1960's MINI COOPER S

Both our Mini's in our Hornsby workshop

On 21 January 1964 a 'works' Mini Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time. It was the pairing of Northern Ireland's Patrick (“Paddy”) Hopkirk and his co-driver Henry Liddon that pulled off the big surprise, resisting the supposed superiority of significantly more powerful rivals in their small British car. The Mini Coopers returned to the Monte Carlo Rally and won again in 1965 and 1976. Mini Coopers also finished 1st at 1966 Monte but were disqualified for a mix up on spotlight regulations where certain information had not reached the scrutineers or that was the story issues by the French FIA otherwise Mini's would have had FOUR Monte wins!

Rallye Monte Carlo - 1964

OUR CAR - BUILD PARTICULARS and HISTORY - or so the story goes:

Started life as a 1963 rare 997cc long stroke Morris Cooper - upgraded and rebuilt in Australia to UK Austin Cooper S specification by the very talented ex BMC ''works'' competition department mechanic Jim Barrett in Sydney to exact 1960's Monte and Alpine Rally car specifications.

Jim had a wealth of knowledge having served his time with the factory competition department and was mainly responsible for the factory cars when they came to Australia together with Terry Douglas who later became mechanic for me when I raced Mini's in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Jim did a great job and at one stage on an Australian visit the car was inspected by Rauno Aaltonen the very successful Finnish BMC Works rally driver from that era and he gave his sign of approval by signing the driver's door card … an excellent endorsement.

After a few years the car was sold onto Gerald Lee and used for a couple of outback charity rally's and then to Peter Mouser both from Sydney who swapped the SU carbs for a DCOE Weber and added a modified cyl head and camshaft courtesy of Graham Russell Engineering in North Rocks but barely drove it. I bought it off Tim Griffiths in Mosman (Sydney) who also seldom drove it and we have since refurbished the car without changing any of its specifications and I am hoping Jim Barrett can find the time soon to re-visit his old car which again now looks almost as good as it did when he built it years ago.

SPECIFICATIONS

• -Engine 1340 cc - 100 bhp with 'rally spec' cam, high comp pistons, competition extractors, DCOE 45 Weber carburetor, competition clutch, close ratio Mk 2 all synchro g'box and limited slip diff ' valve seats modified for 98 octane pump fuel
• Suspension includes "high low" adjustable height struts, adjustable shock absorbers, rubber cones etc
• Complete underbody protection with F-R aluminium skid pans including  alloy sump guard and rear mudflaps
• Set of 5 x genuine 5 inch Minilite wheels and  standard radial road tyres
• Laminated windscreen  
• Twin standard fuel tanks
• Facet high pressure fuel pump
• All brake and fuel lines run inside through the cabin F to R
• Cooper S brakes – single master cylinder – brake servo 
• Fly off handbrake and battery isolating switch in drivers cabin

ADDITIONAL RALLY EQUIPMENT

• 2 x spot lights plus large spot reversing light both with stone hoods
  
• 2 x fog lights with hoods
  
• Halda trip master
  
• 2 x mounted stopwatches
  
• Removable plastic headlight covers
  
• Boot lid rubber strap and bonnet leather strap
  
• Leather rim alloy steering wheel and steering column drop bracket
  
• Navigator flexible reading lamp and navigator pen holder
  
• Navigation bracket for driver notes in front of driver 
• Large electric powered windscreen washer reservoir
• Multiple labelled switches and controls on extra dash plates either side speedo cluster and 120 mph speedo, water temp and oil pressure gauges
  
• Rallye seats (adjustable)
  
• 2 x full harness race seat belts
  
• Full alloy roll cage F&R
  
• Genuine Mk 1 Cooper S windscreen heater
  
• First aid box complete mounted inside car behind navigator
• Paddy Hopkirk throttle pedal

SUMMARY

There are a few good close factory reproductions around the world for sale that can be viewed via Google or YouTube all of which vary a little in specification and even slightly in colour with the evolution over the 1960's and apparently BMC created 40 CARS for rally purposes including a couple in left hand drive from 1963 - 1968.

Homologations and specifications in that period for these cars are also available in a book "Mini Cooper - Rally Giants'' written by Graham Robson and published by www.veloce.co.uk

At the time of creating this site in October 2020 the prices being asked for the FOR SALE cars vary from AUD $67,000 for the Adelaide car … GBP £49,500 for the UK car … and AUD $84,995 for a car with a North Sydney prestige car dealer … all the cars are in reasonably similar specification and they all represent a fabulous era in the 1960's when Mini Coopers were ''king of the rally's'' in Europe and the world.

Adelaide car	UK car
Sydney car	Our car

PROBABLY NOT FOR SALE:

Of course we will invite enquiries but at this time it is most unlikely we will sell this rapidly appreciating little car as it doesn’t take up a lot of space nor does it use a lot of fuel and it can keep our other Cooper S company on these cold winter nights … but anything is possible if you ‘’make the right sounds’’ … meantime please enjoy!

Our 1963 Austin Cooper S Rallye car purchased May 2020