1965 Austin Mini Cooper S Mk 1 (1,275cc)

This sparkling little 1275 S first saw the light of day on 18th February 1965 and was finished in Tartan Red with a black roof before being despatched on 30th March1965 to Mylchreests Motors Ltd. in Douglas on the Isle of Man. Our vendor purchased the Mini around 15 years ago but he believes that it had been in storage for ten years prior to that.

It appears that at some point, the 1,275 S had been prepared on the Isle of Man for Tarmac Rallying as, when purchased, it was fitted with a Manx Racing Developments (Bill Quine) 1,275cc Stage 4 engine fuelled through a 45 DCOE Weber, straight-cut drop gears and gearbox, limited-slip differential, Hi-Los all round, Bilsteins front and rear, Minlite wheels, fully piped fire extinguisher and a 10/6-point full roll cage.

He immediately commenced a full nut and bolt strip down, inside and out and refinished the car in its original Tartan Red. We understand that the mechanical specification is as he bought it which makes sense as that engine/gearbox/suspension combination is ideal for sprints, hill climbs, club rallying or just fast road work. The dashboard area was restructured removing the navigators box and now looks period correct and the seats, belts and carpets all appear new. The paintwork still looks smart and the whole car presents nicely, particularly the interior which is very impressive. The odometer currently reads 3,469 miles which may well be correct if the car has remained, as we understand it, on the 33-mile long island all its days. It's accompanied by its Isle of Man Vehicle Registration Certificate and the Heritage Certificate.

This is a cracking little Cooper S that has patently been looked after in recent years and could be great fun just used as a fast-road car or alternatively it may qualify for club sprints, hill-climbs or 'speed tests'. It may be possible to take it further into Historic Rallying, however as always it would be prudent to check the validity and currency of any safety-related items (cage, seats, belts etc.) We encourage interested parties to inspect this little 1,275 S in order to establish its future potential.