A salvaged Mini Clubman that lay in the tunnels under the Longbridge factory for 30 years — making it the last Mini to leave the famous site — is being auctioned at the Silverstone Classic Sale in the UK.
The iconic car — which was used to travel around the sprawling plant — had been secretly dumped by workers in the late 1970s after suffering some damage thought to be from a storage container falling on it.
However, photos of the famous "lost" Mini emerged and after much searching it was saved by a former factory worker who got permission to remove it in 2012 shortly before the tunnels were due to be filled in — making it the last ever Mini to leave Longbridge.
Now the "The Longbridge Tunnel Mini" is being offered without reserve by Silverstone Auctions at its sale on 27 July.
Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions, said: "Without doubt, this has got to be one of the most fascinating cars we've ever secured for auction.
"It made international headlines when it was rescued from underneath the factory and has caused a fair amount of controversy in the Mini community, as some people would have preferred it was left in the tunnels as a hidden memorial.
"However, now that it's been recovered we're absolutely thrilled to offer it for auction at the Silverstone Classic Sale and it goes without saying that we expect it will attract a lot of attention."
Having been abandoned for many decades, and suffering wounds along the way, this Mini Clubman 1275 GT needs lots of attention to return to its former glory.––Paul Duchene
