Classic Mini left in dusty garage for 33 years sells for £40,000 at auction
A ‘sleeping beauty’ vintage Mini had been sitting unused in a garage for 33 years.
That was until it was sold for the whopping £39,100 at an auction at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show in Birmingham.
The 1275 GT model, from 1970, was only expected to make £10,000, when it went under the hammer this weekend.
It was found in a locked garage near Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire with a tax disc that had expired at the end of June 1990.
A spokesperson for Classic Car Auctions, which auctioned the Mini, said: ‘One can only wonder why its owner garaged it for three decades.
‘But its discovery patently delighted the Mini enthusiasts at the sale as one more of these ground-breaking British automotive icons.
‘This was an astonishing result built on substantial pre-sale interest.’
According to the description, the car had one owner from new, with just 11,836 miles on the clock.
It described the Mini as finished in bronze yellow over black vinyl. The bodywork and interior are said to be in remarkable condition.
It’s not known why the motor was padlocked away for so many years, but stickers indicate the next service was due at 13.438 miles.
According to Classics World, the ‘1275 GT was famously derided as a poor Mini Cooper replacement, lacking the original’s performance and sporting the Clubman front-end treatment’.
But it said attitudes have changed over the years and the model is now highly prized.
Also fetching more than its asking price was musician Chris Rea’s 1950 Series I model Land Rover.
Classic Car Auctions had set a guide price of £10,000 – £12,000 for the car, which they say has been lightly used latterly and kept in dry storage.
But the Road to Hell singer’s off-roader ended up fetching an impressive £17,250.
Before Rea bought the vehicle in December 2021, it had a single owner for 35 years.
Believed to have been rebuilt sometime in the 1970s, the Land Rover is fitted with a Rover 2000 SC (P6) engine, which Classic Car said is ‘smooth running and suited to the car’.
A new Exmoor trim canvas tilt roof was fitted three years ago, and a replacement tailgate was fitted installed.
‘Everyone loves a Series I, the most sought after Land Rover,’ said Classic Car Auctions.
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