2000 Mini Seven

Featured in issue 128 of Mini Magazine, Mavis is a wonderfully OTT Mini that’s the result of a collaboration between the legendary coachbuilder Radford Engineering and de Gournay, the Chelsea-based firm who are world-famous for its hand-painted silk fabric, wallpaper, and porcelain.

Based on a black Mini Seven and built for a client’s 40th birthday, the joint venture ended up costing twice the price of the car itself. Mind you, the conversion was done so well ‘W197 PDG’ was shown at the London Excel Motor Show and the de Gournay at the International Decorex Exhibition - and even featured in a contemporary report in the London Evening Standard as well as having an article written about it for Mini Magazine.

Still showing just 14,700 genuine miles, it’s had two previous registered keepers and has been in the seller’s care since she bought it in 2007; searching online for De Gournay cushions, she ended up buying a car!

The de Gournay coachwork looks utterly fabulous and its pedigree gives it an appeal that stretches from Barbie fans to serious fashionistas. Beautifully executed and as eye-catching as anything we’ve ever had pass through our hands, the attention it draws is unbelievable.

It’s also a serious piece of history; shown at both the London Excel Motor Show and the International Decorex Exhibition, the bare-metal respray was a proper job undertaken by craftsmen with a rich heritage of creating bespoke motor cars like this for folk like Peter Sellers and the Beatles as far back as the 1960s.

And yet, it’s way more than a fancy paint job because the little details, the sort of things that set this aside from most ‘conversions’, are just as beautifully executed: the redundant wiper-mounting holes have been welded up, as have the ones for the wheelarch extensions; the rear lights are from a MKI Mini – and this involved way more work than you imagine; and deluxe wheelarch mouldings are fitted.

The empty spot lamp-mounting holes have even been filled with stainless-steel wiper bungs, and the side repeater lamps are round, like the heritage ones.

The pink reverse-rim wheels are not only an effective piece of design in their own right; they were fitted to give enough space to shoehorn in larger and more powerful Cooper S front brakes.

It’s got a pair of beautiful chrome bumpers, chrome hubcaps on those gorgeous steel wheels, and a Morris badge on the bonnet.

It’s a stunning thing and has been conserved just as well with barely any sign the work was undertaken 17 years ago…

That said, none of us is immune from the ravages of time and the Mini is no exception. This means there is some minor bubbling on the front wings, no bigger than a 50p piece on each side, and some rust on the rear wheels, and the chromed headlamp trims have seen better days.

Oh, and while the tyres are a matching set of Falken FK-07E – and y’all know how we feel about matching tyres by now – they’re getting on a but now so are probably due for replacement.

The headlining and sunvisors are covered in ‘Princesgate‘, a hand-painted silk from its Floral collection – and the peonies within the design were hand-matched to the coachwork.

The dashboard has been painted the same colour as the bodywork too, and the colour of the two-tone pink-and-leather seats were winnowed down from more than 300 samples…

The steering wheel and column, gearknob, door cards and bins, and dash rails have been trimmed to match and a deeper shade of pink was used for the rear door bins, lower door cards, and carpets.

It sounds like it might be a bit overwhelming but, as you can see, it comes together very well indeed – and it’s in the same great shape as the exterior.

The driver’s seat is ever so slightly rumpled but that’s about the extent of the aging.

The engine and gearbox had covered just 13,000 miles at the time of the conversion, so it was left well alone. We’ve mentioned the Cooper S brakes previously, and this is the only change made to the car’s standard mechanical specification.

The car’s service history is recorded as follows:

• 04.12.2000 and 1,107 miles – service by C.D. Bramall of Cheltenham
• 18.06.2001 and 2,254 miles – service by C.D. Bramall of Cheltenham
• 18.09.2002 and 3,808 miles – service Wicliffe Rover of Gloucester
• 24.06.2003 and 5,911 miles – service by C.D. Bramall of Cheltenham
• 28.06.2004 and 8,009 miles – service by C.D. Bramall of Cheltenham
• 07.05.2010 and 14,202 miles – service by Tupman’s Minis
• 29.10.2015 and 14,388 miles – fit new clutch master cylinder and fettle brakes by Tim Kelly MG Centre
• 09.02.2021 and 14,437 miles – service plus new wheel bearing, drive belt, Waxoyl underside, and paint brake and suspension components by Carn Bosavern Garage

As you’d expect of a car with well under 15,000 miles on the clock, it’s spent a lot of time in storage and there is an invoice on file for recommissioning in 2010.

As you can see, it idles well and makes a lovely noise when you rev it. The engine itself is a bit grubby, so we can see the new owner might like to get that cleaned but that’s about all.

The underside looks clean and neatly undersealed and no MoT tester has ever mentioned structural corrosion or rot.

The Mini doesn’t have a current MoT certificate but the seller tells us it will have a new one for the winning bidder.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear (bar the absence of an MoT) and the Mini comes with a current V5 registration document, some invoices, photos of the conversion being carried out and the Mini then being displayed, the book pack and a copy of the Mini Magazine in which it featured.

Any Mini would make a great starter classic but a semi-modern one like this would be an especially good buy as it combines improved reliability with a more modern driving experience.

But, this theory only works if you buy a good one and this one is just the ticket because Radford Engineering turned a standard Mini Seven into an eye-catching Cooper look-a-like.

An absolute one-of-a-kind, Mavis is even more charming in the flesh than it looks online and we’d encourage potential bidders to make an appointment to view it in person to fully appreciate its many and varied charms!

And, it’s being offered with no reserve so will sell from the very first bid and we can’t be any fairer than that, can we?

We estimate this car will reach anywhere between £12,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Falmouth, Cornwall. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.