MINI (1959-2000)

Now entering its sixth uninterrupted decade as one of the country’s most loved cars, interest in the Mini seems as unflagging as ever. Even the newest generation of drivers who weren’t born when the last Mini rolled out of Longbridge (yes, it was very nearly 20 years ago!) aren’t immune to the little car’s cheeky charms. Or perhaps last year’s 60th anniversary celebrations have rekindled an affection for the Mini from your past?

In either case, there is no reason not to revisit the buying advice for what has always been one of the linchpins in the classic car world. Even if you’re a Mini aficionado, the market and its offerings are continually changing. Yes, it’s been two decades since Mini production ended, while the first of them are now almost old enough to draw a pension – if you bounced around in a Mk2 Mini back in the 1970s, buying the same car now would be like buying an early Austin Seven Chummy back then! This means that there are no young Minis unravaged by time any more. Neither are there Minis owned by the proverbial little old lady for running down to the shops. The Mini has been the province of the enthusiast owner for many, many years and this affects the ‘stock’ that’s out there; it’s not as easy as it once was to find a straightforward low- or mid-spec example in original factory trim that’s just been used as a daily driver. Enough time has also passed for many Minis that