Minis For Sale on BAT

[MiniDave]

Yes, normally meaning the pre-BaT era.

But I still think my guy with his Canadian rust bucket paid about $3K too much......

[BruceK]

The Elf sold for nearly $21K.  No bids came in the final 5 days of the auction.  But did sell.

[MiniDave]

Yeah, I wondered about that high bid coming so early....maybe it "sold" to the shill bidder?

[BruceK]

A LHD 998 Mini is now on BaT.  Based on the repair receipts, it's apparently being sold by someone with more money than mechanical skill.  Well, less money now.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-austin-mini-1000/

This car sold for $16,750.   That's a lotta bux for a 998 Mini IMO.   

[MiniDave]

I agree......every time I think prices might be moderating, one like this sells.

[BruceK]

A 998 with an automatic is now on BaT.   What a very 1970s color!  I really like it.   I remember MGBs in this color.

With the smaller engine and the slushbox, this will have a limited appeal I think.  Maybe bid to $11K?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1976-mini-mk-iii-2/

[Brit_in_TX]

A LHD 998 Mini is now on BaT.  Based on the repair receipts, it's apparently being sold by someone with more money than mechanical skill.  Well, less money now.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-austin-mini-1000/

This car sold for $16,750.   That's a lotta bux for a 998 Mini IMO.

WOW - that was much more than I was expecting. 

[MiniDave]

The only 998 automatic I ever drove was sooooo sllooooooowwww, especially against a 1275 auto which seemed to run out just fine.

This yellow one at least has good eye appeal.....

[BruceK]

What looks to be a pretty nice Spanish-built Authi Mini 1000 is now on BaT.   It's got a 998 but apparently the owner believed the car had a 1275!?

One of the commenters pointed out that there are u-joints at both ends of the driveshafts. I don't think I've ever seen that the many before.   So the Brits supplied lots of Mini parts to Authi, but not CV joints?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-authi-mini-1000e/

[BruceK]

A 998 with an automatic is now on BaT.   What a very 1970s color!  I really like it.   I remember MGBs in this color.

With the smaller engine and the slushbox, this will have a limited appeal I think.  Maybe bid to $11K?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1976-mini-mk-iii-2/

HOLY SHIT.  This Mini with a 998 and an automatic just sold for $50k !!!  Unless there are gold bars stacked in the boot this is maybe the craziest price I've seen for a plain old Mini.

[MiniDave]

That's. Just. Nuts!

[Brit_in_TX]

Looking at the bidding it seemed two people just lost all sense of control!

[94touring]

Yeah that's just dumb lol

[cstudep]

The comments by the winning bidder after the end of the auction were strange to say the least. It sounds like perhaps he just has 50 grand to piss away, which at least makes more sense than the other guy who for some strange reason just seemed to be completely in love with the car regardless of cost?

Hard to say what the motivation was for either party, but there is no question that the car sold for far more than it is actually worth.

[BruceK]

That green Authi just sold for $19,000.  A lot for a 998, but it was a pretty rare Mk II Mini with unique features so I think that's a fair price.

[MiniDave]

With an hour to go it was only at the $10K bid, so it def went up strongly at the end. The winner had an odd reaction, almost like he didn't really want the car but just got caught up in it.....

[BruceK]

With an hour to go it was only at the $10K bid, so it def went up strongly at the end. The winner had an odd reaction, almost like he didn't really want the car but just got caught up in it.....

Yeah, two Mini auctions within in the last week and both times the winning bidder seems surprised and a bit uncertain about having won.  What's up with that?

I wonder how soon they'll flip those cars?

[cstudep]

That is odd for sure. If I am spending 20 to 50 grand on something I make damn sure I REALLY want it before making the purchase.

[BruceK]

Right. And I'd learn as much as possible about it.  The winning bidder of the green Mini at $19K asked why the auction didn't go to $50K like the other car?  Like he must've assumed they all would sell for exactly the same amount?  Not understanding the other car sold for perhaps four times more than it was typically worth?

[MiniDave]

What's that old saying? People know the price of everything and the value of nothing?

I used to run into this selling cars.....if you had a customer who said something to the effect of "this is the price I'm going to pay,, take it or leave it" and you took it, they were convinced they left money on the table. So no matter what sale price you agreed on in the end, they needed to go thru the song and dance to get there or they felt cheated, even tho everyone says the same thing - "I hate negotiating to buy a car".

I think they only hate it if they don't feel like they "won". If a guy's convinced he got a killer deal, he'll shout it to the moon - if he thinks otherwise, then the dealers a cheat - even if the two guys got the same exact deal.

Selling cars is an amazing look into the variety of psyche's of people......sometimes it wasn't so much convincing them to buy your product as a sort of chess game to see who could outmaneuver the other guy and "win".

We've seen this on BaT where the right seller can get way more out of his car than the guy who just puts the car on there and waits for the money to roll in......

[BruceK]

Good points Dave.  Human nature is... well, can only be explained by the phrase "human nature" I guess.

In the meantime a new Mini has popped up on BaT.  Since it's more modern than recent Minis I wonder how it will do?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1997-rover-mini/

[MiniDave]

I wonder if guys are making money on these Jap spec cars? I saw one in Michigan for sale for about the same price as Michael is asking for his, wasn't quite as nice as his tho.

This one looks pretty good, other than the tired looking leather. some hide food would make a huge difference in the appeal of the interior.

Sure couldn't hurt to give it a quick wash under the bonnet too!

Hang on.......this looks to be an MPI? I thought all the Jap spec cars were SPi?

[tmsmini]

The late JDM SPi used the MPi style block.

[BruceK]

A very nice restored English Moke is now on offer.  Big money will be paid for this one I think.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-austin-mini-moke-4/

[tmsmini]

A very nice restored English Moke is now on offer.  Big money will be paid for this one I think.

This is Robin's Moke from Ohio.
I forget what his name on the MM message board was and I think he participated here as well.
Wish I had the money.