This company will help you build a brand-new first-gen Mini
British Motor Heritage wants to sell you a shiny new Mini shell, but it comes at a price.
Restoring an old car can be a right pain in the rear, whether the components are rusty or hard to source. But one British company wants to make it a whole lot easier.
In April, British Motor Heritage will start offering clean first-generation Mini shells. These bodies are built using real press dies and assembly jigs. But there's a price to pay for accuracy -- each shell costs £9,950 ($12,463 at the time of writing).
This isn't BMH's first rodeo. The company develops replacement bodies and parts for a variety of vehicles, including slightly newer Minis, MGB GTs, Triumph TR6s and Austin-Healey Sprites. Our own Carfection (née XCAR) checked out one of those MGB GT bodies in the hands of a proper resto-modder, which you can see below.
BMH has been up to these tricks since 1975, helping keep the British-built car scene alive. According to AutoEvolution, BMH is responsible for building more than 6,000 replacement bodies. You don't have to be in Britain to pick these parts up -- they're distributed globally thanks to a network of sellers.
Only 15 examples of the first-generation Mini body will be built during the initial production run this coming April. BMH is already taking orders, but buyers must supply a 25 percent deposit upon ordering. The price is high, but for the attention to detail and the chance to build a new old car from the ground up, it's worth the cost of admission.
(Hat tip to Road & Track!)
The new bodies are accurate, down to the external door hinges and small taillights.
