In his 27 years of Mini restoration our bodyshop manager Ian Goodwright has never seen an original mk1 Mini shell this good let alone a genuine early Mini Cooper S shell with right hand tank. The term “never been welded” has been used liberally in the past but this shell truly has never been welded. There is not a single seam on the car that is bubbling up with rust. Everything is original including the sills, wings, scuttle, a-panels and the proper mk1 rear seam covers (anoraks will know what that means). You can even see shiny bare metal under the door hinges. An extraordinary find from the dry climates of sunny California and imported only weeks ago. Unfortunately somebody has cut a few holes in it for speakers and the like but once we are finished with it it will be immaculately presented with a new coat of paint ready for its rebuild.