The Mini with Muscle
Discovering the joys of owning and piloting a 1960s motoring icon
It’s the car that’s probably more recognisable than any other in motoring history. The tiny Mini was an important part of many people’s formative years, and Bli Bli resident Deb Newton was no different. “I grew up at a time when they were common road cars,” she said. “I’d always loved them, always wanted one, and when the opportunity presented itself to buy one I couldn’t resist.”
And this was no ordinary runabout Mini. This was the full fat highly desirable – and increasingly valuable – version: an Australian-built Mk1 Morris Cooper S from 1968. It’s been a versatile little thing during Deb’s decade of ownership too. It was her Adelaide daily driver after she bought it in 2007, has been a favourite on the show scene and, as can be seen with the racing numbers on its doors, has done a bit of rallying too.
“I went to a car dealer in Adelaide looking for a car for my daughter,” Deb said. “The dealer had the Mini up for sale there, and I ended up buying a Commodore wagon for my daughter and the Cooper S for me.” Eventful shopping trip to say the least.
The impulse buy meant the relationship got off to a rocky start. “I was a bit terrified of it on my first drive from the dealership back to my work,” Deb said. “There were a few issues with the clutch and gearbox, and it eventually conked out on the Anzac Highway.
Day one was a nightmare and I started thinking ‘What have I done?’ But I overcame these first few problems, and although it was hard work to drive in traffic I used it every day for a year.”
Around this time she met her partner Michael Freestone, who happened to be a mechanic. Anyone handy on the spanners has that extra level of attraction to a lady who owns a classic car (not least anything British from the 1960s!), and this knight in shining armour with a decent set of tools set about bringing the Morris Cooper S back to fighting fitness.
Work involved rebuilding the original 1.25-inch SU carburettors, overhauling the clutch hydraulics and chokes, and adding a triple-core radiator to aid cooling.
The previous owner had removed the hydraulic fluid from the Hydrolastic suspension to lower it, but Michael said that makes them very unstable. With new fluid back in the handling was back to its original best.
Features of these Australian Cooper S’s include 4.5x10-inch steel wheels, bumpers with stainless steel overriders and corner nerf bars, external hinges on the doors, front quarter windows, twin fuel tanks with filler caps either side of the boot and a 120mph black-face speedometer. The engine is the famous 1275cc
how a Mini had won at Bathurst, so it was very relevant for such a run,” she said.
The little Morris also held its own against the big Aussie muscle bruisers despite its less-than muscled 37kW it showed on its last trip to the dyno. But as it weighs little more than a portion of British fish and chips, the Cooper S didn’t need the power of the big Aussies to hustle on at decent speed.
“We certainly weren’t hanging around on some parts of the rally,” Michael said, “and the funniest thing was talking to the other competitors after we’d finished about our fuel use. The big V8s used between $1500 to $2000 for the 3000km…we got away with spending just $300.”
Deb has a very admirable stance on her long-held dream car: it’s there to be used, enjoyed and loved by others. “It’s just lovely how an old Mini just makes everybody smile when they see it,” she said.
The interior was given new carpet maybe 15 years ago, it looks like the seats were re-covered by a previous owner, and the contrasting red cabin is a delightful place to sit. There’s a chunky Cooper three-spoke steering wheel at a lovely height, stubby little four-cylinder mated to a four-speed manual gearbox (with no synchro on first), it still used a generator (the Mk2 Coopers S cars adopted an alternator), and 7.5-inch front disc brakes.
With the Cooper S’s rich motoring history, it’s unsurprising Deb’s had a little dabble. “It’s a car that is meant to be driven, and I’m happy to do that despite its value,” she said. “They’re known as hot bricks because they just stick to the road.”
And so it came to this two-tone Snow White and Burgundy (its original colour since 1968) Morris Cooper S completing a 3000km Muscle Car Run Rally throughout South Australia. While some suggested a little Mini was in no way relevant to the event, Deb quite rightly insisted otherwise. “We were chasing Monaros and GT Falcons, and we had to remind them Cooper gear shifter ideally placed, the Smiths tacho is in the driver’s field of vision and the stylish speedo centrally mounted for all to enjoy. And if you’ve never sat in a classic Mini, the interior proportions are more generous than you’d imagine. Four adults can cosily get inside and enjoy the authentic go-kart experience.
The off-white body also presents beautifully, tinged with the patina of age, and with tiny chips and wear around the panel gaps.
Well loved, and well used, just as a Cooper S should be. Deb and Michael are sure to continue maintaining this characterful little Mini, using it on club runs and the odd rally, and are hopeful it’ll remain as trouble free over the next decade too. Thankfully, this classic is in very safe hands.