Morris Mini Cooper S £32,995
This super-tidy and rare Mini drives beautifully, and has some enticing clues as to its level of originality, says Paul Hardiman
This MKIII – one of only 792 right-handers made, and offering opening rear windows plus the correct 130mph speedo – is an older restoration using what was clearly a sound bodyshell to begin with; the door fit is as good as it gets for a proper Mini. The British Motor Industry Heritage Certificate shows this to be a home-market car that was built in February 1971, despatched on 6 April, first registered on 2 June. It was on the Isle of Man from 2011 until 2018, but the vendor has re-acquainted it with its original registration number.
Judging by the presence of jig brackets, which usually get lost during restoration or floor work, the sills could well be original – almost unheard of on an ADO15/ADO20 of this age. The front brackets are lightly squashed because they’re often mistaken for jacking points, but it’s rare to see all four in place. Although the chassis plates are reproductions, the originals are kept in the large history file, along with spare keys.
This theme continues inside, with what seems to be the original, unmarked seat vinyl, plus reproduction carpets with overmats. With a couple of small water stains, the headlining is passable, as is the steering wheel – a Moto-lita with a couple of small nicks out of the rim. The paint is all tidy and even, with just one tiny crack in the finish at the top of the driver’s door. All the external brightwork is good.
The car was bought in 2006 by the thentreasurer of the Mini Cooper Register (and now the Coach Built Mini registrar), Steve Burkinshaw, who carried out a nut and bolt restoration. Its Hydrolastic suspension had already been swapped for a rubber-cone system, and today the car also benefits from adjustable dampers. It rides on period-correct Dunlop D1 alloys, a rare find; they’re in good nick, mostly unscuffed and shod in Falken FK-07ES with lots of tread.
The subframes are uncorroded, and the engine bay – which still features a dynamo and the original airbox – is exceptionally clean. There’s an earlier bill for a replacement engine block, plus over-boring to accept 1380-sized pistons – although following another rebuild in 2011, it’s now said to be 1310. The coolant is clean, and the oil is just over the max mark.
The car starts instantly and drives really well, feeling as taut as if it were new. It’s free of rattles and creaks, offering a surprisingly good ride, and the legendary go-kart steering is just as it should be. The gear synchros are excellent, and the brakes respond to a good shove, pulling the car up straight. It speeds along well, though tickover is even, suggesting a standard-ish camshaft. There’s an older bill for a 276 cam when the engine was rebuilt in 1982, which would make progress a bit peaky, but things may well have changed since then; it’s a nice, tractable motor. Oil pressure is a healthy 80psi on the move, with the temperature gauge indicating ‘N’.
It’s not truly matching numbers, but few would seriously quibble losing the Hydrolastic. This is an original-looking car that’s well worth viewing.