.
This is a project that started a long time ago. I bought for
cheap money an Innocenti Mini Mk3 that was destined to end it's life in
a scrapyard. The condition wasn't excellent but repairable, bottom
panels needed replacement and rust was slowly reaching every single inch
of the car. Although the car was not registered anymore, the initial
idea was to put it back on the road somehow....but after some thoughts
it appeared not to be a good idea. Too much work and too much money
which could have been spent to buy a better condition road going
innocenti straight away of greater historical value like a Mk1. So I was
left with a car I didn't really know what to do with, except
occasionally walk around it scratching thoughts off the back of my head.

For long it remained in the
garden waiting for a decision. I loved the idea of
a Mini trailer with the back side (see
http://www.mini.org/nmd/namd/projects/trailer/trailer.html) but then here in Italy it would be
hard getting it road legal if not impossible. I decided it could no
longer stay in the garden rusting.....so I stripped it down completely
and started cutting....yes cutting, which was heartbreaking, but had to
be done......
The roof came off
......


Had to be
cut in half.
There was no going back.....


More
cutting continued and I started dismantling all the mechanics:


At this
point i decided that the rear of the Mini was going to become a sofa! I cleaned the underside and painted it with a mat
black rust protective paint. I then mounted the wheels onto an arm i
made, using the original hub. Added two trolley wheels at the front end,
turned it round and voilą, the first impression of the Mini Sofa. A
friend of mine trying it for the first time:

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