Description
To be offered for sale by Silverstone Auctions at The Silverstone Classic Sale 2019 to be held at The Wing Building, Silverstone Circuit, United Kingdom, NN12 8TN from July 26, 2019 to July 28, 2019. Guide price: £26000 - £30000. An early matching-numbers Mk1 997cc twin-carb A-series exampleManufactured on the 8th November 1962 as a left-hand drive North American export modelDiscovered in remarkably solid/ original condition and repatriated in March 2018 by a Mini enthusiast Subject to an extensive restoration. Fully stripped down, soda blasted and epoxy-primed before being repainted in its original colours. Original floors, sills, front/ rear sub-frames and stainless steel seam covers have all been retainedConverted to right-hand drive, 997 engine and gearbox sent to specialists Somerford Mini for a complete rebuild back to original 997 specification; new wiring loom and a new Newton Commercial interior Odometer reads 34, 711 miles and is believed correct (but cannot be verified)To many, its designer Alec Issigonis included, the notion that the Mini might have a future as anything other than basic transport was an anathema, and the idea of a high-performance version was laughable. One man, though, saw it quite differently. Racing car manufacturer John Cooper already knew quite a bit about tuning BMC's A-Series engine - he was running the company's Formula Junior effort at the time - and a test drive in a prototype Mini convinced him of its competition potential. John Cooper appealed to BMC Management, with Issigonis' concerns being disregarded and the two good friends eventually cooperated in creating what rapidly became, and still remains, a legendary little motor car - the Mini Cooper. The Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper debuted in 1961. The car presented here is an early 1962 Mk1 997cc twin-carb A-series example, and according to its Heritage Certificate, was manufactured on the 8th November 1962 as a left-hand drive, North American export model. What its exploits were state-side we do not know, but we can deduce it found its way to a dry State, as it was discovered in remarkably solid/ original condition - it still even retains the original 7-inch discs - and was subsequently repatriated in March 2018 by a UK Mini enthusiast. He has treated the car to an extensive restoration, fully stripped down, soda blasted and epoxy-primed before being repainted in its original colours. The original floors, sills, front/ rear sub-frames and stainless-steel seam covers have all been retained. It has also been converted to right-hand drive and the 997cc engine and gearbox sent to specialists 'Somerford Mini' in Wiltshire for a complete rebuild back to the original 997 specification. The car has been fitted with a new wiring loom and treated to a new interior courtesy of Newton Commercial, absolute specialists when it comes to early Minis. The original 100mph speedometer reads 34, 711 miles and is believed correct (but cannot be verified). Sadly, unforeseen circumstances mean our vendor must now part with the car and is keen that it should go to a like-minded enthusiast. This is a super little Cooper and would be a credit to any new owner.
