The last four Works Minis

[Pete]

Thanks for the pic Pete. The other car in the Bill Price book would have been RBL 450F? Number 78. I also have RJB doing Oulton Park and Thruxton in August oF 1969. In fact I am pretty sure I was there at Thruxton. Pity I didn't keep the programme. Actually I probably couldn't afford one! Glad to see a later works mini thread rekindled! Cheers. Brian

RBL 450F was sold to and raced by Arden (Gordon Spice) as I'm sure you know so lived on and has reappeared recently as a rally car. I was talking with a mate about this t'other day and it's rare to find any of them restored back to the race version. Seeing as the other Oulton car also wore the RJB 327F plate it does make you wonder if BMC exported the rally version officially on paper or whether they kept the logbook for the racer? They used quite a few rally car number plates on the late racers as you know and I'd be very surprised if they'd have done that with an ex works rally car in use in private hands with the same plate on??. I've got a great set of shots from the '69 race season, great looking cars.

[Pete]

I enlarged the photo and it's an ESAP and it is listed on Maximum Mini.

Yes it was a mutated Unipower GT, hidious looking thing IMHO with squrae lamps and weird body alterations! Andrew Hedges apparently flew over to Italy to read the riot act to them on their plans for production!

[Pete]

There are a couple of pictures of Car 78 at the '69 Spa here

https://revslib.stanford.edu/?f%5Bcolle ... ummy_range

That's Handley in RBL, not surprised RJB isn't pictured as it wasn't running long enough.

[VKA305H]

Any chance of seeing those 1969 shots Pete?

[Pete]

If only, they're all under copyright by the photographer. There'll be a few in the book I'm knocking together though.

[VKA305H]

A book! Look forward to that. When?

[foxy52]

I have applied for the online copy but I have not received it yet.

My twopenneth is that the last four works minis were YMO 885J YMO 886J YMO 881H and SOH 878H so we will see if the author agrees. We know that RJB 327F was the last works mini to compete and that 885 and 886 never competed as works cars. Post to correct me if I am wrong!

What I do not agree is that 885 and 886 were Mini Clubmen or Mini 1275 GT. They were in fact Clubman fronted Cooper S Mark 2 as the badge on the back of 886 clearly shows. I don't know about SOH perhaps someone could enlighten me.

Cheers

Brian

...That's the correct period phrase from late 69/70,s to differentiate...Clubman fronted minis !!!...at least A N Other agrees !!! lol... foxy52