1969 Morris Mini Super Deluxe all proceeds to Prostate Cancer UK

Silverstone Auctions are delighted to have been asked to offer 'Margo', this sparkling little red Mini, with the entire sale proceeds being donated to Prostate Cancer UK. We are indebted to David Lofts from the Markerstudy Group for the following information.

"Until we found her Margo had been living in a shed in East Sussex for many years. The family who owned her had bought her new in 1969, and in her 46 years she has clocked up just 33,000 genuine miles. The condition of this little Mini when we found her was a testament to her owner, Mrs. Millie Properjohns, who bought her ( at age 60) as a car to learn to drive in. Millie had clearly cherished her Tartan Red MkII Morris Mini.

Margo remained in regular use by Mrs. Properjohns and was passed on to her daughter when Millie gave up driving at the age of 98! The dedication of this family in keeping Margo in a roadworthy condition has made the Lancaster Insurance restoration job much more straightforward than it might have been – a fact welcomed by the team at the MG Owners" Club who carried out the work. We were particularly pleased that the original hydrolastic suspension had already been swapped for the much more reliable cone system!

Margo made her first public appearance as a restoration project at the 2015 Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, and this year she will appear again, as she goes under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions" annual Classic Motor Show sale, with all sale proceeds being donated to Prostate Cancer UK.

Work began in earnest after Margo was delivered to the MGOC after the 2015 show. Following a thorough assessment, the initial "To Do" list for the restoration included surprisingly few major jobs, replacement of both 'A-panels', a small amount of welding to the wings and floor pan, a small repair to the boot lid and a full strip and repaint being the most significant.

The engine was in fine form, given the age of the car, and required only a cylinder head overhaul, new gasket and relapped valves to bring it back to tip top condition, and with interior cleaning, new screen seals, an underseal and cavity wax and refurb of the road wheels all planned, the restoration began. The ethos of the restoration was to return Margo back to as close to original as possible.

The stripping out was completed by early February 2016, with Margo and her engine, minus rocker cover & head, taking pride of place on the Lancaster Insurance stand at the Restoration Show at the NEC in March, where MGOC technician Alex Cursley discovered to his delight that there was not so much as the slightest sign of a lip at the tops of the bores. The valves were unmarked, requiring only lapping and replacement valve seals to restore the 998cc Morris unit to full compression. In fact, Margo"s cylinder head was in such good order that we felt converting the head to unleaded was unnecessary, and so she is offered for sale in the same "completely original" road condition as when she rolled off the Longbridge production line in 1969.

With a full, air-sanded bare metal strip down and the small welding jobs complete, Margo was ready for her respray, and following three coats of etch primer and three coats of filler primer she was meticulously sanded by hand before three coats of her original Tartan Red top coat were added, all rounded off with a full undercarriage treatment using stone chip resistant underseal.

With the Mini restoration really starting to shine it was time to refit the original glass, window seals, locks, handles and all the other carefully stored parts that would take the car on to the detailing stage. Even the original carpets were refurbished and refitted to give Margo an absolutely authentic look and feel."

We understand that the car now drives, feels and even smells like stepping back into a newish 69 Mini and the restoration is generally regarded as a great success and a tribute to the team at the MGOC.

Margo is offered for sale with no reserve, and I know that we have said this before but it's important, with all sale proceeds being donated to Prostate Cancer UK.

Bid generously.