1967 Austin Mini Countryman

The Mini came to be born due to the fuel shortage caused by the 1956 Suez Crisis. Petrol was rationed in the UK and sales of large family cars slumped, whilst the market for German made "bubble' cars boomed. Leonard Lord, the head of BMC, reportedly disliked these German cars so much that he vowed to remove them from the UK streets and design a 'proper miniature car' as a replacement. The result was the "Mini'.

From 1961 - 1969 BMC produced a two-door estate model, which featured double "barn"-style rear doors. These models were built on a slightly longer chassis of compared to the standard Mini saloon. The luxury estate models had decorative wood inserts mounted on the rear body, which gave the car a similar appearance to the famous Morris Minor Estate.

Offered here is a rare 1967 MK1 Mini Countryman "Woody', which is presented in fantastic, preserved original condition.

After being sold by the first owners the car has passed through the hands of several Mini collectors before being purchased by our vendor in 2008. As a result of its history of "collector' ownership it has had a sheltered life and only covered just 22,000 miles from new.

Still fitted in the engine bay is the original unmolested engine, which runs very well and drives smoothly throughout the gears. The body retains all the original panels, with the wood in fantastic condition having only had just a couple of peices replaced circa 1998. No rust or welding can be found anywhere on the vehicle with the paint work reportedly almost all orginal other then on the passenger wing which was professionaly touched up due to stone chips. The car also retains its original and untouched interior, which is also in excellent condition all round.

This multiple class-winning Mini has been regularly shown at Mini events along with being displayed at the NEC Classic Car Show and has featured in various magazines over the years including Classic and Sports Car magazine in their article "Rare Wooden Wonders" in which they described the car as a "Perfect example perfectly preserved".

A unique opportunity to acquire a rare original low mileage Austin Mini Countryman presented in unrestored and excellent condition.