Equipment
1,071cc inline-four, 4-speed, 10? steel wheels, front disc brakes, Pertronix ignition, roll bar, and sliding side windows
Condition
Sold from the son of the car’s third owner, who bought it in 1980 after it had been set up for club racing with a roll bar. It also has a heater and single fuel tank (dual tanks were optional). He said it had been parked two years ago, and honestly represented it as a non-running project missing bits like the carpets and the grille. Despite being definitely rough around the edges, it looked like a reasonably solid project with good floors and body shell (rust is a Mini’s number one enemy).
Market commentary
Given how rare a 1071 is, some Mini nerds swarmed the comment section on the listing with questions, and some concerns. The car doesn’t have a BMIHT (British Motor Industry Heritage Trust) certificate, which references build records from BMC and other manufacturers and is a common selling point for old English automobiles. There were also some concerns about the front valance, which in some photos looked to be from a later Mini. Major body work isn’t uncommon on these rust-prone cars, but it can significantly affect value. Some engine information was also missing from the listing initially, while the engine itself was painted red (instead of the correct green), and instead of the correct dual carbs under an oval filter assembly there was an odd single-carb setup fed by what looks like the tip of a shop vac. It was unclear at first that the engine even was a 1071. Eventually, though, the seller addressed all concerns with additional photos, confirming the 1071 engine, the original body, and the mostly original paint. It was determined that the car was legit, and bidding picked up. Its final price would buy you a brand new, well-optioned 2024 Mini Cooper JCW that has over triple the horsepower, nearly four times the torque, and will actually start and drive. But that’s missing the point. This is an exceedingly rare car with good bones and most of its original bits. Classic Minis, which were cheap for most of their lives, easily modified and susceptible to rot, are rarely this well-preserved if they haven’t gotten serious work. And the desirable 1071 model is one of those cars you can’t really shop around for—you have to wait for them. Bring a Trailer has only sold one other one, but it was another project car in far worse condition than this, so it brought a much lower $27,563. So even though this car looks scruffy, it’s a diamond in the rough that got the attention it deserved.