The Mini was produced for 41 years, but the last cars from 2000 and the earliest 1959 examples share nothing beyond (as far as we can remember) the boot hinges and rocker cover gasket. While they may look similar, the Mini was constantly tweaked and evolved over its long life, and while they can all rust, covering them all in one buying guide is rather tricky.
Here, then, we’re focusing on the early Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 models produced between 1959 and 1976. Even in this period changes were almost constant, especially for the early Mk1 cars that were revised seemingly endlessly to boost reliability and prevent things like the cabin filling up with water. Indeed, a 1967 Mk1 is very different from a 1959 one, with different floor pressings, sills, roof gutters and window surrounds amongst other features. To be sure you’re looking at a car with the correct features for the year, you’ll need an expert with you. It’s all too common to see a later car masquerading as an early one, even with the later Mk3 cars, or a base model purporting to be a Cooper.
The Mk1 Mini ran until 1967, when it was replaced by the lightly restyled Mk2. The Mk3 produced
