RALLY COOPER ‘S’ TRACES ITS ROOTS
Harry Painter from Shrewsbury and his family are keen members of (and regular racers with) the Vintage Sportscar Club. Harry also owns a slightly souped-up Riley Elf.
In 2007, a family friend bought a 1968 Mini Cooper ʻSʼ. Mechanically sound but needing bodywork repairs, it was stored in a barn but he sadly passed away before making a start. Last year his widow mentioned it to Harry and he bought it, mainly because of its obvious rallying history.
Harry decided to take it in ʻas-foundʼ condition to an action day at Blyton Park, where a number of specialists from the Mini Cooper Register got very excited that a car with so many period rally modifications could have survived without anyone in the club knowing anything about it. It was suggested to Harry that he should do the necessary bodywork repairs but leave the rest of the exterior and interior alone, which he is now planning to do.
He has since found out that the car was first delivered, in white with black trim, to Manchester and Salford Police on 8 November 1968 and registered LVM 14G. It is not known when it left service, but a Mini wearing that registration number took part in a couple of rallies in the Cheshire area in October 1973, entered by Howley Racing of Warrington, driven by John Taylor and navigated by Charles Tyler. An incomplete file came with the car, which suggests that it was rallied until the 1990s. In around 2005, it passed through a dealer and the next owner had the car mechanically overhauled, but left it cosmetically battle-scared. “The engine was replaced with an overhauled 1380cc Metro unit,” says Harry, “which has a dyno printout showing in excess of 140bhp.”
If you remember this car and can help fill in its missing history, email harry.p123@live.com