Mini GTS badge

[sandro_f]

Hi guys,

Does any one have any info on this badge?

[Tim]

I think its the rear badge from a South African Mini GTS, their version of the Clubman GT.

Tim

[abri]

That is indeed off a South African Clubman GTS. The GT was in production over here for two years and was in fact followed by the GTS.

[mk1]

[abri]

That's it. They had a badge like the one above fitted to the boot lid and also to the front grille in the area where the GT had its badge. Seems to be absent from the one in Mark's picture.

[sclemow]

I thought the SA clubmans had quarterlights?

Was it only the Aussie ones that did?

S

[mk1]

Some SA MK1's did have qtr lights. Most cars didn't.

M

[abri]

I thought the SA clubmans had quarterlights?

Was it only the Aussie ones that did?

S

Ryno Verster's book does not mention anything about Aussie doors on SA Clubmans. It does say that they had "one piece wind up windows" from the beginning. I assume those are the standard doors found on later minis. The quarterlight Aussie doors were used in SA from late '66 to early '70. The first Clubmans were only launched here in August '71.

[sclemow]

Cool, my mistake, good to fill in the (gaping) gaps in my knowledge!

[cheleker]

Sclemow: buy the book! Ryno would thank you. "A South African Mini Story." It is available in England.

The GTS was what the 1275 GT should have been.

[Tim]

Aussie quarterlight window doors can't be fitted into later UK door apertures. The first type (with a lever type door handle) fits the Mk1 aperture, but around 1971 they were changed to a lift up flap handle with 'burst proof' latch and these will only fit '71 to '78 Australian Minis.

All Aussie Minis had external hinges and a small rear window, does that make them all Mk1s?

Tim

[sandro_f]

thanks for the info on the badge

[mab01uk]

South African 1275GT
"While the Clubman story was very different in Australia, as detailed in Issues 19 and 25, the South African Clubman had its own unique history – particularly the 1275GT. Like Australia, South Africa dictated local content levels to obtain import excise rebates and greater tariff protection. However, where Australia’s local content rules were based on a percentage of production cost, South Africa’s was based on a percentage of vehicle weight."

"Based on the UK 1275cc Cooper S engine block, the South African engines featured integral side covers and an internal oil filter gallery, which allowed the filter to be placed high on the block, above the starter motor. Like the Cooper S engine, the bore was 70.64mm and the stroke was 81.33mm to achieve 1275cc. 1098cc was easily achieved with a shorter-stroke crank and different pistons (and requiring a different camshaft), giving a stroke of 69.85mm – as opposed to the 68.26mm of the 1071cc Cooper S.
This allowed a great deal of interchangeability of parts which, combined with the 1275cc unit being used in the ADO16 models and a local 1300 Marina, provided a significant cost saving over using different engines.
With this background, the South African Mini Clubman was released on 6 August 1971 – ten days before the Clubman was released in Australia. Unlike the Aussie Clubman, though, the Springbok version looked very much like the UK version, with concealed door hinges, full-width winding windows and no door pockets."

http://miniexperience.com.au/issue-26/1275gt.html

[mab01uk]

Also from the Aussie 'Mini Experience' magazine:

History of the Clubman GT
"The situation facing Leyland in Australia in 1970 was that the Mini was looking dated, the parent company had severed all ties with John Cooper and a new-look Mini, though mechanically not significantly improved, had just been released in the UK. BMC Australia had previously rejected the changes for the Mk2 Mini – namely the larger windows and redesigned taillights – on the basis of cost. Similarly, the doors from ADO20 were also rejected on the basis of an estimated cost of $245,000 for re-tooling.



However, changing to the Clubman front panels and the Mk2 taillights was considered viable, to give the Mini a fresh look without excessive development cost. When the Australian Mini Clubman range was released, in August 1971, the cars appeared at first glance to be not unlike their UK cousins. However, in reality, they were even further removed from the British cars than any Mini previously."
More:
http://miniexperience.com.au/issue-19/h ... an-gt.html

Oz Mini Clubman:
"YDO23 was the Clubman GT (YG2S8) and was essentially mechanically the same as the Cooper S. The middle model was YDO22, which was the direct replacement for the Mini K. Although marketed as the Mini K, within BMC’s Engineering Department it was the Mk2 Mini De Luxe. The 'square-nose' version would be mechanically the same as the Mini K, had chassis number prefix of YG2S7, and became the Australian version of the Mini Clubman."
More:
http://miniexperience.com.au/issue-25/o ... ubman.html

Mini K:
http://miniexperience.com.au/issue-18/mini-k.html