1986 Austin Mini Mayfair

Registration: D974 ACG
Chassis: SAXXL2S1N20324657
Odometer: 7,956
Transmission: Auto
MOT: None

• Just three owners from new
• Remarkable 40-year ownership with the current keeper
• Genuine long-term barn-find collection car

Few cars have enjoyed the extraordinary longevity of the original Mini. Alec Issigonis's revolutionary transverse-engine, front-wheel-drive design arrived in 1959 and remained fundamentally recognisable throughout more than four decades of production. By the 1980s the Mini had evolved from ingenious economy car into a British institution, with versions such as the Mayfair adding a little more comfort and equipment without losing the simplicity and character that made the original so successful.

Another fascinating car to emerge from the same long-term barn-find collection, and it comes with an ownership story that is becoming increasingly difficult to find. It has had just three owners from new, while remarkably the current keeper has owned the car for approximately 40 years.

This 1986 example adds another interesting feature in the form of its automatic transmission, paired with the familiar 998cc A-Series engine. Automatic classic Minis are far less commonly encountered today than their manual counterparts and make for an interesting variation on the traditional Mini formula.

Having spent a considerable period stored on a farm, the Mini is now being offered as a recommissioning and restoration project. Encouragingly, the engine does start and run, providing its next owner with a promising starting point. It has nevertheless been standing for a long time and will require proper recommissioning before returning to road use, with the brakes, fuel system, cooling system, tyres, fluids and other mechanical and safety-related components all deserving inspection.

Finished in bright yellow with a contrasting white roof, the Mini certainly doesn't lack character. The exterior remains surprisingly presentable for a long-stored project, with its chrome grille and bumpers and period-style alloy wheels completing the traditional Mini appearance. There are age and storage-related imperfections around the car, and prospective bidders should view it as a project rather than a cosmetically prepared example, but there appears to be a very worthwhile basis from which to work.

Inside, the car is currently partially stripped, with the carpets removed and the painted floors exposed. The black seats with contrasting red piping remain fitted along with the wood-effect dashboard and instrumentation. The cabin will require cleaning, preparation and reassembly as part of the recommissioning process, but importantly the car comes with a brand-new set of replacement carpets, ready to be fitted.

It also comes with a particularly useful selection of additional parts and spares. These include a spare carburettor, front wing, wheelarch extensions, seat runners, airbox and further assorted components, giving the successful bidder a welcome head start on completing the car.

The odometer currently displays 7,956 miles. Given the age of the Mini and the history presently available, no claim is made regarding its total lifetime mileage and the figure is recorded simply as displayed.

There is plenty to like about this little Mini as a project. Most importantly, it hasn't appeared as an anonymous incomplete shell with no story behind it. Instead, it is a three-owner car that has spent some four decades with the same keeper, has emerged directly from long-term collection storage and remains sufficiently complete to make its return to the road a very achievable and satisfying prospect.

The fact that it already starts and runs is encouraging, while the collection of new and spare parts accompanying it should help considerably with the next stage of the project. The new carpets in particular should transform the currently stripped interior once the floors have been prepared and the cabin reassembled.

Whether its next owner chooses simply to recommission it and enjoy its barn-find character or gradually improve it cosmetically over time, this Mini looks like a thoroughly enjoyable classic Mini project.