hi

Was the original 1959 Mini body shell unique to that year?
When did the first change occur to the mk1 body shell?

I have seen some sources refer to the mk1 body shell from 1960 to 1967 so I am wondering if 1959 was a one year only body shell?


Thanks for any help in advance

If you’re looking at Australian minis, then they started in 1961 once they’d sorted out the initial issues with the early shells.

The 1959 cars had issues with rain & water getting in the footwells from new, so they were constantly updated to try and fix them. They also only started delivery in August from memory, so approx 6 months of production in 1959

Anything you want to know about 1959 cars is here
https://1959miniregister.com/1959-build-variations/

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or try here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/303024059849229/

Thank you for the reply Timmy, yes I was referring to the UK built Mini's I should have clarified that.

Thanks for the link I have been Googling for info on 1959 Mini's but I had not come across that, cheers!




Thanks for the FB link as well gtogreen1969

There is some unique features that identifies a 59 floor pressing sills front and rear window apertures and possibly some more UK forums could help more

As an indicator, the early pressings had the cross member going 'through' the sill assembly - later pressings had 'folds' which abutt up against the sill assembly

thanks guys for the responses, I'm looking at locally a '59 car for sale,

will keep you posted if I manage to secure it.

Just be very sure it what the seller is claiming.
1959 minis are very rare anywhere in the world, even in countries that had them from the start.

Given they were not released here for another 2yrs, they are pretty much non existent here. I know of only 1 certain 59 car in the country that last I heard was a in a sad state.
Even the 3x prototype cars that were sent here for testing were 1960 models.

If someone local to you in Tasmania is claiming their car is a 59 model, you would be wanting to look over it with a fine tooth comb.
Though not impossible, it is unlikely.

Many unassuming people have cars and believe they are something they are not until it comes time to sell and on occasion they find out what it truly is to their great disappointment.

Check out the 59 page and the 59 facebook page for the differences as there are quite a few and then early 59 models are different to late 59 models.
A lad by the name Bill Bell in the UK seems to be the expert in 59 models, he is easily findable on the 59 mini page on facebook.

Keep us updated and would be awesome if it was

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Does it have any of the original numbers???

Have you heard of Heritage Certificates? A 59 would be made in UK and the Heritage Centre has good records for early cars. A full certificate can be expensive but I think you can get a cheaper “identity check”. Does it still have the “FE” number (so called because they all start with FE . Its reverse stamped on a plate welded to the inner guard just above the rad shroud. While you can’t get an identity check using this, there are people in the UK with data bases that can roughly identify the age of the shell using this number.

The body number stamped on a plate welded to the bonnet slam panel can be used by Heritage to identify your car (if the original screw on chassis plate has been lost). Some early cars may have a plate welded to the passenger side front floor. It looks like an FE plate but has a different first letter. There should be a similar plate on the drivers front floor that will start with “F” but unfortunately it isn’t a “Body” number and isn’t recorded in the factory data.

Cheers, Ian