How much is a piece of Mini history worth to you? That is the question potential buyers will be asking themselves when the 8th oldest Mini is auctioned off at The Royal Air Force Museum in London on April 30th.
At first glance, this rusted out Austin Mini looks unremarkable, no different than thousands of other retired autos, wasting away in garages across the world. A closer examination of the vehicle – more specifically its production date - has revealed that this 1959 Austin Mini Se7en De Luxe Saloon was the 8th such vehicle ever produced. Three older models are known to exist but all have been restored, making this Mini the oldest unrestored Mini in the world.
Previous owners have only managed to put 30,000 miles on the car’s current engine, though the vehicle hasn’t run in years.Given this Mini’s uniqueness, pre auction estimates believe the car will fetch between $19,000 and $24,000 as is or about 20 to 30 times more than the car retailed for in 1959.
John Ponham, a representative from the group auctioning the car had the following comments:
“The Mini is one of the most important cars of the 20th century. They have always been collectable.Some collectors would want to return her to new, but others would just like to get her going again and keep her in the original condition.”
Any takers?
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