Mini Austin Seven

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A work of true genius, the Mini not only became an icon of the Swinging Sixties, it also influenced a whole generation of car designers and is widely considered to be the most influential car of the 20th Century.

When it first came out in August 1959, it was sold and marketed under BMC’s two main brand names, Austin and Morris, though apart from the badging, both the Seven and the Mini-Minor were virtually identical. By January 1962 the ‘Seven’ name was dropped and it became simply the Austin Mini although both Morris and Austin badged versions continued to be sold until 1969 by which time the car had become such an icon that all versions were simply known as the Mini.

As the accompanying Heritage Certificate confirms, this Austin Seven Mini was built on 2nd December 1960 and despatched to Weybridge Automobiles Ltd of Surrey. Tartan Red with a grey and red interior, it was also fitted with an optional heater and dealer-fitted wing mirrors. Its first owner was the dealer’s brother-in-law who took delivery shortly before Christmas and used the car locally and for annual holidays in Bournemouth until his death in 1974 at which point the Mini had covered 27,276 miles.

Ownership then passed to his granddaughter who used it for day-to-day commuting for a couple of years but then put it into storage in 1976 at which point it still only had some 36,000 miles under its wheels. During her ownership a replacement Gold Seal gearbox was fitted along with a new rear subframe, while the cable-operated door handles were also replaced with chrome accessory handles but the car otherwise remained totally standard. She also exchanged the original buff log book for a V5 and disposed of the old MOT certificates, although fortunately she did keep the service records.

The car was to remain in storage for the next three decades although it was moved from a garage in Surrey to another in Kent at some point, and the engine was periodically started to keep it free. Brought out of storage fairly recently, the car was thoroughly cleaned and brought up to MOT standard, great care being taken to preserve as much originality as possible. This amounted to little more than a full service and an overhaul of the braking system, although new bumpers were required front and rear along with a new set of tyres. Halogen headlamp bulbs have also been fitted along with a spin-off oil filter and BMC export type seat belts.

Gaining a new MOT in April 2015, the car has still covered under 37,100 miles and remains highly original in all important respects, including the interior trim and carpets, rivet type wheels, foam filled sills and floor panels, floor starter, ‘magic wand’ gearstick and original Surrey registration. The vendor states that it appears never to have been welded and nor does it require any welding. While it could no doubt be transformed into a shiny new pin with some cosmetic detailing and a full repaint, the vendor much prefers to keep it as it is and is only reluctantly offering it for sale due to health problems.

Documentation includes the aforementioned Heritage Certificate; an original driver's handbook and maintenance book; original Passport to Service book with stamps up to 27,276 miles; 1974 tax disc; BMC parts list and workshop manual plus a Scientific Publication workshop manual.

A low mileage, matching numbers machine with great originality and few owners, it ticks all the right boxes and is sure to be of interest to the serious Mini collector.