MOTORISTS with a driving passion will show more than a passing interest in a rare 1965 Mini Cooper S which has been discovered stored in a wooden shed near Kidderminster for the past 30 years.

The Mini Cooper is question had been in the same ownership for 56 years and is believed to have last been driven way back in 1988.

Although the car rolls, there has been no attempt made to start it since coming out of hibernation.

Remarkably, the car comes complete with its original passport to service book together with an MOT certificate which was issued back in 1986 and showed the car had 39,031 miles on the clock. The car has travelled just 113 miles since then. 

Kidderminster Shuttle:

The car is now set to go under the hammer on September 24 through Classic Car Auctions who are based at the Warwickshire Event Centre near Leamington Spa.

Originally the car would have cost in the region of £778 when brand new but is now expected to fetch up to £32,000.

The Mini Cooper S is almond green in colour with a white roof and still sports the original interior, dove grey and porcelain green vinyl with grey carpets.

Although the car was first bought by a BMC employee on a company discount scheme, it quickly passed to its current owner in 1965.

Kidderminster Shuttle:

Richard Greenhalgh from Classic Car Auctions confirmed: “The owner is in his 80’s now and when he bought the Mini Cooper S, it was quite simply the car of the day.

The owner told me he could have had an E-type Jaguar at the time, but decided on the Cooper S 1071 as he wanted to go on trips with possibly two or three passengers and felt the Mini Cooper was much more practical.