Would You Restore This Retro Mini Mayfair Convertible?

This Mini may be called the ‘Mayfair’, a name shared with London's infamous late-night party district, but it’s not the type of car you’d expect nightclub promoters to use as their daily motor. Having said that, this Great British classic, finished in Maroon, is small, fun and has a convertible soft top. Life’s never looked so cool, and it could be yours.

An eBay listing for this Mini has just under five days left, with bidding up to £650 so far, having started at £0.99. It seems there’s some healthy competition to buy this potential partymobile.

Sadly this Mini is in far from great shape, and is essentially a barn find of sorts. It can be seen in Norley Wood, located in the south of the New Forest and approximately 18 miles from Southampton. Living amongst the trees and with various wild animals rather than the London elite at 2am has meant this vehicle has gathered a lot of rust, especially to the sub frame and sills.

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It would require some technical knowledge, research and a good body specialist to get this car looking good as new again, but as for driving you needn’t need much skill. It has a 998cc engine, nothing that would be giving your drunken passengers whiplash while acting as designated driver, mated to an automatic gearbox so there’s no fluffed gear changes.

Since being first registered in 1990 it's done 40,000 miles and had a replacement engine, making it clear this was once a fun car to have on the road. A restoration project by the new owner would hopefully make that the case again.

Most importantly, the fabric hood is fully functional, and the interior is also in good condition, meaning its taxi purpose for nightclub visitors is essentially uninhibited.

If you want to get your hands on this rare, and slightly left field classic, then head to eBay. Though bear in mind that if you win, you’ll have to find a tow vehicle to remove this reclusive car from its forest abode.