The discovery and restoration of
Morris Mini Minor Chassis number 131
A few years ago Lars Søe-Jensen who is Leader of The Royal Danish Airforce Historical Collection, was called to Aalholm Automobile museum to view a decaying Swedish build F-35 Draken jet plane because the collection was going to be put up for sale at auction soon. The Draken airplane was on loan from the Royal Danish Air Force Collection and he would had to inspect it to decide its future.
While he was there knowing the museum also held a private large collection of classic cars he went for a look around, here he met Mr. Antony Birks who was the son in law of the collection owner whom has past away, and now the manager of the estate. Lars was told to go to a large garage to look for some parts for the Draken. He looked around and saw a lot of old sixties and seventies cars and Lorries. He noticed an old blue Mini with Cooper badges and of cause as an old mini mechanic from back in the 70’s, not to mention the owner of three Coopers, he got interested. He spent some time looking at the car and noticed that something’s were not quite right on it. There was a MK l door at one side a MK ll door on the other side, starter button in the floor, and seat hinge for very early minis. He opened the bonnet moved the sound deadening from the bulkhead to reveal the DOMI Morris import plate, there written as plain as day was Chassis number 131. Lars reaction is not repeatable but let’s just say he quickly covered up the numbers closed the bonnet and went off to find someone to talk too. On enquiring if any of the cars were for sale “like that old Mini for spares”, he was told that the whole collection would be auctioned next year.
One year later the adverts and catalogs for the auction was publicized, and gave a lot of interest throughout Denmark and Europe. The sale was in august 2012 draws a very large crowd, bidding the lots up to very high sale prices, but where was the old Mini?
He again asked why the vehicles in the other garage were not on this sale, “Oh they are too poor quality to bother with in this sale, and we will have a separate yard sale for those items may be next year”
So another 12 months of waiting turned in to 2 years and Lars noticed a very small advert in the paper for the yard sale of the remaining vehicles and a lot of other parts. Off went Lars and his brother to view the Mini. There it was sitting looking sorry for its self with a large group of people talking about it. Oh dear thought Lars I’ve lost this.
There were people tearing in to it saying “it isn’t a Cooper at all and just an old 850, worthless” Brilliant though Lars, I’m still safe. Then his brother saw an expert he was taking lots of photos, and Lars again though that the cover was blown. After all these years of waiting, he was going to lose 131. He went home that night to talk to his wife, saying it was all over and he wasn’t even going to bother bidding, the stern reply was just what Lars needed, “you’ve gone on and on about the bloody Mini for years, you’re not backing out now!”
The biding was a closed tender bid on email or by letter, so he waited very nervously one more week. The bid was sent on the Sunday and the winner was going to be announced on the following Friday. On Friday afternoon he still hadn’t heard anything, but in the evening there was an email, he had won the bid.
Five days later he went down to pick up the car and Lars say’s “There is a funny story attached to collecting 131, when I was loading it on the trailer two guys came and told me that I was a fool! It wasn’t a Cooper and nothing of value. He must admit that he was laughing of those two guys, they would be surprised to have known the truth.
Since that time in 2013 Lars has spent a lot of time with the 1959 Mini Register and Michael Elsberg collecting parts to restore 131 to as close to original specification as possible. 131 is stripped down and the body work has been started.
So would you have noticed lot number 317 was the earliest known Morris Mini in the world other than 621 AOK?
