Lot 602: Mini Mayfair Saloon

By the end of 1980 the original 850cc Mini had gone, leaving the Mini 1000 - available in City and HLE variants - as the sole model available. Introduced at the same time, a heavily revised ‘A-plus’ version of the venerable A-Series engine together with an improved gearbox (both from the Metro) made the Mini quieter and more refined than ever before. In 1982 the ‘luxury’ 1000 HLE version became the ‘Mayfair’ and, together with the base model (renamed ‘Sprite’), gained the Metro’s 1,275cc engine in 1992. The following year both models’ interiors were revamped with bigger, Metro-type front seats and, in the Mayfair’s case, a burr walnut dashboard boasting a radio/cassette player and more comprehensive instrumentation. An alarm/immobiliser was standard on the Mayfair. Equipped with the optional four-speed automatic transmission, this Mini Mayfair has covered only 34,000-or-so miles from new, as verified by an accompanying complete set of MoT certificates. The car was last fully serviced at 31,802 miles and comes with the relevant invoice. Described by the private vendor as a ‘sprightly car to drive, with strong engine and responsive gearbox’, it is offered with Rover dealer pack, handbook, sundry invoices, MoT to December 2006 and Swansea V5 registration document.