Auto Car: Hemmings Find of the Day – 1970 Austin Mini pickup

While the original Mini offered superb handling and impressive fuel efficiency, it may have fallen a bit short in the utility department. Enter this 1970 Austin Mini pickup for sale on Hemmings.com, which serves up two seats and a scaled-down cargo bed large enough for hauling bags of mulch (but not sheets of plywood). Built on the same stretched-wheelbase platform used by the Mini Van, this particular Mini pickup was delivered to its first owner in Australia, and still carries a registration plate from the Australian Outback. The truck’s current owner makes no claims of originality, as the gray velour seats and wood dash look a bit upscale compared the average 1970 Mini’s interior, but this ute-in-half-scale still looks like full-size fun to drive. From the seller’s description:

Manufactured by British Leyland Motor Corp. of Australia. Right hand drive. 1,275-cc motor with 2 carburetors and a 4-speed transmission. Runs excellent, all lights, gauges, horn, etc… No rust. No dents or dings. The paint is very nice – just a couple of “chips” from usual wear. Great set of Mini lites. Nice interior light grey velour with dark grey vinyl and red piping. Wood dash is in great shape. Kept in climate-controlled garage.