Lot Ended
Description
Fresh from a total
nut-and-bolt restoration by a retired Mini specialist and in super condition
throughout; original engine rebuilt; one of only 1,570 made; driven 20 miles to
the sale; a gorgeous example of this giant-slaying Sixties icon
The
original Mini Cooper was launched in 1961 when Alec Issigonis’ friend John
Cooper, owner of the Cooper Car Company and designer and builder of Formula One
and rally cars, saw the potential of the Mini for competition
work.
Initially 1,000 cars were commissioned to meet the homologation
rules of Group 2 rallying, all fitted with a race-tuned 997cc engine producing
55bhp with twin SU carburettors, a close-ratio gearbox and front disc brakes –
all uncommon at the time in a small car.
A more powerful Cooper S Mk2 was
developed in tandem and released in 1963. This featured a 1,071cc engine with
various modifications including a nitrided steel crankshaft and strengthened
bottom end to allow further tuning, plus servo-assisted disc brakes. With
go-kart handling and minimal weight, the Cooper rewrote the rule books and
proved virtually unbeatable on the racetrack, humbling much larger-engined
cars.
The final Mk3 variant came out in March 1970 with the 76bhp 1,275cc
A-Series engine which allowed it to continue its domination of saloon car racing
and rallying. Only 1,570 were made before production came to an end in the
summer of 1971, making the Mk3 one of the rarest Coopers of all.
First
registered in Surrey in August 1971, this gorgeous Cooper S was acquired by the
previous owner back in 2010 when he was still the owner of a well-known Mini
restoration workshop in the Midlands. At this point it was still in good
roadworthy condition, the MOT history online showing that it sailed through the
MOT three times from 2010 – 2012 with no advisories recorded, only covering 70
miles over this period.
When he retired, previous owner took the Cooper
with him as a project to keep him busy in his retirement. Over the last few
years, he has meticulously stripped the car to a bare shell and restored it from
the ground upwards. Although there are no invoices to show exactly what was
done, there are photos of the work in progress (some of which are reproduced
here), and the vendor has listed the main points in notes on file.
The
bodywork was fully restored and repainted in Glacier White. All mechanical
aspects were restored as required, including the original 1,275cc engine which
was stripped and rebuilt with new piston rings, oil pump, crankshaft bearings
etc. The gearbox was rebuilt by Agency Transmissions of Worcester. It was
completely retrimmed inside using a kit supplied by Newton Commercials and
retains its original 130mph speedo.
Since the restoration was completed,
it has only covered 175 or so ‘shake-down’ miles and will require a careful
running-in period before the performance is exploited to the full. Trailered
here and only covering 75 miles since June, it has been starting promptly and
running beautifully as we have moved it around on site, with good 80psi oil
pressure and a pleasingly rorty noise from the stainless-steel
exhaust.
This car sold in our June auction, to a gentleman looking to
convert the car to mild rally specification, but after seeing how nice the car
was, he decided to buy the already converted Mini Cooper S rally car in our last
auction to preserve the originality of this lovely little Cooper S.
As
you can see in the photos, this rare Mk3 Cooper S is in fabulous condition
throughout and now only needs an enthusiastic new owner who can reap the rewards
of all the hard work so expertly carried out.
Contact
james.booth@brightwells.com