OLD FINDS
I found two rusting Austin Minis left to rot in garden car graveyard… but we have a plan to make them worth £1,000s
Watch the video above to see how the cars looked before they were recovered
A COUPLE of car enthusiasts have uncovered two forgotten automotive relics in a quiet garden car graveyard — a pair of rusting Classic Austin Minis.
These Minis, long abandoned and left to the elements, have become little more than shadows of their former selves, but Claire and Elton have bigger plans for these classics.
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With determination, a forklift, and a trusty recovery truck, they're set on rescuing the decaying vehicles, with hopes of restoring them to their former glory.
The two Austin Minis in question are a 1985 Mini Ritz, which has been sitting idle for around 15 years, and a 1961 Austin Mini, which has been off the road for over two decades.
Although both vehicles are classified as project cars and show significant signs of wear, the duo believes that with the right touch, these Minis could fetch a handsome sum at auction.
"We're passionate about saving as many old classic cars as we can from the scrapyard," the UK Barn Finds team explained on their YouTube video.
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"We’d rather see barn finds like these Minis for sale, rather than scrapped."
The video takes viewers through every step of the recovery, from the initial inspection to the transportation process, culminating in the arrival of the Minis at Anglia Car Auctions, where they will be auctioned off in early November.
While the 1961 Austin Mini is missing many of its original parts, enthusiasts may still see potential in bringing it back to life.
Similarly, the 1985 Mini Ritz, despite being neglected for over a decade, could be a promising restoration project for the right buyer.
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The two Minis will go up for auction on November 2nd and 3rd, 2024, at Anglia Car Auctions in Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
Both cars are expected to attract attention from collectors and restorers eager for a new challenge, and with a little hard work, they could be worth thousands of pounds.
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For fans of classic cars and restoration projects, this discovery is an exciting opportunity.
Will these rusting relics find a new owner ready to restore them to their former glory?
Time will tell, but Claire and Elton are confident that with enough love and care, these Minis could be worth much more than their current state suggests.
It comes as a collection of some of the world's rarest cars has hit auction after it was found rotting under a decade of dust following the owner's death.
The incredible stable is jam-packed with collectable classics - though some of them need a bit of work.
Crazed collector Rudi Klein's catalogue is so bizarre, and so vanishingly rare, that many petrolheads weren't even convinced of its existence.
Having moved to the US from Germany in the 1950s, he set about building up an unmatched horde of classic vehicles.
The mysterious Rudi kept the cars largely hidden from the public eye for decades, housing them all at his compound in California.
On the rare occasions he did let outsiders in, there were some real gems to be found.
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Several years ago, one visitor tracked down a Mercedes 500K in the yard which later sold for more than £7.5 million.
But the rest of the cars have remained largely untouched for at least a decade.
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