Throwback Drive: 1966 Morris Mini Cooper S
Race car for the road is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot these days, but in this classic Cooper S, we take to the streets in a car with real racing pedigree
WORDS: Mark Rose | PHOTOS: Dom Ginn
Few cars are more iconic than the original Mini. Introduced in 1959, the Austin Seven (later the Austin Mini) and Morris Mini-Minor, rewrote the compact car rulebook owing to its transverse engine and front-wheel drive layout which saved space and made more room for passengers and their luggage. Various iterations of the Mini have sold under differing nameplates in multiple markets over the decades, but it didn’t take long from the introduction of the car for performance variants to make their way in to the model range, many of which were raced competitively.
This particular 1966 Morris Mini Cooper S 1275 which is for sale with Hilton and Moss at the time of writing, was originally bought by a Spanish privateer who, at the time, was living between the UK and Europe. When Fransico Navarro relocated to Spain on a permanent basis, he had the little Mini exported so he could race it across various circuits in Europe such as Monaco, Jarama and Montjuic Park. A successful car and driver combo, records of the Mini’s participation in these events can be found at the Automobile Club De Monaco and Jarama Circuit archives which adds further to the car’s provenance.
After Fransico hung up his racing boots, the Mini resided in his barn in Almeria until his death when it was then passed to his wife. The family commissioned a sympathetic restoration of the Cooper S and it remained in Spain until the former keeper purchased and re-imported it to the UK. Since then, additional works have been carried out on the Mini including a full engine and gearbox rebuild with Swift Tune parts. The engine was also bored to 1,300cc and it was tested on a rolling road with a dyno print showing 77.8bhp. During its 57 year life, this little Cooper S has built up a detailed file which includes its travels, racing escapades and restoration history, and is now for sale for £55,000 with just over 68,000 miles on the clock.
It may be getting on for close to six decades old, but this original Mini is still as fun to drive as it is to look at. Alongside modern vehicles, the Mini is indeed tiny, but because of the boxy cabin and clever mechanical layout, it’s roomier than you would imagine. The cabin is devoid of creature comforts and only the essential driving instruments are available. The windows slide open and the doors require a heavy hand to pull shut. The four speed manual gearbox also requires some strong-arming when getting it in to first and reverse, and the driving position is, shall we say, interesting. The seat slides back and forth but the steering wheel is fixed as is the back of the seat which forces you to lean back with your arms stretched and legs bundled in below the rim of the wheel. As far as driving positions go, it’s awkward, but once you’re out on the road you soon forget about it because simply put, you’re having too much fun to care.
This may be the biggest Mini cliché in the book, but it really does drive like a go kart. It’s a real featherweight which means it has an appetite for corners and the kind of chuck-ability that modern hatches could only dream of. The steering on classic cars can often feel vague, as does the Mini’s around the straight-ahead, but it never feels disconnected from the tarmac. It scampers round corners and clings to tarmac like an overly excited puppy that won’t give over. It also has a fair turn of pace. Bugger-all weight and 77.8bhp is a recipe for fun straight line performance. There’s no tech specs to speak of, but it has fantastic throttle response and because it’s powered by a small, normally aspirated motor, you have to rev the cylinders off it to extract the speed. It fizzes and frolics its way to the redline with a wonderful enthusiasm and best of all, it’s far from a licence loser which means you can spank it as much as you like without risking a ticking off from the police. Once you’re on the move, the gearbox is slick to use and it loves a rev-match with fourth to third being particularly sweet. The brakes require a firm press and there’s not much bite at the top of the pedal, however, given how little the Cooper S weighs, it takes very little time to get it stopped.
Perhaps the biggest surprises were the suppleness of the suspension and the playfulness of the chassis. It has genuine compliance over the larger bumps while offering just the right amount of body roll – enough so that it communicates grip levels, but not so much that you’re worried it’s going to topple over in to the nearest hedge. You often see original Minis being raced around venues like Goodwood, and much like a Caterham Seven, they always appear to be on the ragged edge of adhesion with the drivers sawing at the steering wheel. Driving this Cooper S 1275 gave me a real feel for what these pilots grapple with. It’s the type of car that loves being hustled. It doesn’t take long to discover where the limit of grip is and because it’s so communicative and light on its feet, you don’t feel intimidated once you find it. You just revel in the purity of the moment, the joy of driving something with so much charisma.
Between the traveling, the racing, the careful restorations and love that’s been bestowed upon it, it’s fair to suggest that this Morris Mini Cooper S 1275 has lived a fulfilled life. Many cars go through their lives and never reach their full potential, but that’s not the case here, and it doesn’t take long behind the wheel to realise that it still has plenty to give. If you’re reading this and end up buying it, then do me a favour, make sure you drive and enjoy it. There’s room for further restoration works, particularly in the cabin which has developed a charming patina but could do with some sprucing up, but it would be a crime to see it stowed away in a storage facility. It feels like it wants to partake in the very activity it was bought to do, and the thing it’s been doing ever since, and that’s be driven. Quite frankly, it’s what it deserves.
Technical Specifications (tuned)
Engine: N/A
Displacement: 1,300cc
Power: 77.8bhp
Torque: N/A
Transmission: Manual
0-60mph: N/A
VMAX: N/A
Kerbweight: N/A (Naff All)
Price: N/A
N/A
Verdict
“It may be getting on for close to six decades old, but this original Mini is still as fun to drive as it is to look at”
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