1966 Morris Mini Cooper

This magnificent Mini Cooper comes to us courtesy of the wife of the owner, who unfortunately is now unable to drive the car.

A retired mechanical engineer, he had a passion for classic cars and machinery, together with the expertise and know-how to maintain them.

It seems he also had a very good eye for spotting and buying a car where most of the heavy lifting had been carried out by a previous owner.

The car was the subject of a ground-up restoration carried out, according to numerous invoices and receipts, between 2004 and 2005, with the odometer being reset in 2006 after the engine rebuild.

We know from a note hand-written by the then owner (and plenty of accompanying bills and receipts) that among the huge amount of work carried out were the following highlights.

· New subframes, floors, inner and outer sills, front and rear valances, inner and outer wings, BMH driver’s door, and boot floor

· All welding repairs made invisible

· All body panels fully Waxoyled

· Engine and gearbox fully rebuilt

· Engine converted to unleaded fuel

· Suspension converted to a dry system

· Driveshafts stripped, cleaned and rebuilt

· Maniflow exhaust system fitted

· New clutch, timing chain, coil, electronic ignition, and heater element

· New Dunlop Aquajet tyres

· New carpets, door cards, side pockets and dashboard trim

· All new stainless steel brightwork

· Mk1 toolkit, handbook, and ‘passport to service’

Although the car starts, runs, drives, handles, performs and stops with all the cheeky enthusiasm and dynamic competence you would hope and expect to find in a properly sorted Cooper, it is currently awaiting a replacement fuel pump, as the extant item was proving a little temperamental.

This will be sorted by the time the car is sold.

It’s hard to look at this car without a smile creeping across your face.

It’s a joy to behold.

The bodywork is very straight and true.

Certainly, we’ve seen very few dinks, dents, dimples, creases or folds that aren’t supposed to be there.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are probably more consistent and even than they would have been when it left the factory.

The doors close with levels of weight, certainty and precision that we’d usually associate with automotive offerings from Zuffenhausen or Stuttgart.

The paintwork, which we believe is Almond Green with an Old English White roof, is very pleasant on the eye and gives the car an authentic, of-the-period feel.

In general, the paint has a depth of lustre and a thick, rich finish to it wherever you look.

Faults and flaws are few and far between on this car, but it’s our job to be pernickety and find stuff to moan about, so here goes.

There are a few scratches and stone chips on top of the front wings; a touched-up chip on the o/s/f wing near the bonnet; a chip to the paint on the upper hinge on the driver’s door; some cracks and splits to the paint on the offside ‘A’ pillar; some cracked paint at the base of the nearside ‘A’ pillar and in the groove running from its base to the rear corner of the bonnet; some scuffing on the driver’s-side sill caused by contact with the door above it; a chip on the nearside edge of the tailgate; a scratch or two on the roof; and some faint distortion to the metal low down on the n/s/r wing.

The wheels are in decent order and are shod in matching Dunlop Aquajet rubber that appears to have plenty of useful service left in it.

The brightwork is free from any foxing, tarnishing or pitting that we can discern, and the car’s lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings all look good to us.

The interior of any Mk1 Mini Cooper is a simple, spartan, uncluttered place, and this one is no exception.

Delightfully analogue in look and feel, this is an interior that’s famously both driver-focussed and Tardis-like in its ability to accommodate at least four adults.

The vinyl seats come in the very attractive, period-correct, two-tone combination of ‘Porcelain Green’ with ‘Dove Grey’ inserts.

They are in decent order save for a horizontal tear to the driver’s seat squab, a nick at the base of the passenger seat, and some rather untidy bits of foam bulging out from the bases of the backrests. We imagine a decent vinyl whisperer might well be able to rectify the splits without incurring too much cost or effort.

The seats, front and back, are comfortable and supportive.

The Moto-Lita ‘John Cooper’ wood-rimmed steering wheel adds a rather classy touch and it comes complete with a push-horn in the Cooper-badged boss.

The headlining is reasonable, but there is small hole on the driver’s side and some discolouration around the edges.

The grey carpets are in fine order, as are the door cards and the dashboard, although there is a little loose trim beneath the choke and heater control panel.

As far as we’re aware, the charmingly limited array of knobs, switches, dials, levers, instruments and buttons does what it’s supposed to do without complaint, delay or dissent.

The boot is following the same script in terms of condition and preservation. It contains a spare wheel, fuel can and a car cover.

The jewel-like engine looks appealing compact, dry and clean within the very tidy engine bay, and everything looks to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car seem to be possessed of plenty of structural integrity, and we’ve seen nothing whatsoever to make us tut, frown or otherwise express fear or doubt.

Basically, it all looks thoroughly decent to us.

The car comes with some pleasantly human aspects to its history, including various letters of correspondence between the man who restored it in 2004/5 and subsequent owners.

From these and other notifications we learn that the restored car more than held its own at various Mini Cooper shows and events, even winning a rosette or two at some concours events along the way.

There are bills, receipts, invoices and photographs aplenty attesting to the copious work carried out during and since the restoration, with a very long list of parts ordered from Somerford Mini, Mini Spares and other marque and model specialists.

The car comes with a V5C, full sets of keys and an MoT certificate that’s valid until 4th January 2027.

A Mk1 Mini Cooper is an iconic, seminal vehicle and one of the very few cars that can genuinely be said to have played a part in shaping the fashions, tastes and culture of an entire generation and influenced all those that followed.

This particular example has had the good fortune to be owned and cherished by a succession of owners who have spent good time and money ensuring that it’s the best possible version of itself – dynamically, mechanically and aesthetically.

It’s a marvellous example of a car that’s deservedly a legend in its own lifetime.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £25,000 - £30,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.