I thought it looked more like it was trying to be this '57 AC Petit (from BAT last wk)

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Identity revealed!!! It was originally an early English Taxi!!!                   Mini Estate

Just a late model car with a bunch of modifications gone wrong I think. Remember, the Mini is arguably the most modified car ever produced...

external hinges added to late door because they look cool. Looks like front end modified for easy/quick engine and subframe removal... It's even got the winged badge, like mine got when it was resprayed.

at first glance it looks like the long lost twin of the famous prototype, but so did that weird thing on BAT last week

Occam's razor... Its way easier for it to just be a mini 'hot rod' like so many we've seen 

Also noticed the scary looking instrument panel in the interior!!!                  Mini Estate

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Shootz! I just noticed it's got the same thing going on with the rear bumper too!!! Check it out! (next thing ya know, they'll be dropping a Honda engine in that thing!)     Mini Estate

Maybe he was going for something like this

The door handle appears to be installed higher than normal and the indentation behind it for your fingers to fit looks like it is missing. I was at the bodyshop today and noticed the tailights look the same as US market Volvo P1800's.

its a car someone tried to customize very poorly

Ok,

It's Enzo's Love Child.

SirCoop 

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The rear window seal looks like the fish bowl seal on the early 600 Honda Cars.                     Mini Estate

The boot lid appeared to be tapered, and not the rectangular item.  I think the front looks like an adaption from an A40.

Look at how the wings fit below the front screen.  Is it flanged inside? No scuttle panel there. It does have the header in the front like Issagonnis' original napkin sketches.

Another picture!  External door hinges with roll-up windows and no quarter vent windows? Looks like late model door handles!  Could this car be totally hand made?

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Looks like somebody's really bad try at an ERA Turbo Mini front end. Ain't happening!        Mini Estate

Agree Coop, and then look at how the fender lip roll is carried all the way forward.  Not just a backyard Bob job.

And it looks like the side view arrows are pointing to a second lip roll along the sill, stepped down below the normal horizontal one, if that makes sense.

Look closely at the pic's of the front end, you will see the screw holes where the PO had attached the grill, the axles are visable if you can enlarge the pic too.  It's a sort of custom job that somebody had done up, so i'm sure there's a story out there. 

SirCoop

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I think it's worth investigation.  The front looks similar to the 1958 Orange Box prototype.  Even if it's not that car, it's worth looking into to figure out why the resemblance.

What throws me is the headlight recesses.  Don's car doesn't have them, yet those wings come from somewhere.  You need real manufactured pressings to make those wings; you can't fab up a compound piece like that without huge time and effort.

The photos are perspective-distorted a little.  My POS Samsung Android phone does that.  These photos from the Mk1-forum.

it should stay lost.

I say it was someone's weird project.  The front end slots under the grill area are roughly formed and the whole front is made to look like 1 piece (no visable seams) and the parts combo...where is it from that may expain the use of the tail lights, and front marker lights.  Looks to be in decent shape as far as the body lines are concerned.

SirCoop

A very fugly thing indeed.  My guess it was a written off car that someone has tried to do something with.....and not very well.

Those front turn signal side lights look like Austin A40 Farina ones, in fact the whole front resembles an A40. Not sure what the boot handle is off certainly not Mini though.