A grieving family received an unexpected heirloom after finding a 49 year-old rust-bucket Mini Copper S under a pile of rubbish.

The 1965 car, a symbol of the swinging 60s made famous by model Twiggy, was found by relatives at the Derby home of Stuart Wainwright last year.

Stuart, who died aged 73, had been given the two-year-old motor as a 21st birthday present in 1967.

Six years later he left it in his garage after buying a new car and there it stayed until his death.

A collector from Cheshire snapped up the rare find for a cool £28,800 last year, reports the Sun.

Richard Bromell, from Charterhouse Auctions in Sherborne, Dorset, said: "The vendor was ecstatic. It is a lot of money for a rusty wreck, which is what it is at the moment."

The buyer could still be in for a bumper payday – despite having to pay around £10,000 to restore it.

An unrestored version of the same car went to auction with an estimate of at least £50,000 in 2018.

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  Metal detectorist finds dad's missing heirloom wedding ring on golf course

The Mini celebrated its 60th birthday last year, sending prices for collectors rocketing.

BMW, which now owns the brand, released a special Cooper S 60 Years Edition to celebrate, with the bargain price of £29,990 only just eclipsing that paid for Mr Wainwright's banger.

The iconic brand still attracts the rich and famous today.

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  Craig David surprises mum in emotional video after tearful Christmas gift

RnB legend Craig David surprised his mum with a brand new Mini Cooper last Christmas.

The singer, whose career has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, left a string of clues for mum Tina in her Christmas card, leading her to a Willy Wonka chocolate bar with a golden ticket inside.

That led her to another gift hidden in a bush outside her house.

After Tina had unwrapped it, she found a blue box and discovered the set of keys inside.

She pressed one of the buttons which instantly led her to her brand new Mini Cooper.

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