Vehicle Details
- Year: 1965
- Make: Austin
- Model: Mini Cooper
- VIN: AAW7124354
- Mileage Shown: 808mi (TMU)
- Transmission: Manual
- Title Status: Clean
- Color: Old English White
- Seller Type: Dealer
- Dealer Fees: None
- Location: Marietta, GA 30060
- Country: United States of America
- Lot #: V-0053489
Designed and built by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), the Mini was sold under the Austin and Morris marques before becoming its own brand in 1969. This 1965 Austin Mini Cooper underwent a complete restoration in 2018, including a refinish in Old English White over navy leather upholstery and an upgraded 1,380cc engine. Additional features include a 4-speed manual transmission, 10” Minilite wheels, burl wood interior trim, and Smiths instrumentation. Imported to the U.S. under prior ownership and acquired by the seller in April 2024, this Cooper is now available for auction by its seller out of Georgia.
The exterior is said to have been refinished in its factory-specified shade of Old English White during the restoration, complemented by a navy blue-painted roof and black fender flares. Wipac fog lamps have been added, along with 10” Minilite alloy wheels wrapped in Yokohama Advan tires dated late 2016. Other exterior details include chrome trim, a bullet-style rearview mirror, and amber turn signals. Slight signs of road wear are noted, additional images are provided in the gallery.
Inside, occupants are greeted with navy blue leather upholstery, matching carpets, and contrasting burl wood dashboard trim. Equipment includes a wood-rimmed steering wheel, a wooden shift knob, a locking glovebox, Smiths instrumentation with chrome bezels, and grey floor mats with yellow piping. All gauges and electronics are reported to be in working order.
Beneath the bonnet, a rebuilt and enlarged 1,380cc inline-four cylinder engine has been fitted with a 4-speed manual transmission. The seller adds that a compression test was performed in 2021, the suspension was rebuilt, and new wiring was installed. Underside photos and service documentation are provided in the gallery.
This sale will include a clean title.
The seller would like you to know: "This Mini is the automotive equivalent of a Chihuahua that ripped a line of cocaine and is out to gnaw on some ankles. We installed a short ratio steering rack that pairs nicely with the larger displacement engine which delivers strong midrange torque. With the carburetor right behind the firewall, you can hear it sucking air when deep in the gas and the throttle pedal is a tactile spinal tap that allows for controlled lift-off oversteer when needed. What's most impressive is the shifter that allows for S2000 fast gear changes and without grinding. The short wheelbase, strong engine, dialed-in gearbox, and dirty exhaust note make this one of the more fun cars we've interacted with!"
Auction Results
- Sold for: $16,000
- Auction End: Jan 14, 2025 08:21:32PM UTC
- Number of Bids: 27
Comments (60)
Sold for $16,000
Bid in the amount of $16,000
oops trigger happy cost you $250!
Ok, 1more.......
Bid in the amount of $15,750
Congrats Joe18d!
I'm out.
Joe in Hudson
Bid in the amount of $15,500
Bid in the amount of $14,902
Bid in the amount of $14,652
Bid in the amount of $14,402
Guess we couldn't say if you guys are close or not (Sorry PCar mods)....Cheering for the winner, whoever that may be!
No matter, we've lifted reserve here and are looking forward to connecting.
Bid in the amount of $14,052
Bid in the amount of $13,802
Bid in the amount of $13,550
Bid in the amount of $13,252
If it sells in this price range it should be a win --win for both parties
Bid in the amount of $13,000
Bid in the amount of $12,502
Bid in the amount of $12,250
Bid in the amount of $11,880
Bid in the amount of $11,500
Bid in the amount of $11,000
Bid in the amount of $10,500
Bid in the amount of $9,130
With an hour left we remain attentive to emails, calls, and messages.
For those on the fence, if you want to park this and have it judged by Mini experts this isn't the car for you. BUT if you want a riot of a driver that will garner compliments from other enthusiasts, you should place a bid!
Bid in the amount of $8,880
Wow! someone has been busy with a welder. Floors, rockers and who knows what else. Then the wagon VIN and a 68-71 bodyshell. Still looks to be a decent little runabout but buyer needs to go into it with eyes wide open.
Bid in the amount of $8,321
Bid in the amount of $8,069
Bid in the amount of $7,777
Bid in the amount of $7,500
Bid in the amount of $7,250
Bid in the amount of $7,000
@bertsboat Far from a dud but spot-on, it's a riot to drive.
Good morning to all, thanks for the positive comments around this Mini, we've had some good conversations around it over the last week and arte happy to take last minute calls, FaceTime's, emails, etc for anyone on the fence today. We'll be around as needed and hope to help this one find a new home by the end of the day.
@bertsboat In my comment below I ment to say “looks like a fun car to drive”, not like a “dud” car to drive. I should have proof read my comment.
Bid in the amount of $5,555
@badboybuses We spent a significant amount of time two days ago checking and couldn't find one.
Thanks for your reply. Do you know if there are vin numbers stamped in the body that would not match the vin plate?
@badboybuses If it were a 17 digit VIN, it would be more disconcerting but you'd be shocked how many classics and muscle cars out there have swapped VIN plates, stamps, etc from 40 years back. The title matches the VIN on the car and is marketable.
I love this car. But not the vin swap issue. That’s problematic in my state. As a dealer does this not concern you?
@apblake The PCar fellas changed the copy (thanks gents) and you've been very helpful noting that this Mini isn't an authentic S (which we're not trying to pass off as one). In the spirit of a successful auction and thoughtful community, watch our videos and let us know what stands out to you positively. For those just joining, this hot rodded mini isn't an authentic S but it does deliver authentic Smiles.
The listing title has been updated.
The shell of the car appears to be from a MkII car. The tailights, grille, doors, external hinges, etc. are consistent with that. The VIN is not from this car (which means it is useless to try to request a British Heritage Certificate). I don't know what the engine is, but it isn't a Cooper S engine (and the engine tag is missing). There is no brake booster (although sometimes people removed failed units over the years). Once this much stuff gets changed it becomes really hard to know what the car actually is. If you are pulling a VIN tag off of another car, what other parts got swapped? I will say that I've never heard of someone swapping the VIN on a real Cooper or Cooper S...usually the other way around. As the seller says it is a hot rod. I'm sure it is fun to drive, I never questioned that. I just take issue with it being presented as a MkI Cooper S when it is not. It is not just british car people - all car people care about authenticity as it dramatically affects values. Not necessarily driving experience. Those are two different things - just trying to help those trying to ascertain authenticity.
The question remains, is this a true Cooper, Cooper S or Cooperized? The question needs to be addressed. I'm fine with any of the above but your listing needs to describe the car accurately.
Joe inHudson
Apblake isn’t even a registered bidder but appreciate his expertise. Looks like a dud car to drive. If I were to put one together it would be exactly like this one.
@gasmotorcars Don't worry too much. The classic brit crowd can be tough, you're spot on though. When's the last time someone complained about a Singer 911 because something wasn't to factory-spec? Moreover, all these resto-mod Defenders and Broncos out there as well. Cars like this should be appreciated for the drive!
@apblake I suppose a pardon is in order for the PCar guys on the write-up. Likely just a typo re 1966. It's titled as a 1965. we can't speak to the history of the car prior to the last owner (our client in TX) Whether it's an S or not, it has a built 1380cc engine and is one of the best drivers we've had the pleasure of owning. Like we've already said, this one should be regarded as a hot rod, the same way you'd look at a backdated 964 or an LS6-swapped '67 Camaro. Thanks to all who have left positive comments on this one- There's a lot to love here and rest assured, the reserve isn't a "concours" number. Those interested should spend time on our videos, they convey the spirit of this car.
This car is not what is claimed in the auction. The auction listing says 1965 and the description says 1966. Neither is true - this car is not even a Mk1 (at least the shell isn’t- and I don’t see much else on the car that would make me think any of it is a mk1). It also isn’t a Cooper S. Again, I don’t really see much on the car other than the badges that would make me think it’s a Cooper S. The engine is not a Cooper S block (missing the extra stud), it has a single carb instead of dual carbs. The VIN tag seems to be from an Austin Countryman (for those unfamiliar that is the station wagon version of the mini)… Seats are not from a Mk1 mini. So it looks to me like someone took a vin tag off another car, stuck some Mk1 Cooper S badges on the car and called it a day.
@PorschePhil In North Carolina, that kind of registration - they call it "antique vehicle" - is what gets your car scrutinized. The DMV sends an inspector to your house to look at the car and verify the paperwork, etc.
The mini comes with a Texas title (as a dealer we don't need to register cars in GA, we can re-assign titles) but a simple VIN inspection in NC shouldn't yield any issues. For any bidders in GA, we can handle registration directly. @PorschePhil is right, historic/antique/classic does make it much easier if any states make it difficult.
That said, to all joining in on the auction, this Mini has a clean TX title with previous TX registration, matching VIN plate, and matching previous reg.
@veloce_nc why not just do a historic registration and not have to worry about any kinds of inspection that’s what I did when I lived in Virginia
Is this currently registered in GA?
Got it. My bigger concern is registering the Mini in North Carolina. Inspectors here tend to be highly critical of cars that don’t appear to be exactly as they seem. I dealt with a similar issue years ago with an Austin-Healey and still have plenty of scar tissue from that experience.
FYI, you can get the Heritage Certificate online and likely today. That should clear things up. https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/archive/heritage-certificates
Hey everyone! Welcome to the auction of our fizzy, angry Mini Cooper! We have a lot of cool cars in inventory right now, but the Mini is arguably the most fun thing to hop in and terrorize Atlanta traffic with. With the tight, rebuilt engine/gearbox/carburetor, it has plenty of torque and the gearbox is slick providing fast gear changes for a car from the '60s. This is a wonderful driver quality car with no rust, fresh mechanicals, short ratio steering rack, sticky tires, a nice recent paint job, and a ferocious attitude to boot. We really enjoyed having this car in the collection. Please view the gallery which includes undersides, excellent service record documentation, and thorough photos of the car. Included is a driving video and a walkaround video too. We're located just outside of Atlanta, GA and encourage viewing appointments. As this one's a bit of a hot rod, it's unclear to us if the original engine and transmission remain or if they were replaced. The Trust Certificate would certainly help us identify that but alas, it's not here. This will make a FANTASTIC driver for someone. It may not score perfectly in a concours but that's not really what this is about.
@veloce_nc Also, the record on photo 220 (circa 2016) notes that the car may not have had a VIN tag. The same record also raises a question about the car's authenticity as a genuine Cooper S. Could you also provide an image of the identification plate and the certificate for verification?
Hello. Do you have the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate?
Was it the original drivetrain that was rebuilt and enlarged or replacement engine and gearbox?
Bid in the amount of $5,000