Five Mini Engineers Restore One of the First Minis Made

The guys at MiniMINI (BMW)Germany, 2000 > present15 models
2211 photos
7 videos
have a little bit of downtime until the third generation carMINI (BMW) MINI VisionGermany, 2013 > 2013 is revealed on November 18, and it has taken the time to restore the 983rd MiniAustin MiniUnited Kingdom, 1962 > present1 photo
ever made.

The 1959 Austin Seven Mini was one of the first Minis to be made in the Netherlands and found in a barn in Groningen. Mini engineers at the Nedcar factory took the car and restored it to its original condition.

The five engineers took the car down to bare metal, and the engine and transmission were completely rebuilt. Some of the body panels had to have new sheet metal added for repairs. It was repainted in its original Farina Grey

When the Mini entered production in England in August 1959, it was joined by European production later that year. From 1959 to 1966, 4,000 Minis were made in the Netherlands from kits shipped from the UK.

Thirty Minis were built in the Netherlands in 1959, and the car that Mini’s engineers restored was among them. One of the few things that differentiated British- and Dutch-built Minis was that the cars built in the Netherlands used horsehair upholstery.

Nedcar will begin building Minis in summer 2014.