6 replies to this topic

[classicminidriver]

As you know 621 AOK was the first ever classic mini of the production line. I know it will never be for sale, but how much do you think its worth? Might sound like a silly question but I would like your views...

 

 

 

[Cooperman]

My guess would be c.£150,000, or maybe more.

[classicminidriver]

My guess would be c.£150,000, or maybe more.

 

 

That's a fair price. Do you know what date in May 59 it was built...can't seam to find out anywhere?

[Tanya]

My guess would be c.£150,000, or maybe more.

 
 
Do you know what date in May 59 it was built...can't seam to find out anywhere?

I have a feeling it was 8th May, but that's just from my not very good memory!

[Tanya]

MINI think it's 8th May - http://www.mini-prod...es/history.aspx

[classicminidriver]

 

 

My guess would be c.£150,000, or maybe more.

 
 
Do you know what date in May 59 it was built...can't seam to find out anywhere?

I have a feeling it was 8th May, but that's just from my not very good memory!

 

 

Your memory serves you well! I put "8th May 1959 621AOK" into Google and I got loads of hits, so yeh that's the date thanks

Edited by classicminidriver, 28 September 2013 - 01:53 PM.

[mab01uk]

So, was 621 AOK the first Mini?

Story 1

The exact chronology of Mini production has been distorted through the passage of time which has resulted in a series of half truths becoming the accepted story. For a long time it has been accepted that 621 AOK, now at the BMH Gaydon museum, was the first production Mini. The first production Mini with the chassis number 101 was an Austin Mini Seven built at Longbridge on 3 April 1959. 101 Has long since disappeared into the great scrapyard in the sky, but 102 built the same day amazingly survives. Registered 627 HUE, in 1965 this car was bought by Donald Healey and transformed into a convertible two seater, apparently with the blessing of Alec Issigonis. 627 HUE is now owned by a Japanese Mini collector. Both Minis 101 and 102/627 HUE were delivered to one Alec Issigonis. The initial Austin production was as follows. Austin chassis 103 also survives, registered KEG 77, it was exported to Japan in 1996.

Austin 101 and 102 built 3 April
Austin 103 and 104 built 4 May
Austin 105 built 5 May

It was on 8 May 1959 that Mini production began at Cowley when Morris chassis numbers 101,102, 103, 105, 106, 107, 108, 110, 111, 112 were all built. Bizarrely 104 and 109 were built a few days later. Morris Mini Minor chassis 101 was registered as 621 AOK. So why the confusion ? One can only assume that in February 1965, when the millionth Mini was produced in the aftermath of the second Monte Carlo rally win, that BMC’s PR machine simply made the understandable mistake of assuming Morris 101/621 AOK was the first car of all and it and Alec Issigonis posed outside Longbridge with a 1965 model for PR photographs that have appeared in the printed media ever since. In fact Morris 101/621 AOK was the sixth production Mini. By the time the error was realised it was too late to backtrack and Morris 101/621 AOK has now become the official first Mini.

 

Alternative Story 2:

However Jeff Ruggles of Mini magazine was told an alternative story. According to retired BMC engineer Peter Tothill, who was responsible for the design and supervision of the Mini production line at Cowley and performed rectification work on Mini prototypes, 621 AOK was the first production Mini. Peter Tothill’s story is that four employees – Bob Moore, Tony Monk, Bob Hollis and Peter Tothill himself – built 621 AOK over the weekend of Good Friday 27 March to Easter Monday 30 March 1959.

‘There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, because on the Wednesday of that week, Les Ford (chief planning engineer) said to me, “We want you to build the first ADO15 over the Easter weekend when there will be no-one in the factory, and I want you there.” I had recently got married and we had planned to go away for the weekend, so I had to tell my wife that the trip was off! The car was loaded onto a truck, sheeted up and delivered to Longbridge on the Tuesday, ready for the directors to view on the Wednesday. Tuesday was a holiday in Birmingham because they always worked on Good Friday.’

This version of the Mini story has it that 621 AOK was used as the reference for Longbridge foreman Albert Green to build the first Austin Minis. Peter Tothill reckoned it was impossible for Cowley to pilot build ten ADO15s in one day and that these cars were built in the preceding weeks with records commencing on 8 May 1959. Unfortunately no evidence has emerged to support his story."

http://www.aronline....history-part-1/

Edited by mab01uk, 28 September 2013 - 06:41 PM.