2009 Mini Margrave 50 Saloon
Coachwork by Wood & Pickett Ltd
Registration no. X688 ROO
Chassis no. SAXXNPA2E1D 188143
Engine no. 12A2LK70383094

Wood & Pickett Ltd was founded in the early 1960s by Bill Wood and Les Pickett, both of whom had been employed until the late 1940s by Hooper & Co, one of Britain's leading traditional coachbuilding firms. Inspired by the success of Harold Radford's upmarket Mini de Ville, Wood & Pickett decided to specialise in converting Minis to similarly luxurious specification, calling their version the 'Margrave'. In 1986 Wood & Pickett was purchased by Henlys, under whose ownership greater emphasis was placed on their highly profitable conversions for the Range Rover. Since being sold by Henlys in 1989, the company has changed hands again and is still in existence today in Leatherhead, Surrey where it is concentrating once more on conversions and restorations of classic Minis.

This Wood & Pickett Margrave 50 was built in 2009 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mini's introduction in 1959. Intended as the first of up to 50 examples, this car is the only one made. It was constructed using a new British Motor Heritage 'Sports Pack' bodyshell, prepared and finished in one of the Margrave limited edition colours, in this case Rosso Corsa with hand painted contrasting coachline. In addition, the entire under-body was treated with stone chip and rust resistant material. The sumptuous interior is upholstered in Parchment leather throughout with contrasting body-colour piping, additionally featuring West of England cloth headlining; Margrave dashboard with '50 Signature' instruments; Moto-Lita steering wheel: and leather-bound woollen carpets.

The engine is the 1,275cc twin-point fuel-injected unit with the four-speed manual gearbox. Other noteworthy features include black powder-coated sub-frames and suspension components; servo assisted brakes with 8.4" front discs and rear drums; Sports Pack wheelarches; and 7"x13" alloy wheels shod with 175/50x13 low-profile tyres. On completion, the Margrave was registered with the identity of the donor car (a 2000 Mini Cooper) and the purchase receipt on file shows that the vendor paid over £20,000 for it. Additional documentation consists of a specification list, current MoT certificate and a V5C registration document. With only 12 'delivery' miles showing on the odometer, 'X688 ROO' represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire a unique, hand built Mini in effectively 'as new' condition.