Just passing time looking at the e-bay motors section recently and I am amazed at the prices being asked (and sometimes achieved) for the old style Mini. Not the 60's/70's Cooper/1275 models I hasten to add, but the 1.0 litre BL built cars from the 80's, most of which have long since died from terminal rust.
One punter was after £1500 for his rusty 1985 mayfair model!
Are they starting to appreciate in value I wonder?
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As one of the design icons of the 20th centuary, I suppose they must become very collectable as their numbers diminish. I've noticed quite a few on the roads since moving to Pembrokeshire, they seem to be popular down here. Red with two white stripes along the bonnet is the in colour, there are at least three of these locally, all in daily use.
Something about the British psyche that many our most treasured creations were commercial flops, in terms of profit made. Concorde being another.
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This has been the case for years.
I have run Minis on and off for 20 years. One I bought for £50, spent £100 on it and it sold with 12 months MOT for £425. Unlike modern cars the basic parts are so cheap to do them up.
I had 3 years worth of 45 miles a day commuting out of our Mini Advantage and it never let me down. Its in my garage at the moment being refurbished for my son to learn to drive in. He's helping so hopefully he won't abuse it.
Bought it 10 years ago for £900. Will be worth at least that, if not more, when it's finished next March.
To a non Mini person the prices they go for seem ridiculous but if someone's willing to pay.....
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I would just LOVE to get back my old Cooper 970S! Dry suspension, hot cam, gas flowed head, 45DCOE Weber with air trumpets poking thru where the speedo was, plastic bonnet, no interior trim, plastic windows, lowered at the front, but not at the back (lovely oversteer when I lifted off) etc etc
Oh to be young and stupid again!(Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Cadwell Park, here I come again)
PS Met SWMBO at Snetterton!
Roger in Spain
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Wolsey Hornets and the Riley Elf must be worth a few quid now, very rare sight indeed these days. Saw a Hornet in immaculate condition at the beginning of the year, always thought the trademark illuminated grill badge looked really cool.
Often wondered how they compared to the standard mini, were they that much better or was it all just hype? (Like the Austin 1100 Vanden Plas a mate had, ugh!!)
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Ah Mr Roger you have reminded me. Winter Jan '63. Blizzards the like of which greybeards still talk about. Pinner as I recall. Party. The only car which could move (FWD) was the for-sale Mini Cooper I had "borrowed" for the weekend from the dealer I worked for.
The upside was I got to spend the night with Penny and Judy in a very small bed in a very small flat in Northwood Hills, but enough of that.
The downside was I had to explain to my manager on Tuesday when I got back where his Mini had gone. A Career-Limiting Move I believe they call it.
But nicer than the Cooper was the Mini pickup. That really did go like the proverbial off the shovel. You could literally throw that thing at anything at any speed and it just got on with it.
You didn't really need a lot of screaming power, those things had enough low-down grunt to make anything fun.
Sub-frame rot? Was that not the Mini problem?
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£13,200was £13,680Details
£23,672was £24,287Details![2024 MINI Convertible 1.5 Cooper Sport 2dr Auto [Comfort/Nav Pack]](//images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/dd5f87bae9a959d360f24519fd3589d6/22825ad29b353d5a0bd47ba2addebb94.jpg)
£28,450was £28,950Details
£15,299was £15,499Details
![2024 MINI Convertible 1.5 Cooper Sport 2dr Auto [Comfort/Nav Pack]](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/dd5f87bae9a959d360f24519fd3589d6/22825ad29b353d5a0bd47ba2addebb94.jpg)
