1965 Morris Mini Minor - Jay Leno's Garage 

I'm a Briton and my very first car was a new Morris Mini Minor. I bought it in May 1962 and for a 22 year old in England at the time it was rare for such a young man to have a car, never mind a new one. It cost £492, 14 shillings and 6 pence I saved almost every penny I earned as an apprentice electrical engineer. My dad added some money and I took out a loan of £8 a month for 3 years. It was the love of my life and seeing this one today brought tears to my eyes. I wish I had my car now, it was tartan red.

As a Brit, it really warms my heart to see these cars on American roads, and to know they are loved and cherished.

This has to be the most down to earth interview I’ve ever seen. Literally just your average man and how he maintains a classic car.

Jay, you made Steve feel like a King. This was a special day he will always remember, thanks for doing what you do.

Steve's a work friend of my dad's and by extension mine. A really nice genuine guy who knows so much and somehow manages not to sound condescending. He told me how awesome Jay was and how great his day was at his shop. Apparently made him feel at home and gave him as much time to play in his shop as he wanted. What a nice man Jay is for sharing all this.

"These are the sorts of roads this car was made for..." whilst driving on a straight 100ft wide equivalent of a UK motorway (highway), nah Jay, you should try them on a real 15ft wide (both lanes combined) twisty UK B-Road! That's where they really shine - full speed ease on roads a modern Ferrari would struggle with.

You can tell that Jay really loves this little car.

The best thing about Jay is that he's like a regular guy.

Anyone who drives a Mini always comes out with a smile on their face. Great car. Cheers.

I love it how Jay takes great interest in not only supercars but superminis too. The car looks like it has just rolled off the production line. Beautiful. Another great episode.

Definitely the most iconic car we Brits made. Originals go for huge money now and I rarely see one.

Fantastic restoration, as an Englishman it's always great to see one of our classics alive and kicking in the US. A beautiful little motor.

one of the greatest cars of all time

This is why I’m subscribed to Jay One week it’s a Bugatti, next week a mini

I'm from Bournemouth so to find an American that can actually pronounce the name correctly is astonishing. Bournemouth is on the South Coast so it is one of the sunnier parts of the UK.

I'm 6'2 and my wife is 5"11. We traveled all over england in one of these! It was an interesting experience!

Got one of these myself. A MKIII Cooper S. Owned it for 16 years and I’m never getting rid of it.

I have nothing but respect for you Steve! You have to be a real car-person to get why he restored this thing when it was so far gone. I still have my first car from high school and I will NEVER let it go! I always liked these old-school Minis'. They're like go karts on steroids! (Restoration Blog soon Jay!)

I loved this particular show featuring that spectacularly restored 1965 Morris Mini Minor. Please pass my compliments and thank you's to Steve Nelson, not only for staying with the project to its completion but for choosing the color Clipper Blue as his color. That was the color of my very first new Mini. I bought my first brand new Austin Mini Deluxe Saloon for $1250 Canadian in 1966 right across the Detroit River from my hometown, Detroit, at the British Motors dealer in Windsor, Ontario. I've had another mini since, notably a 1970 Innocenti Mini Cooper III I bought here in Italy where we have lived since the 80s. Great car ... but as Steve knows ... the first version of your most special cars always hold a special place in your heart. You always remember everything, every detail about the very first one of those most extraordinary cars you were lucky enough to get your hands on. You never forget the first impressions, the first sensations no matter what comes after. The way it looked on that first encounter, how it sounded, how it smelled, how it took that first curve, How it started. How it stopped. How you worried over every little scratch or dent. How it felt let it go ... if you ever did. I'll never forget how much fun I had the first ...and every time ... I tossed that Mini into a corner. The only really obvious external difference between my Mini and Mr Nelson’s Mini was the wavy Austin grille. Watching you drive what appeared to my very first Mini back on the road …THAT was a special thrill for me. Thanks again. I watched that show twice. I'll be back.

I was there in England in the Sixties, when it was all happening. My best mate in Liverpool had a red B-reg bog standard mini (like the restored one featured in the video) and the colourful, nocturnal adventures we got up to in it are too torrid to relate here. Jay Leno was absolutely spot on when he observed that the sensation of speed in the mini was more important than the real speed. The car cornered fantastically well, too. Thanks for rekindling very fond memories of a fantastic era!

This is nostalgia for me. My Air Force roommate in Fort Worth back in 1969 had a Cooper S this same color. He'd race it some weekends on courses laid out with pylons in a large parking lot and bring home the trophy despite racing against the supercars of the day. I still remember the sideways g-forces I would feel riding with him on the cloverleaf exit ramp just outside the Carswell AFB main gate. I was transferred to Upper Heyford, England in 1970 and immediately went to Oxford to buy a 1966 Mini 850, same color scheme as this one but completely stock, that I drove for a year and a half. Many fond memories! Like the time I stuffed my Mini full of guys well after midnight after a party - my story always had the number at 8 guys! - and got stopped by the police in some small town I'd never been in before and the cop let us go! I do remember getting it up to 80 on the motorway to London but there must have been a tailwind. This was the only car I ever had that I could drive routinely with the gas pedal pressed hard against the floor. It was the stock suspension that made this car so unusual. Hit a bump and the whole car seemed to lurch up. Take a sharp corner and there was almost no body roll. Amazingly fun to drive even with the tiny 850 cc engine.

Don't understand why Mr. Leno doesn't have a car as relevant as this one in his collection... It was a milestone in compact cars!

This Mini comes from same town as me, the registration is a Bournemouth registration too, the LJ from the DLJ is a Bournemouth mark. So lovely to see. Greetings from Bournemouth

I started watching JLG when I was 14, and I'm now 25. I've seen all the other YT car channels. This is still the best. It is the most interesting and educational.

Just driving down the road in the 90s in this tiny mini with evey one looking at us with a smile on there faces because I had 3 passengers who where almost the same size of the car inside. It was funny because the way you could fit very big people into such a small space.

I'm 20 now and when I was five we had a 1963 Morris 997 mc, it was osman green with a cream top. twin carb and ran on "AV gas" (aviation fuel) I loved the smell of it and only one guy who was 70+ knew how to tune carbs for AV gas. We sold it before we went to Australia and now that im back home in NZ I've now found out its still here in my home town in a local car show every year and i want to go see it. I could not click on this vid fast enough, brings back memories.

My father (a Scottish immigrant) drove a mini that he bought new across Australia from Melbourne to Perth back in the 60's , unfortunately the car didn't survive the journey (he hit a rock damaging the sump) but he did and met my mother.

As many people have said in these comments, the sound of this Mini is very much part of the soundtrack of my youth. These were everywhere, my Teachers, neighbours, family and later on my mates had shed loads of these and they were the go to car when you got your driving licence. Great little cars, a bit iffy in the wet with the spark plugs exposed to the wet weather but awesome to drive. It’s great to see an 850 given the same love as the coopers get. Great vid.

Seeing grown gentlemen coming out of these in Jamaica was always entertaining when I was a child.

Waiting all week for my new jay leno fix while watching the old episodes

There is one aspect of the original 850 Mini that often gets over looked. It went round corners as well as and in many cases rather better than most sports cars of the period! Couple that with a 'true' gas mileage approaching 40 mpg and it was a young mans dream. All this and it could carry 4 adults or even more students! In 1969 2 of us gave a lift to 4 girls that had missed the last bus from a dance. They insisted there was "safety in numbers" so a 50 mile journey in an 850 Mini with 3 girls in the back and one on my mates lap in the front. You can't do that sort of thing today!

“The sensation of speed is much funner than speed itself.” That’s so true.

I got hit by a Morris Minor once. I had to go to the hospital to have it removed.

Greetings from Bournemouth as we’re a seaside town the salt in air wouldn’t have helped the rust situation 🙂🙂🙂🙂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Brings back memories of Paddy Hopkirk and Pat Moss / Carlsson!

Currently restoring one myself in New Zealand. Great show thanks, Jay.

My deepest of Respect for the Guy bringing HIS Car back to life...and what a cute little car it is..well worth the effort i´d say. And im also glad to see that small car does not equal small story. Such a Car can tell way more then some F50 Garage Queen. Thanks for this Video!

Another Brit here, I had one of these has my first car. Mine was a Austin Seven though, the same with sliding windows etc. My parents bought it me on my 21st birthday in 1969 thinking I would get rid of my Triumph Bonneville, no such luck I run both of them. Another good road test of these old vehicles, love your videos Jay.

The classic mini engine sound. At one time you’d hear it on every street corner. Lovely.

What a nostalgia rush! I'm English and have spent my whole 56 years in Liverpool. During the late '60s - mid '70s my dad had a number of Minis. We had an 850 and a Clubman (with the dodgy sills and rotten wood!). They took us all over the UK for many happy family holidays and my sister and I loved it! My favourite scary story my dad told us was that on his way to work one morning he went to change gear and the stick just came out of the floor as the transmission went the other way - through the floor!! (Yes - I can confirm that Minis were indeed susceptible to rust, but the engines were so simple that they rarely failed & when they did they were easy to work on). THANKS FOR THE REMINDER OF HAPPY DAYS!!

The mini was my first car, so much fun to drive

I need one of these. I like my modern Mini, but I still want to have the real thing in my garage.

Really cool that a man could restore his very first car into his dream. A dream I think all car guy just get. Congratulations to him!

Jay has the enviable ability to host the most amazingly down to earth characters on his show. Why are all gearheads such happy nice people? We need more smiles for the miles.❤

The very first time I went to the race track here, (Western Speedway---The Oldest Speedway in Western Canada) There were two Mini Austins racing, we, my little buddy Dale his Sister & Mother all sat on a big rock, had a Lunch and watched the races, the Mini's which I grew-up thinking were Bloody Ridiculous Cars, were amazing, up on two wheels around the corner where we all sat. Was so cool, (40 Plus years ago that was and stuck in my memory) One was Blue the other was Green. Just Neat Cars!! Thanks for this one Jay.

Arguably one of THEE best cars to come from BMC. ( Oh, how I miss BMC cars in general ) I commented as above before I actually watched the whole video, but now,.I have to say, it is such a pleasure to hear Steve's comments and answers to Jay's questions. This chap knows his stuff but is not in a big rush to prove it, he politely waits for the question. This video is perhaps one of the more memorable ones that I have watched here because of these personalities. Well done, and thanks to Jay for this one.

My '66 Morris Cooper S, modified with boring, balancing porting and polishing the head, bigger carbs, a nice hot cam from Team Spreen Racing in NJ (the SCCA class C winners in the very early '70s), etc, got me in more trouble than any other car of my entire life (I'm Jay's age)! With all the engine mods and some suspension mods, it was a car that few others could keep up with on the "twisties!" If I hadn't wrecked it, I'd still have it to this day. I admire Steve Nelson.

It's so rare to hear an American pronounce "Bournemouth" correctly. Well, I suppose being an out and out declared "Anglophile" doesn't hurt. >

Wow, I only live about half an hour from Bournemouth. Amazing to see such an amazing car from so close to home being run around by Jay Leno!

These aren't that rare here in the UK but that is in beautiful condition and Minis that are this good are rare everywhere. My mother had one when I was a boy and I have fond memories of it.

My brother had one and when i borrowed it .I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT . THAT WAS 40 OR MORE YEARS AGO , 40 YEARS LATER i AM STILL DRIVING MINIS, AND OWN A COOPER EXCLUSIVE. AND STILL USE MY FIRST MINI NUMBER PLATE

I was born in 65 and this is one of my favorite cars thank you mister Jay Leno

Minis are great. I grew up with these little wonders. I'm English, by the way. Evreyone had a min and you saw them in just about every street during the '60s, '70's and up until the early 2000's. I had five including a 998, a 1300 clubman estate, a 1275GT, and a 998 auto. Yes they made an automatic too. As ever Jay has something intersting to watch. Thanks for bringing back all the memories Jay.

Heartwarming to see them cherished in the USA, even with some variations from the original. Mine was an original Austin mini automatic (rare) 1 litre. It enriched my university days around Sheffield (UK). I did not know how lucky I was. You're right about the surprising size of the passenger compartment. You can do it in a mini!

I love this series, and interesting to see a vehicle I may well have seen in my youth on day trips to Bournemouth! I immediately recognised the DLJ index plate as having been registered there. Nice to see the owner kept the plates on and a sympathetic restoration job, too. 👍🏻

Brilliant stuff Jay - Who doesn't love a Mini Minor and what a fantastic example this is, it looks way better than any I've seen in England (and I remember them in car showrooms in my childhood). Makes me feel quite nostalgic as one of these was the first car I ever drove and my big sister had one as her first car, many a draughty, rusty, English mile was driven in that brilliant car.....seems like you really liked it too...thanks for posting as ever! Perhaps a Riley Elf next?

Jay brings gorgeous machines to me... therefore, I love Jay.

How I love the old Min Bin. I remember it as a specular drive. My then partner loved it but had one complaint about the cone suspension, it made her t@ts bounce so much. Needless to say I loved watching her drive

So proud of Steve for keeping and nurturing his Mini! It's my favourite car of all time, since I've owned several and driven others. Shame you didn't get to shove it round some twisties. That's where a Mini shines, rather than on big in town roads.

My first car was a 1959 Austin Seven (Mini) and have loved Minis ever since. Really, really wish I still had it!

My dad bought one of these for my mom back in the late 80's it wasn't new, it was a 1275 GT, it was red with a white top and a little white checkered stripe on the sides, different hood and front grill, roll up windows and the dials where on top of the steering column, a little MOMO steering wheel (that was fun to park), alloy wheels, wider tires (that helped even more with parking), i learned to drive in it. My grandfather my dad and i tore it apart and put it back together so many times i lost count. I can tell you a trick we learned for the distributor cap (the engine block is the same so it's in the same place). Because it stands low to the ground it picks up a lot of water and its prone to condensation it insulates the contacts and on cold winter mornings it wouldn't start (English cars go figure), my dad had the idea of making a little hole with a 1 mm drill on the back side of it, it allowed the condensation to evaporate, it wasn't perfect but it was better, instead of not starting at all, it took a little bit of time but it eventually came to life. In 1990 i turned 18 (legal age to drive here in Portugal) and i was able to get my drivers licence, it became my first car, my mom called it Joaninha (little Ladybug), because it was small and red i guess, so all my friends made fun of me because i drived a Ladybug, it didn't matter to me, a lot of them asked me for rides in it. I learned about 4 stroke engines with it, i even went on the first date with the lady a latter divorced in it. I 'll tell you that on a winding road there aren't many cars even today that can keep up with it, and the sound of that engine was glorious. The rust finally got to it and it got so bad i had to scrap it. There are still some rolling around here in Portugal and whenever i see one it sparks a lot of good memories of me my dad and grandfather having fun all dirtied up with engine oil and graphite messing about with the little Ladybug, it was kind of our summer holiday project, we went to my grandfathers house we laid all the parts on his garage floor and we took toll of what had happened to it that year, we could get used parts for it almost everywhere, there were a lot of them here, and they were cheap. Man i miss that car so much, so to see you doing a clip on a similar one, to me is a treat. Thank you Mr Jay Leno...

Such a beautiful car. I loved driving the mini's when I was young. Jay's right about the sensation of speed... like driving a go-kart.

Such a wonderful little car and it’s so heartening that he spent so much time and love on restoring it

My first three cars were Minis. What a beautiful restoration.

It matches Jay's jeans and white hair.

My grandfather used to have a 63 Willis jeep wagon, which he modified for camping while hunting or fishing. I could go on about it, but my main point is, it was the second car he ever owned. The first was a used car be bought from his brother, a Ford model T. The second was the Willis which he bought brand new. When it came to the accessories he didn't want a radio in it which surprised the sales man who tried to convince my grandfather to get one. He stayed firm and said he didn't want it, it's nothing more than a distraction! OK, fair enough, it's his car, he doesn't have to have a radio if he doesn't want one. Here's the kicker... Whenever my grandfather took my grandmother shopping, he would stay in the jeep with a portable radio he would bring. When alone in the jeep he would kick back and listen to a ball game or maybe the news. I always though that was odd, but it did save on the car battery which was far more expensive to buy than house hold D batteries. As much as I like Jay, if I had a classic car, I don't think I would let Jay drive it. He tends to drift over the yellow line a little too much for my liking, which would make me nervous as hell!

Like the guy saying it came from Bournemouth. Think someone on Facebook said it came from Elfords Garage in Tuckton, Bournemouth. The letters L J on the number plate was a Bournemouth registration back then.

Loved it. At 15 my best friend bought a used 66 mini in the same colour. He had is drivers license before me. We spend many hours driving around northern Ontario lake country, camping and just being a couple of stupid teenagers. I had my first ever Big Mac sitting in that mini. McD's was just making its way into Canada back then. The mini days were over one snowy Canadian night on a lonely country road. After making a visit to meet a couple of new GF's, on the way home we ended up doing a 360 in the snow and then backwards into a telephone pole. I met the rear window latch with the back of my head. I was in the front passenger seat. The next morning I woke up with no memory of the accident at all or even the new GF I had just met. Temp amnesia due to shock. Glad it was not worse. Whenever a see a mini, I get a rush of memories!

Regular Guy , Regular Car.....Fabulous

Back in the 80's i used to have a 1974 mini clubman 1000. Great little car.

Both my aunts were teachers and had a succession of minis from the first one with the starter button in the floor, the sliding windows and the wire slung door openers to the mk2 1000 with window winders and door lever openers. My sister had them handed down to her - my first car was an ex-RAC minivan which I managed to squeeze 12 people in on a campsite in Cornwall summer of 73! Loved that car - like a powered roller skate, great fun on roundabouts. Filled it from empty for £5!

What a nice visitor is this guy... great choice jay .... you are the best !!!

I'm English , but live in Thailand , and my boss is a lover of Mini classics , he owns 14 of them ,as well as 3 of the new BMW minis , I suppose you'd call him a bit of a fanatic , and when he takes them out to shows, I get the pleasure of driving one of these classics ,and in his opinion , the BMW'S are great cars , but don't come anywhere near the classics , especially Coopers

Great video. I am from the UK and when I was a kid these cars were everywhere.They are not seen often nowadays which made this a real treat to watch.

"Like a guy with a big head, and a little body."- Jay Leno 😆 God bless Jay Leno.

Wow.! These restored minis are nothing like the one my mum had brand new in 1971, it was built by a workforce constantly on strike and Put together so shoddily.

It’s not the fastest. It’s not the most powerful. But it was a giant slayer and put a smile on your face

Loving the shout out to Bournemouth!!!

Watching Jay get into this car confirms it was designed for young drivers. What cool car, love Jay Leno and his garage.

My late brother used to have a classic mini together with other members of a club he used to belong-awesome car! Maybe some day I could project one, in his memorial.

Loved seeing this episode. My first car was an 850cc 1965 Morris Mini Minor, just like that, but in grey. I bought it in 1976. Loved it! I had to sell it and get something a little bigger with soundproofing as it was just too noisy screaming down the M3 motorway at 70 mph. Went round corners like it was on rails. The Hydolastic supension was great, gave a much better ride than the coils and shocks fitted to the example here. It semed much too lively over the bumps. Still I suspect that the parts would be very difficult to come by now.

Down here in Aussie land i remember the Coopers being known as a flying brick even the cops used to use them

There's something about this car that just puts a smile on my face. And if you were to add the Benny Hill music that would be the icing on the cake😂

Nice job of bringing back a original mini. My first driving car was a 1973 mini 1000. Kept it running with shoestrings and bubblegum. Till it’s big backyard restoration 1982. Through a ton of parts at it a 1297cc sprite 997 camshaft 750 fly wheel , 1.75 SU and lots more, it now went like stink. But wouldn’t stop or corner like original I lifted it for the gravel roads where I lived. In hopes to keep the exhaust system on in place 3 inch ground clearance. Now with 6” could go any where. I sold it and always thought I would do another 15+ years ago picked up 1 a 76 mini 1000 then later a 67 copper 1275s. No time or money have moved then 5 times now, OH the dream one day. Jay great job of your little car collection.

Oh so good, one of the joy's of diving a BMC mini was that what ever the model from 850 shopper to 1275 Cooper S, they would corner at maximum speed, well maybe a lift off but no braking. What fun !

Sir Alec Issigonis little masterpiece!!

Wow! Nostalgia. I had a 1965 Morris Mini Minor in the same colour (minus the white roof) in 1972. I was a student at the time and I think it cost about £200. At just 7 years old (the car) it was showing signs of rust and the hydrolastic suspension had a leak on one side and required pumping up at regular intervals! This car was preceded by a 1959 Austin 7 Mini and followed by my brothers 1965 white Mini Minor which had a larger carburettor and different cylinder head. Memories!

I loved the story about the MOT (Ministry of Transport) test.. I lived in London in the mid-1970's and had a 1965 Mini station wagon with genuine wood panels, in fact that model was probably the last true "woody" built anywhere in the world. Just before I sold it I took it in for its annual MOT inspection, and the mechanic told me that he would pass it as long as I promised never to bring it back again! The same problem: rust. One of the most interesting features of the 850 engine (actually 848 cc) was that in case your battery was low, you could start it with a crank. There was a slot in the end of the crankcase, and a hole in the fender well that could accommodate a hand crank.

The shot at 24:55 cracked me up. "Tiny circus car passes in front of behemoth American musclecar" angle is pure comedy gold. :-) Jay loves 'em all and especially the ones with a story and this one is no exception. That's why I've always stuck with JLG - it's unique in the auto journalism world that way.

Im glad he chose to save it even though it was rough, here in the midwest i have never had the pleasure of seeing one in person but hope i get the chance!

Greetings from UK, what a gem of a car, congratulations to the owner for saving it. As a penniless car-mad youth in the '60s / '70s I had a few Mini's, used to scrap them when the rust got too bad, there was not the massive industry there is today in keeping them alive (and no RU-vid videos showing how to fix them!) In those days, BMC had inherited a network of dealers, Austin, Morris, Riley, Wolseley, MG etc When the new car was introduced they had to give these dealers a model to put in their different showrooms, hence the Austin 7, Morris Mini-Minor, Riley Elf, Wolseley Hornet versions (wonder why they never did an MG mini?) The public very quickly just called them all 'Mini', it was not some brilliant marketing move by BMC, people just loved the car and the nickname fitted it perfectly Just imagine, if they had not called one version the 'Morris Mini-Minor', it probably would never have gone on to become a brand in it's own right (although to people like me who grew up with the original product, a BMW Mini is not a real Mini)

I had a 1964 Morris-Minor Mini, loved that car. Sold it to a TSgt. and he dropped some more money into it. Changed the Color, and shipped it to his next assignment. I spent 8 years in the UK. Owned 4 Mini's, a Maxi and a Opel Kadet. But the Mini was my favorite car. And still is, I so want one again. I have a restoration book for the Mini. My 850cc Mini always seemed to need a 5th Gear. Thought about taking a motor from Austin Metro and changing it all out for the 5speed in it.

lovely machine

Steve really knows his stuff!

Thanks, I greatly enjoyed this video because it brought back memories of my 1st mini, a red ’61 850 Morris. I was in college then and had no money so I maintained it myself. I smiled when he described the need to adjust the breaks. I became pretty adept at doing that. I had a large jack that allowed me to raise one side to a 45 degree angle. I still have the butter knife that I used to adjust the star wheels. Anyway, eventually I bought a 1275 Cooper S which in comparison was a rocket. One thing that really impressed me about the Cooper was the hydrolastic suspension. It is a great loss to the world of cars that even most of the still existing Cooper S mini’s have been converted to dry suspensions.

My parents had one of these. GLG-114B Some things you never forget! Like the freezing cold leatherette back seat - we wore shorts even in winter - and constant condensation.

I`ve driven loads of (real) Minis in my time and no other car puts a smile on my face like the Mini does. Think street legal go-kart and that sums up the Mini perfectly.

Very cool! I love it. What no mention of the 63' Monte Carlo rally? This is one of the few cars that have remained cool no matter what year it is. Thanks.

Watching this brought back so many memories of my first and only Cooper. Thank you to both gentlemen for this episode. Strangely, what surprised me more than anything else was the position of the interior light. My 998 had the light to the left of the passenger's head (right-hand drive) on or just above the pillar between the door and the rear window. It came with the twin fuel tanks and included a BMC clip on cover (not a shroud) for the coil and plugs to stop water affecting it.

We all miss you terribly on The Tonight Show! Jimmy will NEVER fill your awesome very talented shoes.