1 was marketed by two of its more popular brands - Morris and Austin.. The Morris Mini Minor, was built at the BMC Cowley plant in Oxford, and the Austin Mini Se7en built at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham.

The Mini Minor offered here is an early Cowley built car. According to the Heritage Certificate from 1988 it was built on the 24th May 1960, and despatched on the 26th May to dealers Stewart and Arden Ltd of Acton, London. It was purchased by a Mr Parsons of Saltdean, near Brighton, driven it appears mainly by his wife. Unfortunately sometime in the early 1970s Mrs Parsons became ill, and her car was parked in a garage. An early MOT on file from 1974 shows the mileage to have been 19,225 at that point.

The Vendor has known the car since 1978 as he was a neighbour of the Parsons, and helped with maintenance of the Mini. In 1987 Mr Parsons decided that the car was too good to be left in the garage, and it was given a respray and the engine was refreshed. An MOT from 1988 shows that the mileage had risen to 20,187. Over the next few years the car was only used locally, with trips to various club meets and the occasional Concours in which it usually featured in the results.

There are scrapbooks and certificates from this period which will hopefully be reunited with the car and its new lucky owner after the sale.

Having known the car for so long the Vendor purchased the Mini from Mr Parson’s second wife in 2013 and during his ownership has only replaced parts where necessary. In the past 5 years he has replaced the brake cylinders, master cylinders, brake hoses and the exhaust. Also the clutch slave cylinder, hoses, shock absorbers, and more recently a new battery were added. There is a bonnet lock and a washer bottle which would not have been fitted from new, likely to have been added by Mr Parsons.

Currently the car has 20,287 miles showing, and the Vendor has started the car regularly but only driven for short “round the block” journeys to keep it in good health. There are 9 old MOTs on file that appear to prove the Mini has travelled 1062 miles since 1974, and since 1988 it has covered a mere 100 miles! With only two owners, and with its original owner until 5 years ago -quite extraordinary!
As can be seen from the photographs it is in exceptionally fine condition, with an untouched interior that would provide a great reference for anyone attempting a restoration.

Externally it looks just right – one of thousands that would have lined every High Street in the UK throughout the 1960s, except this one has essentially time travelled forward into the 21st Century!