Vehicle Overview
The result of collaboration between the original designer of the BMC Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis and race car constructor/tuner John Cooper; the Morris Mini Cooper was launched in 1961, with its inaugural competition success coming on January 25th 1962, when Pat Moss won the Coupe des Dames award, on the Monte Carlo rally.
With an initial 55bhp and 87mph top speed from a bored-out 997-cc engine, mated to a four-speed manual gearbox and disc brakes; the Cooper subsequently received further development in 1963, becoming the Cooper “S, which utilised the engine and hydrolastic suspension from elsewhere within the BMC production range, courtesy of the Riley Elf.
Now fitted with either a 1071cc or 1275cc engine (giving a top speed of almost one hundred miles an hour) and in response to customer demand, BMC made the decision to further upgrade the “S” for rallying - records showing just seventy-one examples were completed at their Abingdon facility, with chassis most noticeably winning the Monte Carlo rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967 and the 1000 Lakes in 1965, 1966 and 1967. Several thousand overall victories and top-ten placements ensued, marking the Mini Cooper S as one of motorsport’s most successful cars of all time, whether on the rally stage or the race circuit.
Chassis no #KA-254-676062
Engine no #9F-SA-435953
First registered as EBL56C on April 1st 1965 (as detailed in the accompanying buff log-book), the above chassis was prepared in the Competitions department by engineer Mick Legge for the 1965 Alpine Rally, driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Henry Liddon, subsequently winning a Coupe D'Or (Gold cup) for three non-consecutive clean (no penalty) events -
Competition history:
1965 Alpine Rally Paddy Hopkirk/Henry Liddon, 4th overall, 2nd Class
1965 1000 Lakes Paddy Hopkirk/Henry Liddon, 6th overall
1965 RAC Rally Paddy Hopkirk/Henry Liddon, 13th overall, 2nd class
1966 Geneva Rally Tony Fall/Henry Liddon, 2nd overall
1966 Czech Rally S.Zasada/Z.Leszczuk, 4th overall, 1st class
1966 Danube Rally
1966 RAC Rally Marjetta Aaltonen/Carolyn Tyler to 37th overall
1967 Sold to British Vita Racing
1967 Televised Rallycross - Paddy Hopkirk
Historic rallying:
1982 RAC Golden 50 - Graham Brown
1984 Coronation Rally - Guy Smith
1989 Pirelli Classic Marathon - Paddy Hopkirk/Alec Pool
2009 and 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed rally stage entrant
Current Specification:
Engine – 1,293cc with +20thou forged pistons EN40B nitride and cross-drilled crankshaft on std. Steel lightened flywheel. Carburettors are twin SU on standard manifold
Suspension – dry suspension
Interior – Works-spec bucket seats and belts. Halda Twinmaster tripmeter. Early Group 1 car, eight fuse arrangement. Heuer rally stopwatch and eight day clock
Additional information:
History
1965 RAC Rally
1989 Pirelli Classic Marathon
Mini Cooper Register
The car is sold with the following spares:
- original minilite wheels (with good condition tyres)
- four new, unused Colway Rally MS tyres
- wooden tool chest, crested "Mini"(containing 4x NGK spark plugs, an Alternator control unit, a spare coil and spare wheel bolts).
With many ex-works BMC Mini Cooper’s in single or long-term ownership, this is a very rare opportunity to acquire a much cherished competition example, with complete provenance - of one of the most iconic cars of the twentieth century. SOLD
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