As I tore into the history of my farm find BMW 320/6, the story of how a right-hand drive BMW came to rest on a farm in Connecticut was made clear. Similar to this seller on eBay, my car simply joined its British owner on his pilgrimage to the U.S., residing in a tiny garage until the seller began to downsize. This 1977 Mini met its American service member-owner in the U.K., and that caretaker brought the car stateside when he returned home. Find the Mini here on eBay listed with no reserve and bidding under $1K.
The seller notes that he was deployed in England for three years and used the Mini as a daily driver while stationed there. Apparently, the experience was a good one, as the Mini joined him for the return trip. The seller doesn’t elaborate as to whether it was used while stateside, and it still wears its British number plates. The seller does say he holds a clear title to the car, so this likely means it’s properly registered for road use in the states.
The Mini features blue paint with a white top, and the seller notes that the body is a “…pretty good start,” but it’s clear there’s some rust or other issues bubbling up in the lower edges of the door panel on the passenger side. Obviously, the Mini has sat for a while, as the seller notes that both the brakes and clutch are soft at the moment, but the motor still runs well enough. Fortunately, a basic tune-up and refresh shouldn’t break the bank.
The wheels and tires appear to be a staggered fitment, and the offset looks slightly excessive. That may have an impact on wheel bearings and other suspension components, but I’d count on refreshing all of the basic rubber components anyway. Finding a genuine Austin Mini in the U.S. that is old enough to meet the 25-year importation rules makes this one extra appealing, as you’d otherwise incur the costs of importation yourself. With no reserve and a running car to start with, this could be an excellent deal for the Mini enthusiast.
Ahhh a REAL Mini! They wouldn’t sell these in America because they wouldn’t pass the Safety standards here. Looks like somebody might get a good deal on this one, and with Title in Hand you don’t have to worry about that, Good luck to the new owner!!
Cheers
GPC
They did sell Minis in America for a while. My Dad bought a 1071 Cooper S brand new in the mid-60s. What a fun car!
Yep you could get a Mini in the states but you had to jump through some special order hoops. Of course safety standards ended all of that.
Bid is up to $2,800, not surprising. White Cooper hood, er, bonnet, stripes would seal the deal for me.
Very nice find.
Do I hear you, Mr. Bean?
1970s British Leyland quality assurance. What could possibly go wrong.
It gets better!! This car is located in AUSTINburg, OH! What are the odds?
That company was actually BMC and not BMW at that stage, I used to service these but before 77, they were British Motors Corporation before BMW bought the rights to the Mini name.
cool………
Very cool little car, better than anything that small produced in the US sadly, especially in the 70s, just for me, I rented right hand drive cars in the island years ago, shifting w my left hand, driving on the wrong side of the street, I’ll take a left hand drive thanks
Still want an original Mini. Bet they would be a hoot to drive! I had my mind made up to buy a new one and went on the test drive (Cooper S) and was sorely disappointed at how it drove compared to my MK VI VW GTI. Then I rented one for a week and came back speechless at the squeaks, rattles, and harsh ride. It is night and day inferior to the MK VII GTI I bought instead.