'Oldest Mini' for sale.

[NotNormal]

More (very limited) info here. Seems with fees the sale figure started with a 4...

http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news ... C2%A340000

[Pandora]

??????????????

This of course means there were 2 people who saw it at that level. I didn't share there view, but hey ho, the joy of auctions!

I remember the same happening with the Lotus 3-7, we all thought the world had gone mad (though I did think it would go a fair bit over estimate)

At that price I suspect it won't be touched.

[bill773mini]

Buyer plans to restore it.

[Old English White]

Earlier, when we didn't know what the purchase price would be, I'd suggested that it would cost "a good bit more than the purchase price" to restore it.
Now, I guess it might not .
Somebody's going to be busy for a while anyway.

[nick@dunsdale]

wow will this be the most expensive un-restored standard mini ever sold then ??

I think it should be left un-restored, it is bound to de-value as soon as it has been restored, it will then lose it's label as the worlds earliest unrestored mini.

If the person that bought it is a true die hard mini lover this may not matter, but if it has been bought for an investment surely it will lose it's appeal and drop in value if restored.

[mk1]

nearly 60 Grand for the 2nd or 3rd oldest restored Mini in the world, now that's what I call a claim to fame

[towners]

Amazing

I though it might get to £20k on a good day

I would say that this will now go for good money, everyone will be hyper about early mk1s for a while - as the 37k one will be all over the press tomorrow

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mk-1-mini-195 ... 27c630e7ca

(its already on here elsewhere)

P

[UHR850]

I say too please keep it this way but hey it is not my money BUT restoring would not be restoring but ......

[Mini4Ever]

I think that since this is not yet ended http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290699534738 you might be able to still get it at 12k if I understand ebay's legal stuff correctly.

[mab01uk]

Austin Rover Online:
http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/2012/05 ... kes-40000/

[In the shed]

The result of this auction is a clear victory for PR and a huge loss for Mr Gullible.

£40k?

Absolutely sodding mad. I had a very early 60 in my garage in better nick. £500. Mad mad mad mad mad.

I wonder if someone bought it for it's glass water bottle

[nickacb]

It all depends on the side your seeing the whole thing. Just as an example, lets take the 60's mini at the price of 500p.

As a seller, would you consider mad if tomorrow I offer 1000 pounds to buy the very early 60's mini for a quick profit of the double it cost? Or would you be expecting to sell it for four times the price he said it cost (2000p)?

[nippycars]

hang on.

you all seem to be blaming the seller for the price, HELLO!!! THE BUYER kept putting his hand up,
if you'd like to start a poll headed,
"IF FRIENDS AND I COULD BUY A CAR WE WANTED BUT IT DIDN'T WORK OUT SO WE SOLD IT AND SOME AMERICAN PAID 40K FOR IT SHOULD I FEEL GUILTY"

i'd put my hand up,NO I WOULDN'T
theres probably not one person on here that wishes they hadn't bought it now for the original 11k asking price,
i've read what everyone else is able to read, they wern't init for a profit, lets not forget this is an important car,

[mk1]

Personally speaking I have absolutely no problem with this car having been sold for such a stupid amount of money. Well done to the seller for being able to puff it up so much, just shows what a job on classic & sports car can do for you doesn't it. And good luck to the gullible fool who paid so much money for it. I am sure that one day, in years to come when this car has been restored & is sold for even more money that I will be laughing on the other side of my face.

However, this whole saga does highlight the main issue of my rant last week about how for me Mini's no longer offer "value for money".

The concept that a car as poor and relatively uninteresting as that can be sold for so much moolah is absolutely alien to me and does nothing but turn me off Minis in general.

M

[IAIN]

Yes as has been said good luck to who ever owned it. The bidders, it takes two ( or at least it should ) they set the selling price.

I am amazed it made so much money but there are lots of people out there with spare money to spend.

It wont put me off mini's. maybe as you get older your interests change but I will always have minis some where stashed away.

I don't mind when a car makes big money because it may work down the line slightly, if you own a car it can't do you any harm.
A car thats thought as having a higher value is more likely to be saved or restored than a worthless model,.

[NotNormal]

However, this whole saga does highlight the main issue of my rant last week about how for me Mini's no longer offer "value for money".

The concept that a car as poor and relatively uninteresting as that can be sold for so much moolah is absolutely alien to me and does nothing but turn me off Minis in general.

M

This comes to all cars with age, the fact it's happening to the Mini just goes to show how old these cars are becoming. Look at similar age cars that would have also fallen in your bracket of value for money, VW camper, beetle, early escorts they are all going for crazy money for what they are, especially when you look at early examples or interesting revisions of the breed.

Price of these cars will only go one way and as with all classic cars they will always be ultimately be worth what someone is prepared to pay. Big money for early minis isn't new though is it as I seem to recal the RAC winning car getting sold for 80 odd grand late last year at auction which to me i think is also crazy.

Interested like most though to find out if this car does get restored or if it doesn't, major dilemma to have I'm sure. That will be the next thread on here I expect if it does get played with, as to the quality or originality of the resto on such a car.....

[nickacb]

I agree, it would be cool if the new owner starts his own thread in this forum under "cars and projects" and posts the pics of the step by step restoration of the mini, as it seems to be the future of it, and with little doubts has the necessary resources to start it in the short term.

Beyond how much he payed for it and the repercussions, it would be really nice to see it when is all finished.

[SMOKE GREY]

Done the 'Big' shop tonight with the missus, had a peak in the latest C&SC a MK1 1275S stateside, 3/4 page colour ad, nice looking car with good history 55K

[mab01uk]

Many car buyers spend 40K+ on a new car without batting an eyelid........whilst knowing it will depreciate rapidly over the next few years to a fraction of the asking price whether sold on or traded in. So if you have that kind of money to spend on a car, as many do judging by all the new Range Rovers, etc I see driving about, then surely investing in this Mini over the next 10 years is not such a risk for the buyer, whether they restore it or not?

[AMCO72]

Who says the damn thing hasn't been TOUCHED. It has had a 'new' drivers door at some stage, so its NOT all original. I may have missed this comment on previous posts, but look at the interior shot on page one......RED drivers door, not painted on inside. How rough can you get. I dont think 'sonny-jim' could have practiced his welding on it as it was so rotten. I'll bet some 'foreigner' has bought it......no not NZ!!!!!!