Every now and then, a rare motor emerges from the shadows and the latest is a real 'barnstormer'.
One of the oldest surviving examples of a Morris Mini Minor was found rusting in a barn in Oxfordshire and is said to be the 15th oldest in existence and the 529th to roll-off the production line.
The car was registered in 1959 – as "620 GFC" and its owner benefited from the sharp handling, fun-focussed looks, and fashionable image for 46,971 miles. But then disaster struck. The Morris Mini Minor had a small shunt that smashed the right-hand headlight, bent the wing and scuffed the blue paint.
Apparently there were plans to repair the vehicle, but these failed to come to fruition so it sat in a barn for the next 40 years.
Although having its original engine, transmission and interior, it is rusty and requires a considerable amount of work before being road-worthy. The original owner has passed away so his children have decided it will be sold at the Bonhams Auction on March 2, where it is expected to sell for £10,000 but could fetch a considerably higher sum and the restoration might then cost thousands more. But there are countless enthusiasts who would cheerfully get stuck-in.
Designed by Alex Issigonis, the Mini was launched in 1959, just two years and one month after BMC boss Leonard Lord had driven the Issigonis prototype and given it the go-ahead.
It was launched in two versions – the Morris Mini Minor and the Austin Seven but was not initially popular. It was only when personalities such as film star Peter Sellers, the Beatles and the Queen started driving Minis that it began to take off.
Rob Hubbard, senior specialist at the Bonhams Motor Car Department, said: "This is one of the oldest surviving Mini cars and that in itself makes this one special. Over 50 years on, people are still obsessed by the cars."
