Description
Wow! Probably the coolest car we`ve seen this year. A genuine Rover Mini Cabriolet (one of a believed 1081 manufactured) and the subject of a 10-year rolling rebuild, this little Mini is an absolute stunner and turns heads wherever it goes. Presented in metallic Candy Lime Green with Grey suedette interior and Dark Green mohair hood, this super-rare Mini has been fully restored and tastefully customised and comes with a large file of receipts. With obvious show-winning potential, this amazing creation needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. It doesn`t disappoint on any level.
With a production run spanning 41 years, the Mini has become an absolute icon of British popular culture. Designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis, this diminutive 2-door saloon was initially built at the Longbridge and Cowley plants but it`s huge global popularity saw cars produced under licence in places as far away as Venezuela and South Africa. An estate version and two light commercials, a van and a pick-up, soon formed part of the line-up and when it`s competition potential was recognised, huge rally success came with a string of Cooper variants. During the 1980`s, an increasing number of limited editions were launched featuring different trims, badging and mechanical upgrades. Whilst Rover didn`t offer a convertible variant, German coachbuilders, LAMM Autohaus of Achern, had started to manufacture their own cabriolet and it`s popularity soon made Rover sit up and take note. As a consequence, in 1991, Rover commissioned LAMM to build 75 RHD prototypes that were offered through just 12 dealerships across the UK. Priced at £12, 250 they were expensive (over twice the price of a standard Sprite) and available in one colour only - Cherry Red with matching red hood. The cars sold out almost immediately convincing Rover to launch it`s own cabriolet at the NEC Motor Show in October 1992. Rover Special Products (RSP) knew that this gamble was worth taking but needed external help in the design and development, turning to Karmann and Tickford for assistance. Both had a proven track record with hood design. Available from June 1993, the Cabriolet was initially offered in just two colours, Nightfire Red and Caribbean Blue with British Racing Green coming a year later. List price again wasn`t cheap at £11, 995 but you were getting a proper factory-built custom that required significant re-engineering. An additional sill was added over the existing inner sill to provide necessary body strengthening whilst both seat cross member and A-panel were braced to further prevent body-flexing. All side windows were re-designed to drop or pivot into the side panels enabling the cabriolet to have the look of a full-convertible whilst a 12-section body kit was a no-delete option and helped to disguise the chassis strengthening required. Inside, the car featured Cobra bucket seats, a full Walnut dash with full range of instruments and matching door cappings. Interestingly, whilst the rear seat base was standard, the seat back had to be slimmed down to accommodate the hood mechanism. Under the bonnet was a totally standard Rover SPi 1275cc albeit performance was somewhat down on standard owing to the additional weight the car was carrying. Hoods were hand-fitted by RSP and each carried a unique Tickford serial number whilst the car was finished off with 12” Revolution alloy wheels with 175/ 70 tyres. Production continued until 1996 with a believed 1081 examples built and sold worldwide.
Our car dates from June 1994 and was first registered in Reading. Unfortunately, we know very little of its life prior to 2009 when it was acquired as a complete project by a lady in Salisbury. She retained the Mini for 3 years albeit it was not on the road and was subsequently sold on in April 2012 to a Mini enthusiast in Taunton. Over the next 10 years, the car was essentially rebuilt and customised to create the Mini you see today. Notable work has included:
New rear subframe.
Shot-blasted front subframe and powder-coated.
New rear donuts and adjustable cones front and rear.
Poly-bushed suspension with Gemax shock-absorbers all `round.
Rebuilt hubs, bearings, ball joints and brakes all `round with new drums, shoes, cylinders, callipers and pads. Braided brake hoses.
Complete engine and trim-out repaint in custom metallic Candy Lime Green.
Engine overhauled with head gasket replaced, new water pump and ancillaries.
New 4-branch exhaust manifold with Fletcher stainless steel large bore LCB mid and rear sections.
Retrimmed interior in grey leather and suedette with green stitching, matching door cards, dash top and bottom and green seat belts. New black carpets.
New door handles, locks and bullet mirrors. Electric front windows.
Revolution alloys shot-blasted and repainted Sparkle Silver with all new tyres.
Today, the car presents superbly as the photographs show. The quality of the paintwork is exceptional and is virtually blemish-free. Both under bonnet and boot areas tell the same story. The cabin too is a fabulous place to be with all-new trim finished in light grey leather and suedette with correct Walnut dash and door cappings. The mohair hood covering and frame, secured by two clips to the front windscreen, is in excellent condition as is the plastic rear window. It lowers quickly and easily and sits folded where the original parcel shelf would have been. Turn the key and the little A-Series fires up instantly and sounds sporty and purposeful through the large bore performance exhaust system. On the road, the Mini drives just as one would imagine with immediate throttle response, pin-sharp steering and terrific roadholding. On a bright but rather cloudy August day, I took the car for a blast across the West Dorset Downs and loved every second. I grew up with Minis and they never fail to make me smile. This one though is very special and it genuinely turns more heads than anything else I have driven this year. Everybody loves it and it is worthy of being a magazine-feature car or certainly a show-winner. I already intend to take it to a big Mini gathering on the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend - that is if it hasn’t sold first! Come and fight me for the keys.
The Mini comes with a file of bills and receipts covering the rebuild period 2012-2022, a current MoT Certificate to June 2024, a current V5C and set of keys.
A total one-off. Rare and beautifully done.
Shore Classics is based on the West Dorset coast within easy proximity of both Weymouth and the County town of Dorchester. As classic and vintage dealers, we offer full brokerage facilities. So if you require some help and guidance with selling your classic car or motorcycle, just give us a call today.
Deposit now taken.
