Man accidentally finds family's long-lost car while shopping online

When Daniel Fox went shopping online for an old Mini he didn’t expect to find a memory.

The 36-year-old British automobile enthusiast was browsing a used car site when he came across a classic model that looked familiar.

The red hatchback was a lot like one his late grandmother bought for £400 ($525) in 1983 and owned until her death in 1990. It even had the same kind of steering wheel and radio that his older sister had put in it when she inherited the car.

The last two numbers on the license plate rang some bells, too, but since his sister used the car as a trade-in on another way back in 1994, he wasn’t sure. That is, until he contacted the seller in Norfolk and got some more information.

Sure enough, it was grandma’s car.

"I remember being in the car as a six-year-old, rolling around in the back because it didn't have seat belts - I have really happy memories of it," Fox told SWNS.

Turns out it had been sitting in a garage for about 20 years, and remains largely original, right down to its classic hounds-tooth seat upholstery.

"My sister put seat covers over the seats because she didn't like the interior and that has actually saved them," Fox said.

He ended up paying “too much” for it, but had to have it, even though it wasn’t in running condition.

Fox hopes to have it back on the road soon and is planning to take part in events surrounding the 60th anniversary of the Mini that is being celebrated this year. He was invited to several almost immediately after news of his find started to spread.

"The motoring community is a really lovely community and it's been amazing," Fox said.

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