1962 Austin MINI Beach Car Sedan / A-AY1L-197664 Chassis Information

Sold for $181,500 at 2014 Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction.
Fiat had a successful beach car named the Jolly, so there was clearly a market for a leisure vehicle. Austin commissioned a run of 'Beach Cars' between December 1961 and March 1962. 15 examples were made during this period, all Export models with left-hand drive, though there is at least one right-hand drive version known to exist in the UK. 13 of the left-hand drive examples were sent to the United States, where they severed as dealer and distributor promotional vehicles.

The design of the Mini Beach Car, also known as the 'Riviera Buggy', was similar to the Jolly, with no doors, no B-pillars, and interior seats made of wicker. The Beach Car were built by hand in-house at Longbridge's Experimental Department. Four of the fourteen left-hand-drive Beach Cars were finished in Surf Blue with a Snowberry White roof.

One example of the Beach Car was loaned to the Royal Family and used briefly by the Queen at Windsor Castle.

Qvale's Beach Car remained on display at Qvale's BMC Mini dealership of San Francisco. Qvale enjoyed the Beach Car at his ranch for a number of years before putting it into dry storage for some two decades. Near the turn of the century, Qvale gifted the Mini to Mr. Keith Simon, who sold it to the current caretaker in 2007.

The car currently displays 11,000 mileage. The car's subframes were refurbished and the car repainted in its original Surf Blue with Strawberry White top. The original non-synchro 1st gear has been exchanged for an all-synchro unit. Power is from an 848cc overhead valve four-cylinder unit fitted with a single SU carburetor and offering 34 horsepower. There is an Independent dry rubber cone spring suspension and 4-wheel drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2014