'Oldest Mini' for sale.

[Pandora]

though of course, they can often only work with what the seller tells them!!!!

Quite, and some vendors give you some very interesting 'tales'

However, i would like to point out that (as noted above) the auctioneers definition of what constitutes a 'barn' is fairy flexible! it's all about making the most for the vendor, and selling the dream.

My former employers did on one occasion display a Dino with a hay-bale and a stuffed fox to convey it's barn find status. Successfully, if i recall.

barns can of course offer very good storage conditions, or amongst the worst, but the term is based more on picture postcards and jigsaw box images that in reality.

Personally, i like to see all of the old fractors on Ebay sold as 'barn finds'.

As to the Mini - you're dammed if you do and dammed if you dont in terms of restoration. Will be interesting to see if it sells.

Still, think of it's value if broken for parts on Ebay.......

[bill773mini]

As to the Mini - you're dammed if you do and dammed if you dont in terms of restoration

Quite.



So the $64k question presented to any owner of 108 now or in the future.

What would you do with it if you owned it?? Leave it as it is, recommission it as best you can or fully restore it? Discuss.

[mk1]

Personally I'd fully restore it & use it. In my opinion its way too far gone for a "get it going & keep it as it is" restoration.

Of course you will end up with "just another restored mini". Which people won't look twice at.

Its all a case of why will someone buy it. At the guide price there's no meat on the bone for a trader, most "normal" people won't be in with a shout, it will most likely end up in the collection of someone who is hoping to buy it as an investment. Which I am sure it will be . . . . . eventually.

[IAIN]

If I had it I would restore it to as close to original as I could and use it for shows in the summer. But not at the asking price !

I agree with Marks points and it's well out of the reach of ordinary mini collectors.

I can see mr BMW buying it, restoring it, and sitting it beside their other minis to help confirm the heritage of there car.

[mab01uk]

I can see mr BMW buying it, restoring it, and sitting it beside their other minis to help confirm the heritage of there car.

BMW already own this early LHD 1959 Mini-Minor displayed with other historic Mini's from the BMW collection at the Longbridge IMM/Mini 50th.







More pics here:
http://www.1959miniregister.com/photo-g ... gallery=41

Also seen on the MINI stand at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show celebrating 50 years of the Mini:
http://video.games.com/mini-press-confe ... -114262043

[Tim]

BMW already own this early LHD 1959 Mini-Minor displayed with other historic Mini's from the BMW collection at the Longbridge IMM/Mini 50th.

I dunno, those two blokes with the black caps are laughing about something, it probably has Mk2 tail lights or something

Tim

[nippycars]

" I know two of the owners, and they are deeply upset at the press's misrepresentation of the car, especially The Sun and Daily Mail journalists who just invented stuff. The Guardians report is however, is pretty accurate.

The description in the Bonhams electronic catalogue is meticulously correct.

The car was bought by the current owners for £11,500 and the reserve set is £12,000. So much for profiteering.

The engine, and fully assembled front subframe, together with lights, grill, bumper etc had been removed for welding repairs to be done to the A pillars and other derusting work. The buyers took the risk that significant parts may have been missing .

It turned out the car was 99% complete , so any new buyer does not now have that risk.

The previous owner, fortunately, never got round to doing the work he planned, and so the car remained unrestored. One of the current owners had the front end reassembled with all the parts that came with the car by a Mini expert in less than a day, and that is how the car now looks.

It's a dilemma for the owners whether to restore the car or not, and they have not been able to resolve their differences. There is no shortage of funds to do it, but they have decided to leave that decision to someone else.

There is no doubt this car is the real thing, with a shell that is perfectly viable to restore should the new owner so wish"

[mk1]

Thanks for that Nippycars,

It's good to hear a few facts from the horses mouth as you might say.

I am sure that this car will find a good home, but personally speaking I still think your mates syndicate paid too much for the car in the first place. Add the cost of a really decent restoration to the purchase price ( which is what this car needs) & you are up around the £25,000 - £30,000 range for a restored MK1. OK a very interesting, very early MK1 but it's still a restored car.

I am sure this realisation must have had something to do with the original purchase groups decision to move it on more or less untouched.

The above said, it is a genuinely historic & interesting car & I am sure that in another 25 years the car will have been a good investment & will look cheap now. But in these days of economic hardship there is a limited number of people who will be prepared to pay out even the £11,500 that your mates paid.

When this car first emerged I valued it myself at around the £6 - 8,000 mark, factoring in the cost of a good restoration this would have made sense but I reckon the fact that the car is so early have turned a few peoples heads, pumped its perceived value up & won't help it find a home.

All the above said, its in an auction & I will probably be proved spectacularly wrong, and too be honest, I hope I am.

M

[nick rogers]

If the two suspicious looking blokes with black caps recognise themselves, would they please step forward now.

[steve1071]

Every where you go there's a bloody Man U shirt

[mab01uk]

BMW already own this early LHD 1959 Mini-Minor displayed with other historic Mini's from the BMW collection at the Longbridge IMM/Mini 50th.

I dunno, those two blokes with the black caps are laughing about something, it probably has Mk2 tail lights or something

Tim

Just checked the tail lights below..........so I guess it must be something else!

[Tim]

Must be something else.

Why is it badged as a Morris 850? Does that indicate that its an export model? All of our Australian built ones were Morris 850s for the first few years, but everyone called them Minis anyway!

Tim

[mab01uk]

Yes it was an LHD export model, I believe it came from somewhere in Scandinavia and has the rare 'basic' cloth interior? Now owned by BMW so as can be seen is registered on '1959' German plates. Bill of the '59 Register no doubt has more details on its history.

[JC T ONE]

Yes it was an LHD export model, I believe it came from somewhere in Scandinavia

Yes, you are right, Denmark was the place, but it actually lived in UK for some time,
when it was owned, by former BMH imploie Anders D Clausager (now Jaguar Heritage center)

He inherited the car after his Aunt.
Many years ago, she was given a price, for most original/wellpreserved Mini here in DK by the Danish Mini dealer association.

[The Collector]

Must be something else.

i think the man wearing the black cap has just told his two friends the person behind them in the hooped shirt has just Farted"

[bill773mini]

I dunno, those two blokes with the black caps are laughing about something, it probably has Mk2 tail lights or something


If the two suspicious looking blokes with black caps recognise themselves, would they please step forward now.

I'm staying out of it, it was all Trevor's fault anyway!

[surfblue63]

The Oldest Mini has just sold for a Hammer Price of £35,000. I've no idea what the commission is but it will probably end up at the thick end of £37,000 with the commission and VAT.

Now I bet no one expected that

[NotNormal]

The Oldest Mini has just sold for a Hammer Price of £35,000. I've no idea what the commission is but it will probably end up at the thick end of £37,000 with the commission and VAT.

Now I bet no one expected that

[guru_1071]

fark

theres some humble pie been cut around these parts!

[mk1]

Big slice for me please!

Yum, Yum.

M

Still think the car is pretty much a sack of cack though.