1963 Morris MINI 850

Those early Minis came in many different colour schemes – there were different colour ranges for Austin and Morris – but few were as striking and colourful as Fiesta Yellow with light blue interior. It’s no surprise that the first owner of this car was a lady and Miss P MacCarthy of North Harrow made a terrific choice – not only did she choose this stunning colour scheme, but she also chose the 12% more expensive Super model with all the bells and whistles. These included the little nudge bars on the bumpers, slatted grille, carpeted floor and boot, heater, temperature and oil pressure gauges, extra soundproofing, levers for internal door opening instead of cords and key-start ignition. The rev counter was an optional extra, and the Les Leston woodrim steering wheel fitted on this car was an attractive period option.

While the earliest Minis tend to attract the very highest prices, slightly later cars like this are much more usable, benefiting from vital production improvements like the adoption of baulk-ring synchromesh in late 1961 and better crank sealing in December 1962. In October 1964 of course it all changed with the adoption of Hydrolastic suspension – so this could well be said to be one of the ultimate early Minis, benefiting from those early improvements but retaining the original rubber suspension.

The car also benefits from significant improvements to the engine, braking, wheels and tyres that make it a delight to drive, with performance on a par with early Coopers, despite retaining its original 848cc engine (confirmed by the original Service Book). The vendor tells us that improvements include a high-lift cam, 12G295 cylinder head and twin SU carburettors, disc brakes with AP Racing calipers, JBW Minilite-style alloy wheels and Yokohama A-008 165/70 tyres (dated 2015).

It’s extremely hard to fault this delightful Mini, which boasts excellent paint and gaps all round. There is one tiny bubble in the paint at the bottom of the driver’s side A-pillar, and an almost imperceptible bubble on the bonnet (both photographed). And that’s it. The original Super grille has light but even bubbling in the slats – it was presumably polished on the front before rechroming, but was impossible to polish to the same standards inside the slats.

The chrome is excellent throughout, nothing letting down the overall concours-standard appearance. Neat, period-looking chrome door mirrors are fitted (cleverly attached through the glass to the slider controls) and even the shiny arch/sill trim is unmarked. Lucas P700 tripod headlights, also period, also enhance the delightful frontal appearance. The Morris badge on the bonnet is in excellent order, just the blue paint on the lettering showing slight loss (easily touched in). The numberplate swings down as it should when the bootlid is opened, allowing the carrying of oversize luggage.

The light blue interior adds a gloriously trendy Sixties feel with the almost pistachio-yellow paint. Again, it seems to be virtually flawless – unsurprising given how few miles the car has done since restoration, and the quality of the Newton Commercial trim that has been used. The correct optional-extra rev counter and period Les Leston steering wheel add just the right sporting flavour without going over the top, to match the mechanical improvements and the sporty look of the wheels.

All details are present and correct, even the period hand-pump screenwash and original heater knob. The under-dash trim is lifting in a couple of places (easily glued back), there are a couple of small scrapes on the base of the heater control panel and a little nick in the end of the flashing indicator stalk – otherwise we really found nothing to fault. Perhaps a neat Morris badge would improve the horn push on the centre of the steering wheel, as currently its plastic boss looks a little too modern for 1963 (unlike the rest of the steering wheel, which really is perfect).

Down below is the only area where you can find proof that this Mini has been used at all since restoration – and it’s pretty much all good news. The underside is in body colour as it should be and is excellent, with just splash marks which the fastidious concours entrant could polish off if they wished. The chassis plate is scruffy but is wonderfully original – so much nicer to see than a brand new plate with no authority.

The only small disappointment is the bubbling in the paint alongside the (near-new) brake master cylinder, indicating that a fluid leak has occurred in the past. It’s dry now and the paint is still protecting the steel underneath, but it would lose points in a concours. If you’re going to use the car, though, there’s no immediate need to rectify it. Stains on the end of the cylinder head also indicate a past slight leak from the heater control, but there’s no leak now and the marks would probably just polish off. There’s a little flaking of paint on the cylinder block and the engine number plate, and the bonnet stay needs a clip or split pin to hold it in place.

In line with other improvements, an alternator has been fitted along with a Lucas Sports coil and polyurethane engine stay bushes, and a full stainless exhaust system – but it’s great to see that the wiper motor carries the correct ‘7 63’ date code, indicating it’s almost certainly the original. The attention to detail in fitting period-correct parts wherever possible, such as the air filter sticker, the fuel piping, the plug leads and caps and so many other details such as correct bolts, nuts and screws almost everywhere is just delightful. Even the wiring loom appears to be the original and in very sound condition – a rare sight.

There is a small tinkle from the fan just touching the radiator cowling when pulling away (it can be heard on the video) – slight adjustment of the cowling should fix this.

Intriguingly, Miss MacCarthy bought her Mini in Darlington, North Yorkshire on September 27, 1963 – a long way from her Harrow, London address. Presumably she was a Yorkshire lass made good, making her fortune in the big city but popped back to see her folks and bought the car from the showroom of Haughton Car Co, where it had had its pre-delivery service on September 17 and was registered, presumably for demonstration purposes, on September 18. The Fiesta Yellow Mini would certainly have looked much more at home in London than Darlington and she had the 500-mile service carried out on Sept 28 before driving the car down to Harrow.

Edwards Motor Racing Service of Watford carried out the next service at 3150 miles on 13 January 1965, so she was clearly using the car sparingly. The original Passport to Service was given to the current owner by her relatives, who recognised the car on social media.

The V5 shows just seven former keepers (if which the first was almost certainly Haughton Car Co) and the recorded mileage is very probably first time around, as the amount of original components on the car suggests it must have led a charmed life. Fifteen years ago, the mileage was 65,211 – just 1464 less than it is now.

The vendor has had the car since 2009, at which point it had already been bodily and mechanically rebuilt by a restorer in Sussex, with plenty of bills on file to support the work. Over the last 11 years, Keith has spared no expense in bringing the whole car up to a superb standard, starting with the interior as supported by bills from Newton Commercial. Recent bills include a new steering rack, and a new clean-sheet MoT (passed on 17 September) confirms the car’s usability.

For the last few years, the car has been treated to the highest quality dehumidified storage, shared with numerous exotic supercars – this really is a pampered Mini! We have to confess to falling in love with it – as did everyone else who saw it when we were there. The improvements are so tastefully done and the depth of attention to originality wherever possible is a great credit to its past owners and restorers. It has done very few miles since extensive restoration and is just itching to be used: this is a real gem!

Bearing all this in mind, we estimate that this charming little Mini between £12,000 - £17,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor near Gloucester; 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’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.