Rub Of The Green

When Allan Binns was lucky enough to find an untouched yet unloved 1965 MkI Austin he had to restore it to its former glory.

- Jon Cass

Unless you’ve been living on the moon or in Norfolk, you’ll have noticed that barn finds seem to be all the rage at the moment. We all dream of opening an abandoned barn or garage with the hope there may be a classic lurking inside that hasn’t seen the light of day for decades. Even rusting heaps fetch top money now, and the chances of coming across a barn find in decent condition are becoming slimmer every day. Yet, occasionally a true gem makes an appearance, the internet forums and social media groups go nuts and gasps can be heard from miles around… along with a hint of jealousy, perhaps. Mini fanatic Allan Binns is the first to admit he was incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to purchase this very rare totally original 1965 Austin Mini 850 Super De Luxe which had languished in a garage for over 25 years.

Allan has been into his classics for as long as he can remember, “My Dad was into his cars and I used to help him work on them even from a young age,” he recalls, “we even dug a pit in our garage at home so we could easily work on the underside of cars.” One of Allan’s first cars also happened to be a MkI Mini saloon, “it was a rustbucket, but I managed to improve its looks by brush painting the whole shell with blue coach paint,” he laughs. Allan’s lifelong passion for the classic Mini has never faded and he’s owned numerous examples since then, many of which have been brought to concourse condition. These included an early automatic 850 and a red 850 fitted with a crash gearbox, both of which Allan was fond of, but this Almond Green ’65 saloon has, without a doubt, remained his favourite over the years.