1961 Austin MINI

Purchased new from Comerford's of Thames Ditton by a Mr Hampton in February 1961, it passed on to its second owner in 1988. He changed the address to his own but left it in his brother-in-law’s name, presumably to avoid triggering a change of keeper on the logbook.

He only used it for around six months before having two new wings and a floorpan welded in. He then entrusted it to Chamberlain's Coachworks of Surbiton, Surrey for a respray. It was then only used sparingly, possibly no more than once or twice a year before being sold to its third owner in November 2012 with 64,000 miles recorded on the odometer.

The new owner had the Mini re-sprayed in its original grey livery, complete with new brightwork where needed. He also splashed out on having the interior re-trimmed using the correct material. New carpets were also fitted, and the engine bay detailed.

It then moved to its fourth owner in November 2013, who continued the programme of refurbishment, this time concentrating on the car’s mechanical components.

This work included the braking system, and a complete rebuild of the engine, including the ignition and cooling systems; it was at this time that he took the wise decision to restore the original engine rather than swap it for a reconditioned unit; while the latter would have been considerably cheaper, he clearly valued the car’s originality and was determined to retain as much of it as possible, no matter what the cost.

In the care of the vendor for the past eighteen months, this wonderful early Mini is fighting fit and looking utterly magnificent. Being offered with no reserve, it’ll sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory the sum.

The Farina Grey coachwork is actually more of a white than a grey; chromatic quibbles aside, it’s in great shape and holding back the years very well. The panel gaps are good – just look at the door alignment, for example – as is the chromework, including that lovely wibbly front radiator grille. Sure, there’s some light pitting to a few small areas like the door handles, but it’s not at all bad and is restricted in its scope.

The flanks are free of ripples, and there is a noticeable absence of stonechips, car-park dinks and other damage. The bodywork rates as a solid nine out of ten.

Speaking of ten, the tiny, ten-inch steel wheels have been painted cream, an uplifting colour that is lifted still further by the chromed hubcaps. The tyres are 5.2 x 10 crossply, and while you probably wouldn’t want to use them to explore the outer limits of the Mini’s grip in the wet, they look terrific and have plenty of tread. That said, there are some age-related sidewall cracks, so it might be prudent to budget for a replacement set of rubber.

If Frank Sinatra were preparing the snagging list for the bodywork he’d probably sing: “Problems, it’s got a few, but then again, too few to mention”.

Okay, enough with the whimsey. The bodywork does have a couple of rust blisters: we have noticed one on the offside door bottom, one under the nearside front indicator light, and one on the offside A-panel. There is also a small crack in the paintwork on the rear nearside wing joint with the boot.

None of these is especially serious and all are highlighted in the photo gallery, but because we know that many of you are likely to be bidding remotely while the lockdown is in place we want to be crystal clear as to the condition and scale of the likely remedial work.

If this Mini’s exterior is cheery but restrained, the interior is a riot of red; we Brits might be more reserved than some of our European neighbours but beneath the standoffish manner and stiff-upper-lip lies a heart that beats as passionately as even the most hot-blooded Mediterranean.

The grey-and-white seats have been piped in red; recently recovered in the correct material and treated to new rubber diaphragms to their base, they’re springy and firm and much more comfortable than they look. In great shape too, with no visible wear or damage at all.

The matching door cards look good too, and the ultra-simple painted dashboard is as legible as it is intuitive to navigate. The Mini has a vast amount of storage space for such a small car, even if there are more hard edges than a Stasi press conference.

The steering wheel is the component that best illustrates how fashions have changed; at a time when our new cars are fitted with thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed, airbag-equipped monstrosities, the thin-rimmed, large-diameter wheel with its unyielding centre boss couldn’t be more different – and it’s all the more glorious for being so.

Other retro quirks include the heavily cranked gearlever, the simple wire door pulls, and the much-prized floor-mounted starter button. Lifting the good red carpets reveals nothing but solid metal and sound-deadening material underneath.

But, for all its many good points it wouldn’t be unkind to suggest that the interior is a tiny bit tired in a couple of places and would benefit from some love and attention; it’s not that it is especially bad, more that its lightly patinated appearance contrasts so strongly with the fresh exterior.

Oh, and the same key unlocks the doors AND starts the car; there aren’t many Minis of this age that can claim that!

As you’d expect given the car’s recent mechanical refurbishment, the Mini starts, ticks over, and drives as it should. The handling is mm-perfect, and the tiny brakes do a fabulous job of hauling the featherweight Austin to a halt. Our test-drive just resulted in smiles.

The engine bay is attractively presented with some nicely painted components. However, the winning bidder could profitably invest a couple of lockdown-hours in giving it a bit of a spring-clean.

The underside looks good and strong, and has been protected by a coat of underseal. This is peeling a little in places, so we can see that the new owner might want to invest half-a-day with a wire brush and then £20 in underseal to touch it up.

The Mini doesn’t have a current MOT certificate as none of the owner’s local garages were open to do one. That said, the Mini’s MOT certificate only expired in November 2019 and it was gained without a single advisory point, something that has been the case since 2013. With that in mind, we can’t imagine that popping a fresh one on would be unduly onerous.

The car also comes with a number of expired MOT certificates and a huge file of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years. It also comes with a genuine Austin Seven workshop manual, the original warranty card, and the driver’s handbook.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained in recent years to the very highest standard.

NB. We know that you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on. Or, even better, contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call, where you can direct us in real-time.

Our boss is a man not swayed by populism and sentimentality, which makes him exactly the sort of chap you want advising you when the time comes to let a much-loved classic go.

But, even he has been moved by the Mini, calling it a “sweet little thing” and “quite charming”. He also said “it drives great”, which might be a brief summary but if there was anything to report, then he’d have done so.

This means the Mini a good ‘un. Not perfect but a good, solid base for someone with the time and motivation to add value while sorting out its few cosmetic quirks – and if now isn’t the right time to make a little money using your state-imposed downtime, we don’t know when will be…

So, it would make an ideal first classic car for someone looking to invest a few thousand pounds in a rock-solid icon that’ll provide both driving pleasure and a few gentle learning experiences.

As to value; who knows? The vendor is a sensible chap, so he’s willing to let you lot decide its value; we think the final hammer will fall when the numbers read somewhere between £8,000 and £12,000 but it’ll sell for from the very first submission, so why not pop in a cheeky little bid? After all, interest rates are only going one way for the foreseeable future - and that sure as hell ain’t up.

This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.