Updated in 1967 and launched at the British Motor Show that year, Alec Issigonis’s iconic Mini featured various styling tweaks for the second generation. The front grille was redesigned and a larger rear window fitted to increase driver visibility. Offered with three different engines, Mk II Minis could be supplied with an 850-cc, 998-cc, or the powerful 1,275-cc four-cylinder powerplant fitted to Cooper models.

The Mini 1000 became the top-of-the-range offering and was specified as standard with De-Luxe trim, previously a cost option. The Mk II was built from 1967 to 1970, with the bulk of production in Longbridge, Birmingham. It is estimated that around 429,000 units were built, but with only a small slice of those configured in left-hand-drive for the continental and North American markets.

This example is one of the few left-hand-drive Minis to leave the Longbridge plant. Built on 24 January 1969, this Austin Mini 1000 was finished in Tartan Red, with the interior colour unrecorded. Leaving the factory on 27 January 1969, the car was sent to British Leyland (Sweden) AB’s headquarters in Gothenburg.

Sold to the first owner, it is reported that this Mini 1000 spent the majority of its life in northern Sweden, near the Arctic Circle. Here, it benefited from the more forgiving use of gravel on the slippery roads, rather than salt, in the winter months. Appearing in Denmark in 2012, the car was quickly snapped up by The British Icons Collection and then exported to the United Kingdom in 2013.

Today the car presents nicely, still finished in the factory-correct colour of Tartan Red and complemented by a matching interior. The engine number matches the build records, as per the accompanying British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate.

This charming Austin Mini 1000 Mk II is a rare continental example of the most recognisable car built in Britain, and is sure to attract interest from collectors across the globe.