1966 Morris Mini Cooper S

Built in September 1966, this UK-market Mini Cooper S MKI was supplied with Almond Green coachwork and an Old English roof from new. With Porcelain Green upholstery with Dove Grey inserts inside, it was fitted with a heater, an auxiliary fuel tank, and an oil cooler from new. Sold by Moir & Baxter Ltd of Edinburgh, it still wears its original registration number of FFG 927D today.

A British Motor Industry Heritage certificate is on file confirming its original factory specification, and it is thought to have been restored using a new bodyshell at some point, although we haven’t been able to verify this. What is confirmed is significant recent expenditure in late 2018 on maintaining the integrity of its structure, work that should see it through the next couple of decades at least.

Described by the boss as “a very sweet example”, it is being offered with a very sensible guide price and an even more sensible reserve. So, if you’ve ever fancied getting your hands on a genuine British motorsport icon, your time has come…

The Almond Green and Old English White bodywork looks fabulous, which further reinforces the vendor’s belief that it might well have been restored with a replacement bodyshell at some point.

However, little is known of the Mini prior to 2011 other than an MOT record that shows that it was in use between 2000/01 and 2010/11. It was then placed into storage, he thinks, before being taken out in May 2017 to be MOT’d again.

October/November 2018 saw it being treated to a light restoration comprising new floorpans, a new seat crossmember, new inner and outer sills and jacking points plus many new mechanical components including refurbishment of the cooling and braking systems. All-in-all, the work cost £9,600 and the bills for the work, which detail what was done, can be seen here in the advert.

It now looks absolutely superb and the way the panels have been aligned speaks of many long hours gently coaxing them into alignment. The panels are still in good shape too, with ripple-free flanks and good shutlines.

The green and white paintwork looks superb; classic colour schemes become so for a reason, and this one shows why so many modern retro cars are aping this two-tone look.

The chromework is in great shape too, and gleams nicely even if there is a little rust starting on a few isolated areas such as the corners of the front bumper (photos #30, 75 and 76 will give you an idea of how minor this is though). The front and rear over-riders on the corners of the bumpers add a welcome touch of flash, and the whole thing hangs together very convincingly.

New numberplates finish the whole ensemble off, and are supported by very good badges and light lenses – and we love the very of-the-period sliding side windows.

Tiny steel wheels, which have been painted in the same shade of white as the roof, are topped with chrome hubcaps. They sit on four matching tyres in the correct 145SR10 size and, being Dunlop Aquajets, they are nice and chunky and still have plenty of tread left on them.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Blemishes are minor and seem to be restricted to, in the words of the boss, “a few minor stonechips on the paint from its exceedingly minor use. Otherwise, it is very good.” (Please see photos #53 and 54 to see what he’s talking about.)

Trust us when we say that is high praise indeed and the sort of fulsome comment we’d kill for on our annual staff appraisal…

The Porcelain Green and Dove Grey upholstery is in a terrific condition. It’s another classic colour combination and one that complements the Almond Green and Old English White coachwork to perfection. With firm and springy front seats, it’s all clearly been refurbished in the car’s recent past, too.

The headlining is just as good, as are the C-pillar trims and the dashboard. The amount of space the Mini offers within such a tiny wheelbase never fails to amaze us; that’s partly, of course, because there’s not a great deal in there – and when you have so little to distract you then what there is needs to be of the very highest quality, which is what you see here.

The leather-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel, for example, is new and suits the car’s sporting nature to perfection. More Easter eggs abound like the green-tipped indicator stalk, the wand-like gear-lever, the pleated door cards, and the extended toggle switches that allow the driver to reach them without having to strain.

The boot is absolutely solid and has been painted and carpeted very neatly. It’s home to the steel spare wheel, which has been fitted with a new tyre. There is also what looks suspiciously like a very recent battery.

Work to do is minor. In fact, the only thing we can see that we’d be tempted to sort out is the carpet around the gear-lever, which is a little crude. That said, less fastidious folk could probably live with it, even though it would be a very easy and cheap fix.

The engine bay is neat and tidily presented. Obsessives might want to detail it further but everyone else will be happy to leave it as it is.

As you can see in the video, it starts well and thrums along on tickover very happily. It revs nicely too, which is just as well as few cars thrive on revs like the Mini.

The underside is, as you’d expect given that nigh-on five-figure bill, very solid and nicely presented. It’s been nicely painted in Almond Green and while it looks terrific, we can’t help but think that a decent coat of underseal would be a worthwhile investment if you plan on using the Mini for anything more than the odd gentle summer run.

Problems? Well, not a problem as such but we do note that the car lacks the brake servo it would have been fitted with from new, and the suspension has been converted from the factory Hydrolastic to dry suspension. The former is not unknown when an old Mini is being restored and the latter is a common conversion; neither would concern us unduly if we were thinking of bidding on it.

The Mini doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

That said, its MOT history prior to this one running out in May 2018 was sparkling, so we wouldn’t let the lack of a ticket put us off bidding in any way.

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 restored to a very good standard.

Everyone loves a 1275 Mini Cooper S, especially the early ones like this. Built in the year England won the World Cup, it is the embodiment of the British underdog spirit and iconic cars such as this weather financial storms and social uncertainty better than most; when the market gets twitchy, it defaults to what it knows and loves – and few cars are as beloved as this.

This makes them a solid investment, albeit one that does require a fairly significant financial commitment up front. And yet, given the Bank of England has asked institutions to prepare for the possible introduction of negative interest rates in a few months, would you rather pay the bankers to keep your money on deposit, or invest something between £26,500 and £35,000 on buying this in the hope they’ll continue to appreciate over the years?

Quite.

Inspection is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.