For sale : Alex Moulton’s 1997 Mini

Keith Adams

Dr Alex Moulton and his 1997 Mini Cooper
Dr Alex Moulton and his 1997 Mini

AROnline is offering readers the opportunity to buy one very special Mini. Dr. Alex Moulton, Hydrolastic and Hydragas guru – as well as one of the industry’s most respected figures, is selling his 1997 Mini and here’s your chance to own a piece of history.

The car has been owned since new by Dr. Moulton, has covered a minimal mileage and has been fastidiously maintained. The car’s odometer reading is 10,353, there’s tax until May and the car will come with a year’s MoT as the current certificate expires on 5 April. There’s a Longman-modified engine, a leather interior and a walnut dashboard. The suspension set-up has standard rubber springs but adjustable dampers and also has adjustable bush rods with a different shape of the cam plate at the top.

Step this way, then, if you’re looking for an original, low-mileage Mini with a significant previous owner. Drop an email to Keith Adams at AROnline with your questions and, if you’re seriously interested and want a closer look at the car, we’ll arrange a visit to Dr. Moulton’s house. We can’t under-estimate the importance and significance of this car and its owner – this truly is a unique opportunity to own a significant piece of British car history.

Dr. Moulton is looking for around £10,000.

We’ll try and answer any questions we can – the best way of getting in touch is by email (kadams@aronline.co.uk) or via the AROnline forum. We’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.

Here’s a Gallery:


Keith Adams

34 Comments

  1. Does Dr. Moulton’s Mini have air con… Oh, NEVER MIND!

    Anyway, in all seriousness, what an absolute gem and an unrepeatable find!

  2. What a fantastic little car -could this be the one to end AROnline’s reputation and actually sell?!

  3. What a lovely car – hopefully, it will stay in the UK.

    I now Gaydon is owned by Ford, but they really SHOULD be giving serious consideration to buying this due to its connection to the creator of the car’s suspension.

  4. No way is this Mini worth that much – no matter who drove it. Get real about the price – it’s still just a Mini.

  5. What’s the suspension set-up? I guess that, if the good Doctor has installed Hydragas, then it could be something special, but not if it’s got the standard solid rubber.

  6. I have to admit that, at first, I baulked at the price for similar reasons to those stated above. How much does the previous history add in terms of a premium to the price? A bit like Lady Diana Spencer’s Mini Metro.

    However, on re-reading the article a few of things stick in the mind:-

    1) in this case, the owner DOES add a bit of premium. A man at the forefront of the car’s development on the log book carries a bit more weight than a future Princess or a 10-minute-wonder boy/girl band member.

    2) the engine – if it is indeed Longman-modified, then that is another famous part of the Mini heritage attached to the car.

    3) a trawl around eBay for Mk2 Works REPLICAS will show those cars carry heftier price tags than £15k and this is not a car done up to look like something else.

    That mileage, though, would be a worry on any 14 year old car. I do not doubt it has been expertly maintained but that low mileage does not necessarily translate into a mint condition engine, as no doubt others could testify to (glazed bores being one possible side effect). It would need an occasional but really good blast if it was expected to be reliable. over the long term. This along with its history, in my opinion, means the car should really be a museum piece.

  7. Dr. Moulton’s Mini is obviously worth a bit more than an average Mini due to the name on the logbook. However, no way is this car worth more than it was new!

  8. The asking price does seem a bit steep. However, mint/immaculate and unmolested mMinis of this type are already fetching these kind of prices – add in the only owner being one of the UK’s top Engineers and the price tag is spot on.

    These days you can’t even get a rusty Mini shell for £1k.

  9. One word: PROVENANCE.

    Yes it’s a Mini, yes it has one of its co-creator’s names on the logbook. However, how many Longbridge, Munich and Toyota City (Aichi) Devlopment Engineers have driven, ridden and examined this vehicle?

    Could one not argue that this car is the Granddaddy of the MINI and Toyota iQ?

  10. @Spud
    Gaydon is owned by Jaguar Land Rover which are, in turn, owned by Tata Motors Limited. Land Rover also owns the Rover badge.

  11. I agree with Paul T – this motor really belongs at Gaydon, along with some other Moulton memorabilia. We can’t and shouldn’t ignore the importance of this man in the great scheme of our lost engineering heritage…

  12. Wow, this really is an historic vehicle – it’s impossible to put a value on it. There’ll never be another. What on earth would you do with it? It deserves to be looked after properly and so I agree that it should be in a museum.

  13. @416GSi
    Right, I was told that Gaydon was originally sold to Ford but assume that ownership of the site was transferred when they sold JLR to Tata Motors.

  14. The last low mileage, mid-1990s Cooper I saw was £15k without the provenance and that had 17k miles on it, not 10k. Yeah, this is steep for what it is, but unrealistic? Definitely not. Looks lovely, too.

  15. Let’s keep things in perspective – this is a 1990s Mini and boy did they rot! I reckon that, in a few years of normal driving, you would be left with a pile of rust, so putting this car in a museum may be the way forward.

    However, as to the value, all things are relative and what it’s supposed worth is now may not be what it’s worth in the future.

    Mind you, as a Mini owner, I think prices are some what inflated and don’t take into account rarity, as there are plenty of Minis around compared to other marques/models.

    That said, if Dr. Moulton can get the price he wants, then good luck to him.

  16. @Richard Kilpatrick
    Actually, I note that Keith has now removed the reference to Dr. Moulton’s Mini being a Cooper from both the headline to the article and the caption to the photograph.

    Mind you, given the list of modifications, the car’s specification probably merits comparison with a Cooper’s…

  17. I would say that Dr. Moulton’s Mini is worth between £8k and £9k tops. There is a very strong risk that, even if it has been well-maintained, the engine could easily fail if taken out on a longish run.

    Indeed, the engine looks like it will need a bit of work on it too, as all the rubber hose clips are very corroded, which is not a good sign. Those rubber hoses could be rock hard and easily split too as there is a very high chance they are the originals.

    I think that, if Dr. Moulton wants to sell the car, he should put it into a classic car auction.

  18. I really don’t see how any of us can judge the value of Dr. Moulton’s Mini – it only matters to the guy who wants to buy the car and he’ll pay what he can afford or thinks it’s worth to him!

  19. Well, now that Tata Motors owns Gaydon, let’s hope that Alex Moulton’s Mini can find a home in the Heritage Motor Centre as it’s part of Britain’s automotive history.

    However, the Heritage Motor Centre currently seems to be more focused on the Ford, Jaguar and Land Rover brands and not really interested in BMC, BL, ARG or MGR vehicles. I know that some cars have been sold off in the recent years, but, as Tata Motors now effectively owns the Rover brand and this Mini is a part of ARG/Rover Group history, funds should be made available.

    I own a Metro, Series 1 and 2 Maxis, a Princess and a Wolseley 6 which all use Alex Moulton’s suspension and would love to see this Mini in the Heritage Motor Centre.

  20. I’ve always hankered for a gem of a true original Mini but my height does me – I’m 6 foot tall and lanky! However, it’s a delight to view this on the ‘net though and I’m sure it will go to a good, loving and careful home to live a very long, healthy and well-maintained life.

  21. Ian Perry :
    I’ve always hankered for a gem of a true original Mini but my height does me – I’m 6 foot tall and lanky! However, it’s a delight to view this on the ‘net though and I’m sure it will go to a good, loving and careful home to live a very long, healthy and well-maintained life.

    Go for it! I am 6′ 3″ and my Dad was 6′ 6″ and between us we have owned seven original Minis. Actually, I may be wrong but wasn’t Alec Issigonis 6′?

    Anyway, ‘where there is a will, there is a way’ in my book and a Mini is a must for any true petrolhead. There is very little on the road to match the nimbleness of an original Mini – they are such good fun to hurl around.

    Good cheap Minis are getting hard to find so, Ian, don’t leave it too long otherwise all the good ones will be £15k – not just Dr. Moulton’s.

  22. It’s interesting to see that Dr. Moulton’s Mini is registered on Swindon plates. What would the connection be there? Perhaps the Pressed Steel works (BL)?

  23. The blue Mini in the background, also something of a celebrity, on the day of the service, arrangements included placing the car in the churchyard in his memory.

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