Mini Magazine - Summer 2018

1966 MORRIS MINI DE LUXE
THE BUILD
Removing the rust build-up was first on the
project agenda, with the car being stripped
bare and panels replaced or refurbed one-byone.
Then attention turned to the interior with
new headlining and carpet being ordered.
Original doorcards and seat vinyl
with new carpet and headlining
supplied by Newton Commercial.
“The price of the car new was £574,
five shillings and one penny”
the late ’70s. “I remember dad pointing
out Innocenti Coopers that were buzzing
around the island - there was something
about the shape that captured my
imagination. This was reinforced when I
came across my dad’s colour slide
collection when I was about 15. There were
photos of his Austin 1100 shell swap, and
of a Maroon B Morris Mini-Minor De
Luxe.” This was another that Kevin’s dad
(Don Webb) had restored before the
Austin 1100, and seeing those slides for the
first time set Kevin on his Mini mission!
The story of that Maroon Mini, which
led to this one, was that in the late 1960s,
Don was the Assistant Body Shop
Manager at Autobody Repairs, the body
Original instruments were retained...
shop for D Rowe & Company, a Ford
Dealer in Chichester. In 1968, a Maroon
B Mini-Minor De Luxe came in as a total
loss. Don ended up buying the salvage
and set about rebuilding it for the road.
“He sorted the mechanicals, whilst one of
his work mates did the welding and
another painted it. Dad was particularly
pleased with the double-waisted
coachline his mate hand-painted under
the window. That became a popular
option on Minis in later years, but just as
a sticker, not painted on like it was on
dad’s,” he explains. Don sold the car
three-years later, just before Kevin was
born, and sadly Kevin has not been able
to find any sign the car has survived.
...during the refurbishment process.
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