11 replies to this topic

[miniyellowmini]

Yay another Mk1 discovered

http://www.classicca...i-rediscovered/

[mab01uk]

 

The late Taffy posted these old tv clips that I had recorded on videotape about this Mini.

 

"Really chassis number 140 re-numbered to 98 when it was sold in 1962. Reshelled into a later shell. Not a prototype but the 40th normal production mini built."

 

The Oldest Surviving Mini? - old TMF thread:

http://www.theminifo...surviving-mini/

 

Quote from Trevor Ripley 1959 Mini Register:
"This is known as the 'Ferriman' car. The description on the old video by Noel Edmonds is far from accurate. The car came off the production line at Cowley on 20th May 1959 bearing chassis number 140. It was LHD and was allocated to the experimental dept for proving tests and re-allocated with another number. After a couple of years when they had finished with it it was converted to RHD and sold to Bernard Ferriman who worked for BMC. It was then re-allocated yet another chassis number 98. This re-allocation of numbers occured with a few cars that were plucked off the line for testing and then subsiquently sold off 2nd hand to employees. ( They went backwards from 101 ).
Anyway this car was used by Bernard Ferriman well into the late 1980's. Eventually it was bought by Today Newspapers and after being 'restored' by Penta Garages in Reading was used as a competition prize in the Today newspaper. Amazingly the first prize of the competition was 434 NWL along with a brand new mini. The lucky winners of the two cars were Lindsay and Cathy Bromage. Cathy used the new one as her everyday car and 434 NWL ended up on display in a small museum at Alton Towers. In 1999 the Bromages decieded to sell it and it was entered in Sotherby's auction. I was very interested in buying the car at the time but after consulting Sotherbys it turned out that it seemed to have been re shelled and I decided against it. It made just short of £3000.
Many years later I made contact with Lindsay Bromage to see if he new the whereabouts of the car, but unfortunately he did not.
It certainly was an early and interesting car, although not really original. The 1959 Mini Register do not know its whereabouts now.
It was certainly an early car but by no means as early as it says on the video.
It would be very interesting to know its present whereabouts. It is on the DVLA database, but unlicensed since 1988."
(Miniworld Summer 2011)
 

Edited by mab01uk, 23 August 2013 - 10:52 PM.

[Shifty]

I never knew this car had been 'lost' its been mentioned a few times?

 

I remember seeing it at the car museum at Alton Towers, many years ago, I'm also fairly sure I entered the competition to win it as well!!

[sledgehammer]

I would like to see the oldest original shell Mini that is usable

 

that is the oldest mini

 

all the rest are triggers broom

 

once you change the shell - over 50% of the car isn't original

[olds_kool_lews]

Its not like its been lost for the last 40years lol

And I didnt realise 621 AOK had been full restored? Just thought it had been well looked after and only had what it needed over the years?

[JustSteve]

Its not like its been lost for the last 40years lol

And I didnt realise 621 AOK had been full restored? Just thought it had been well looked after and only had what it needed over the years?

 

I remember a thread on here before, where somebody claimed it was actually a ringer, in the fact that it was a completely different mini with a the 621 AOK plates 

 

 

I know that it's certainly had a new rood fitted, work to the floors and a new front panel. I'm gonna have a google 

[bill773mini]

AOK's shell is original, the floors are original and still show signs of its life with the experimental department, the front panel is also original. The roof has been replaced and wing repaired.

The Austin interior was put in the car in September 60 prior to it sale along with the two hole glass, later rear subframe, radius arms and engine.

As for 434 NWL, it had its ID given to a 1963/4 Super Deluxe just after its sale by Bernard Ferriman In the 80's. Since its 1999 sale it has lost that MK1 shell and now has a MK2 shell and no other MK1 parts apart from a heater and a pair of front seats. There is not one nut or bolt left of 434 NWL.

So the V5c and chassis plate have turned up with an unrelated collection of parts, not the original car. That was lost 25 years ago.

[JustSteve]

AOK's shell is original, the floors are original and still show signs of its life with the experimental department, the front panel is also original. The roof has been replaced and wing repaired.

The Austin interior was put in the car in September 60 prior to it sale along with the two hole glass, later rear subframe, radius arms and engine.

As for 434 NWL, it had its ID given to a 1963/4 Super Deluxe just after its sale by Bernard Ferriman In the 80's. Since its 1999 sale it has lost that MK1 shell and now has a MK2 shell and no other MK1 parts apart from a heater and a pair of front seats. There is not one nut or bolt left of 434 NWL.

So the V5c and chassis plate have turned up with an unrelated collection of parts, not the original car. That was lost 25 years ago.

 

I've 100% seen pictures of the front panel on another forum, showing it to be a later pressing   I've been trying to find it but cannot remember where it was. They also said that the floors were repaired but no pictures to show evidence

[bill773mini]

Well the information on that forum is incorrect.

The front panel is original, it is one of the significant dating references used to determine the originality if the shell. It is a Pre July 59 front panel, from Late June the front panel was changed.

The floors are Pre October 1959 large floor pan depressions with an extra cross stamped in to them by the experimental department to try and solve the flexing issues experienced in the early floors. This was thought to contribute to the leaking issues but didn't.

[JustSteve]

Well the information on that forum is incorrect.

The front panel is original, it is one of the significant dating references used to determine the originality if the shell. It is a Pre July 59 front panel, from Late June the front panel was changed.

The floors are Pre October 1959 large floor pan depressions with an extra cross stamped in to them by the experimental department to try and solve the flexing issues experienced in the early floors. This was thought to contribute to the leaking issues but didn't.

 

You certainly seem to know your stuff Do you mind me asking how you know so much about it? 

 

Also, now this thread had got me interested, is there any sites/pages on the web I can read up some more? 

 

 

 

Cheers 

[mab01uk]

 

Well the information on that forum is incorrect.

The front panel is original, it is one of the significant dating references used to determine the originality if the shell. It is a Pre July 59 front panel, from Late June the front panel was changed.

The floors are Pre October 1959 large floor pan depressions with an extra cross stamped in to them by the experimental department to try and solve the flexing issues experienced in the early floors. This was thought to contribute to the leaking issues but didn't.

 

You certainly seem to know your stuff Do you mind me asking how you know so much about it? 

 

Also, now this thread had got me interested, is there any sites/pages on the web I can read up some more? 

 

 

 

Cheers 

 

 

Bill (and Trevor) run the 1959 Mini Register.........if you go to their website below you will find lots more info on the very early Mini's.

http://1959miniregister.com/

Edited by mab01uk, 25 August 2013 - 09:35 AM.

[bill773mini]

As MAB so kindly says I run the 1959 Mini Register (with Trevor), go to our website. Not all the information is published but 95% is. Some is just too anoraky even for us!! Lol