Launched in the summer of 1959 as Sir Alec Issigonis's sideswipe at the bubble car which had swept through Europe in the late 1950s, the Mini was truly a revolutionary car.

Packing a remarkable amount of interior space into its 10ft length by placing its 'A' series engine sideways from 'east to west' in the engine bay, the practicalities which had dominated its design concept seemed almost accidentally to produce a small car which on its rubber-cone suspension and 10-inch wheels was remarkable fun to drive.

The Mini's rapid acceptance amongst the elite as 'the' car to be seen in soon saw ig dislodging the Ford Anglia to become the best selling car in the UK and has since become one of the most successful competition cars of all time, running rings around far bigger and more potent opponents by dint of its incredible handling.

In current ownership for the last 7 years, YFC 533V is a rare and perhaps unique proposition.

based on a 1979 Mini 1275GT and reshelled in 1989, this particul...