This Mini Classic got away, but there are more like it here.

1965 Austin Mini Cooper S Mk 1 FIA Race Car

Bid to $55,000 on 2/10/22

1965 Austin Mini Cooper S Mk 1 FIA Race Car

This 1965 Mini Cooper S is a right-hand drive Mk 1 example that was modified to Group 1/A rally specifications by Pip Carrotte, LTD and raced in various events before retiring in 2008. The car then spent time at the Cayman Motor Museum in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, before being imported to the US in 2015. Subsequent refurbishment work completed in 2020 included refreshing the engine, transaxle, suspension, steering, and braking systems. This Mk1 is finished in red over red cloth upholstery and is powered by an S-type 1,275cc inline-four built by Osborne Automotive Preparation of Surrey, England, that is paired with a four-speed manual transaxle. Rally modifications include a roof rack, driving lights, a racing clutch with a lightweight flywheel and heavy-duty pressure plate, a high-flow oil cooler, a Ken Lowe electric cooling fan, a Myler’s SuperCool two-core radiator, Koni shock absorbers, adjustable struts, dual fuel tanks, and straight-cut gears. This Cooper S is now offered on dealer consignment with a book of racing records and refurbishment photos as well as a clean Florida title.

The car is finished in red and features a white-painted roof and #26 livery with various decals. Exterior details include a Monte Carlo-style removable roof rack, chrome trim, mud flaps at all four corners, Lucas rally lights, and front and rear fog lights. The selling dealer notes various paint blemishes and spots of corrosion on the bodywork.

Bronze-finished 10″ Mini-lite wheels are wrapped in 145-10″ Dunlop Rally S44 Weathermaster tires. Two spare wheels are mounted to the roof rack, and an additional spare is located in the trunk. The braking and suspension systems have been overhauled, which included installing the following:

Five-diaphragm brake booster
7″ competition rotors
Kevlar EBC brake pads
Goodridge stainless steel brake lines
1/2″ wide rear drums w/bottom protection plates
Koni shocks
Hi-Lo adjustable struts
Negative camber lower arms
Polyurethane tie rod and subframe bushing kit

The cabin features front racing seats trimmed in red and gray cloth with matching door panels and carpets. Equipment includes a roll cage, dual fire extinguishers, six-point Simpson racing harnesses for the front seats, and a passenger-side reading light. The battery has been relocated next to the left-rear seat, and twin 6.5-gallon fuel tanks are located in the trunk.

The Moto-Lita steering wheel frames a 10,500-rpm tachometer, an auxiliary gauge, and a TAG-Heuer lap timer. A 100-mph speedometer with an inset fuel-level gauge is mounted in the center of the dashboard along with gauges for oil pressure and water temperature. The passenger-side dashboard is mounted with additional timers, a trip computer, and toggle switches. The five-digit mechanical odometer shows 63k miles, and total mileage is unknown.

The S-type 1,275cc inline-four is noted to have been built by Osborne Automotive Preparation of Surrey, England, and it was rebuilt in 2017 by Mini Coopers of Miami, Florida to OAP specifications. Equipment includes dual SU carburetors, a high-flow 13-row oil cooler, a Ken Lowe high-output electric cooling fan, a two-core Myler’s SuperCool radiator with a 13lb shallow neck cap, a high-output alternator, and an Austin Mini Aldon distributor have been installed.

Power is sent to the front wheels through a four-speed manual transaxle that features straight-cut gears with baulk-ring synchromesh and a differential with a 4:1:1 gears. A racing clutch has been installed that utilizes a heavy-duty pressure plate and lightweight flywheel. A Maniflow LCB exhaust header feeds into a single central exhaust outlet, and the underside has been equipped with double-wall sheet metal as well as strengthened and gusseted subframes and a Dural sump shield. The selling dealer reports seeping from a CV seal.

The included hardback photo book highlights the refurbishment process, race history, and service records.

Photo Gallery

Auction Result

High Bid	USD $55,000 (Reserve Not Met)
Auction Ended	February 10, 2022 at 2:38PM PT
Bids	21

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1,207 watchers

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