The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Kathryn Williams
As far as car adverts go, this one for a classic Mini heading to auction is a little different to the norm.
Yes, it has one owner from new, though that dates back a whopping 55 years. It also has incredibly low mileage – less than 12,000 on the clock, in fact.
But it’s the car’s lack of recent use that makes it stand out, having been stored in a garage in Buckinghamshire gathering dust since 1990!
A true ‘barn-find’ example, this remarkable Mini 1275 GT will be offered to the highest bidder later this month. And while it will need plenty of work getting it back to a roadworthy condition, the pre-sale guide price suggests it could go for a snip between £10,000 to £12,000.
Sold as seen: This 1970 Mini 1275 GT has been in storage since 1990. Having been uncovered by classic car hunters, it will soon go to the auction block in its ‘as found’ condition
Experts believe the classic Mini was taken off the road in either late 1989 or early 1990. What’s for certain is that it hadn’t turned a wheel since
The classic Mini will be offered to the highest bidder in the Classic Car Auctions sale, at the Practical Classic Car and Restoration Show, at Birmingham’s NEC over the weekend of 25 to 26 March.
The lot description says the vehicle is finished in Bronze Yellow paint, but it’s hard to tell given that it’s covered in three decades’ worth of dust, having not seen the light of day since it was taken off the road in 1990.
It even sports its last tax disc, which shows an expiration date of 30 June 90.
The Mini was found in a garage in Buckinghamshire and shows serious signs of neglect
Classic car hunters were located to the car’s whereabouts for the last 33 years, which was a storage unit in the village of Prestwood, which is near Great Missenden, Roald Dahl’s fomer home village
Given that it hasn’t been used for 33 years, there is little surprise to see it has pretty low mileage
The classic Mini will be offered to the highest bidder at the Classic Car Auctions sale at the Practical Classic Car and Restoration Show at Birmingham’s NEC on 25-26 March
Classic car hunters were located to the car’s whereabouts for the last 33 years, which was a brick garage in the village of Prestwood, which is near Roald Dahl’s former home village of Great Missenden between Aylesbury and High Wycombe.
Once the car was tracked down to the storage unit, those attempting to retrieve the dinky vehicle struggled to even get the garage door open because it had been closed for so long.
While the reason for why it has been locked away for so long hasn’t been revealed and the Mini shows very few signs of being loved, experts say its recent discovery will still delight Mini enthusiasts on the hunt for low-mileage examples.
The lot description says the vehicle is finished in Bronze Yellow paint, but it’s hard to tell given that it’s covered in three decades’ worth of dust having not seen the light of day since it was taken off the road in 1990
Registration ‘RR0 797J’ still has its original 1,275cc four-cylinder A-Series engine linked to a four-synchro, close-ratio, four-speed manual gearbox
Classic Car Auctions said the garage where it was found hadn’t been opened for so long that they struggled to get the door open to access the Mini
The Mini even displays its last tax disc. It is dated for expiry on 30 June 1990
The car retains almost all of its original features. This includes 10-inch Rostyle alloy wheels fitted over 7.5-inch Cooper ‘S’ disc brakes
Classic Car Auctions says it won’t be cleaning the car up before auction, presenting it in the sales room later this month in its ‘as found’ condition
Given that it hasn’t been started up since 1990, the car will likely be pushed into the auction room rather than under its own power. A driver wouldn’t be able to see through the dust-coated windscreen
Once refurbished, classic car valuation experts believe it could be worth between £15,100 and £18,000
With an indicated mileage of 11,836 and stickers confirming the next service at 13,438 miles, those who uncovered the vehicle believe it was taken off the road in late 1989 or early 1990.
And since then, it hasn’t turned a wheel on Britain’s roads.
Commenting on its availability at auction, Richard Greenhalgh, the man who sourced the car for CCA, said that despite the coating of dirt and dust, the bodywork and interior ‘seem to remain in remarkable condition’.
The 1275 GT was the brand’s restyled version of the classic. It features a boxier front end featuring a full width grille, larger headlights and a revised front bumper
