AN IMMACULATE little 1967 Morris Mini motor-car that’s been sitting under wraps in a barn in England since 1983, has finally had those wraps taken off to sell at auction for an amazing 15,525 pounds.
That’s around AU$27,000 and nearly thirteen times what the hardly-used little Mini cost when bought new half a century ago, and put in the shade the 6,000-to-10,000 pounds (AU$10,500-to-$17,500) it was expected to fetch.
The son of the car’s original and only owner, put it up for sale saying that in all its fifty-one years of life, the little car had covered less than 58,000 kilometres, and was still “totally original” in every way.
“My father bought it brand new in 1967 for his early retirement. It was used mainly for holidays, my parents loving to tour the Highlands of Scotland as well as North Yorkshire, until my father was diagnosed with ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) in the early ’80s,” the son said.
“So the Mini was in fact very little used and in 1983 was taken off the road, and when told he would never drive again my father gave it to me. It was sheeted and raised off the floor supported with wooden blocks under the sub frame to keep the weight off the suspension and wheels, and not moved again until this year – half a century later.”
The Mini was sold at auction in Lancashire by specialist classic vehicle auctioneers, H&H Classics who said that not only was it totally original in every way, it still had its original Bill of Sale in the glove box after fifty-one years, original two keys and its Handbook.
David Ellis
Mini Minor barn find interior
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