Demand high for BMH’s Mini shells

That there was a pent-up demand for replacement MK1 Mini bodies was not in doubt, but British Motor Heritage (BMH) has nevertheless been surprised at the scale of orders since first displaying its prototype shell at the 2016 NEC Classic Motor Show.

Commented BMH’s Managing Director John Yea, ‘A few years back, though values of good Mini-Coopers were climbing steadily, the limited worth of their 850 cousins made comprehensive restorations hard to justify. The picture is now very different, and enthusiasts are busy rejuvenating all versions of Issisgonis’ immortal baby at an ever-increasing rate. As a result we are constantly having to raise our production targets, and that’s without taking into account the shells we are creating for David Brown Automotive’s impressive Mini Remastered programme.’

BMH has been running a Heritage-shelled MGB in historic racing for 12 years. For this year it, and the team’s Farina A40, are being joined by an FIA specification MK1 Mini-Cooper S. In common with the MGB, it has been constructed around a Heritage replacement shell.

John said, ‘We are very much looking forward to running the Mini in the heat of competition and, depending on the success of the venture, may build a limited number of equivalent competition specification shells for general sale sometime in the future.’

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