1989 Rover Mini 30 LE

Planned to be replaced in 1991, the Mini had a stay of execution – despite the ‘replacement’ Metro being on sale for over a decade. Amazingly, 1996 saw the seventh generation of the original Mini still soldiering on. It even saw something of a revival in sales during the Britpop era.

Sporting fuel injection and even eventually an airbag, the basic 37-year-old Mini platform was still finding customers. Somewhat ironically, the Mini would go on to outlast the car that was meant to replace it – Metro production ceasing in 1998, nearly two years before the Mini finally bowed out in 2000.

This 1989 30 LE is one of a limited number produced in this spec to celebrate the Mini’s 30th birthday. This is one of only 1000 finished in black paint, and one of just 600 that left the Rover plant with a factory fitted sunroof. It’s been restored and recommissioned after five years of dormancy and has covered fewer than 3000 miles in the last 10 years.

Black is an unusual shade for a Mini, and can be a very unforgiving colour. But this one is nice and shiny having had a relatively recent refinish. The paintwork isn’t perfect, with the odd patch of orange peel, but this would polish out if an enthusiastic new owner wanted to take the shine to the next level.

All the brightwork is in lovely condition – bumpers, grille and surround and the Aston Martin style fuel filler cap. The bodywork also has the correct stripes and the 1959-1989 badges that are unique to the Mini 30 LE. The grille has quick-release knurled alloy securing nuts fitted, which make engine access a lot easier.

The car sits on Minilite style alloy wheels (made by RSP) and these are in fine shape too, with no signs of kerbing. The wheels are 12 inches in diameter on this 1980s car, unlike the earlier versions with tiny 10 inch wheels. This allows for reasonable size disc brakes at the front. The matching set of tyres all have plenty of tread depth.

The 30 LE gets its own special interior trim – black vinyl with red piping, and velour panels on the seat faces with a lightning strike pattern set into it. It’s all in very good order too.

The dash is updated from the original central large speedo, and uses the three dial setup similar to that of the earlier Clubman long nose cars. The matching red carpet is generally in great shape too, although there is a wear patch on the tunnel where the driver’s clutch foot rests.

Controls are minimal, although you do get a rear fog lamp plus hazard warning lights, two luxuries you wouldn’t have seen in 1959. The steering wheel is a little tired looking and probably needs recovering to bring it up to the same level as the rest of the car’s interior.

The simple glass sunroof opens and closes as it should. The boot area is very tidy, with what looks like a new trim panel on the opening panel’s inside surface. There is an updated CD stereo system slung under the dash.

There are Spax adjustable shock absorbers fitted at the front of the car, meaning the ride firmness can be trimmed to your liking. The underside itself looks to have a good coating of wax based rust proofing on it, and appears very sound as a result. We couldn’t spot any rust problems.

The brake pipes have been replaced with copper items and the exhaust system still sports a sticker, so it obviously hasn’t seen a great deal of use. The engine bay is a little less tidy than the rest of the car, with the paint on the engine itself in quite poor shape.

That said, it looks as though there’s a new clutch master cylinder under here, and, importantly, all the original parts are still here – you often see Minis with aftermarket air cleaner assemblies fitted, but this one still has its factory parts.

On top of this, it wouldn’t be beyond a keen new owner to make a real difference under here with nothing more than a few weekends of spare time, some cleaning products and a tin of fresh paint for the engine.

There’s a bill from 2017 for just over £500 for work carried out as part of the MoT process. The car received a new front wheel bearing and a general service at this time. There are also several historic invoices for parts from Mini specialists, Minispares.

The owner says:

‘I bought this car in August last year but due to a change in family circumstances I am now selling it for someone else to enjoy. We are a Mini mad family and bought the car to go with our others, which we take to car shows. This is a matching numbers car and I believe the mileage to be genuine, but I cannot warrant that as I don't have a lot of history with the car.

‘Having said that, the MoT history shows that it has covered circa 3000 miles in the last 10 years. It now has a new MoT with no advisories. It’s one of 1000 black Mini 30s produced but only 600 were made with a factory fitted sunroof.

‘I have had the car repainted as the previous owner had painted it with rattle cans. The RSP wheels have also been refurbished, the engine serviced, the clutch master and slave cylinders replaced, there’s a new battery, brake pads, brake shoes and rear wheel cylinders.

‘It’s in excellent condition, fully recommissioned and ready for use. The Mini 30 is a well sort after collectors’ car and this one is quite rare as it has the factory sunroof. The steering wheel could do with a recover as it’s sun bleached and has a blemish on it. There’s a JVC CD radio fitted.’

These later cars are very useable with their bigger wheels and decent brakes, and this one is a rare limited edition variant. Not only that, it’s finished in black, a uncommon colour for a Mini, so it will always stand out from the crowd, even at a Mini show. It’s MoT’d, serviced and ready to enjoy this summer. It’ll put a big grin on your face as you drive it away.

We estimate this car to fetch between £7,000 - £12,000 in auction.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Thrapston, Kettering, United Kingdom. To arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.