Later Works Minis

[Pete]

I've a picture somewhere of an ex race car being rallycrossed at Cadwell by John Rhodes in late 1969, still with the number plate on it - think it is an LBL 666D. I'll try and find it.

Rhodes at Cadwell:





Pip Carrotte told me about this event :

"The photo of John Rhodes at Cadwell Park rallycross (car no 2 LBL666D) was in a 'Players No 6' sponsored GRP2 only event, hence all the brightwork on the car. They ran the event for GRP2 cars only to get more rally cars into this ITV 'World Of Sport' TV event.

Roger Clark, Timo Makinen, & Ove Anderson were in works Escort Twin Cams, John Rhodes and John Handley in works 1293 Cooper S's ,Tony Fall in a Lancia HF and Andrew Cowen drove a Triumph 2.5 PI. I was competing at this event in an Escort Twin Cam supplied by a local Ford Rally Sport Dealer as my regular 1293 Cooper S did not comply with GRP2!"

[Pete]

[Pete]

Back to LRX 827E, here's Handley in it at Brands..



Getting into lumber at Silverstone...



and at Thruxton...

[surfblue63]

That's a bit different to the car that took part in the 1967 Coupes Des Alpes, which looks like a standard Mk1 Saloon. No chrome round the doors and fixed rear quarter windows.

HopkirkCdA67.jpg1..jpg

coupe-alpes-67.jpg

[surfblue63]

(Second photo Copyright of ...me)

Picture found here
http://faimg1.forum-auto.com/mesimages/276246/GRX5D.JPG

[Simon776]

That's a bit different to the car that took part in the 1967 Coupes Des Alpes, which looks like a standard Mk1 Saloon. No chrome round the doors and fixed rear quarter windows.

That's because it is a Group 6 lightweight car and very different to the Tulip Rally car and the circuit racer is clearly a Mk 2 shell.

[Simon776]

A couple of Tour Auto testing pics from Silverstone

OBL45F69TdF (2).jpg

Brian Culcheth taking it steady

URX550G69TDF (3)a.jpg

Pressing on a bit now

URX550G69TDF (2).jpg

Abingdon were concerned that 3½" S rims and CR65 tyres were not exactly made for each other so and did quite a bit of testing to make sure they were up to the job.

[Pete]

So how or why did 550G end up being white?

[foxy52]

Back to LRX 827E, here's Handley in it at Brands..



Getting into lumber at Silverstone...



and at Thruxton...

..So Pete car number 245 ??....the history fascinates me !!!...LRX..thats a mk 1 in the guise of a lightweight mk 2 ?..picture taken post 67 I guess ?...I get the gist here that so many works cars were w/o ,rebuilt, new bits and bobs,upgraded..in fact most of the works cars left are mostly replicas unless of course all the work/rebuilding etc etc was done at Abingdon back in the day circa 64-70 ??.. nice pics by the way ... foxy52

[Supersonic]

Gentlemen, thanks so much for posting those great photographs, I love Mk2 competition cars, keep them flowing

Alan

[Pete]

So Pete car number 245 ??....the history fascinates me !!!...LRX..thats a mk 1 in the guise of a lightweight mk 2 ?..picture taken post 67 I guess ?...I get the gist here that so many works cars were w/o ,rebuilt, new bits and bobs,upgraded..in fact most of the works cars left are mostly replicas unless of course all the work/rebuilding etc etc was done at Abingdon back in the day circa 64-70 ??.. nice pics by the way ... foxy52

Well LRX 827E wasn't the only rally car number plate, even Mk1, that ended up on a Mk2 racer, quite a few did. The thing I'd like to know is why? Did these racers actually officially carry the registration of the former rally car, including chassis plate etc, in order to move them around more easily, take them across borders etc. I remember having this discussion about why the Vita minis were all registered in '68 and being told that it was about movement abroad and in fact one of them had to be actually driven to one event in Spain when the truck broke down. The Cooper / Downton-Cooper Mk2s didn't have any registrations of course.
If Abingdon did register them officially (ie just swopped the plates over) then they'd have flogged the rally cars off sans original logbook, as happened with Paul's GRX 309D, Ronnie's LBL 66D and I suspect the LRX 827E rally car.

Phil Cooper's RJB 326F, did very well on the RAC...



another one of Phil's...

[Simon776]

So how or why did 550G end up being white?

That was when The Scotsman newspaper entered it for the 1971 Monte. It actually won its class in the hands of Andrew Cowan - something that seems to have been largely fogotten.

[smithyrc30]

So how or why did 550G end up being white?

That was when The Scotsman newspaper entered it for the 1971 Monte. It actually won its class in the hands of Andrew Cowan - something that seems to have been largely forgotten.

Did they hit something?
Left head light broken, lamps point every way except one that would be useful, number plate buckled and the right head light pushed back.

Is this when it got painted white or did that occur before the factory sold it on?

Also it seems to have a non dipping interior mirror (i.e. standard mini)

[Simon776]

Did they hit something?
Left head light broken, lamps point every way except one that would be useful, number plate buckled and the right head light pushed back.

Close encounter with a snow bank

Is this when it got painted white or did that occur before the factory sold it on?

It was painted after it left Abingdon, there was a large thistle logo on the roof

Also it seems to have a non dipping interior mirror (i.e. standard mini)

Yes it does......and?

[Pete]

Scrutineering or service on the '69 Tour Auto?



So what happened to this car after '71?

[surfblue63]

One for the model collectors. Oxford Diecast do a three piece set, in 1/76th scale, of the three Tour Auto Cars priced at around £12.



http://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/76/76SET ... 20Set.html

[Simon776]

Scrutineering or service on the '69 Tour Auto?



So what happened to this car after '71?

That picture is at scrutineering - note the boot badging and poorly fitting bootlid.

It was bought by a BL dealership in Glasgow and rallied still in Group 1 spec., initially in white but then re sprayed red. The respray well may have been one result of it being rolled; and that was how Anthony Bamford bought it.

1969 Tour Auto photos on this site, some of which might be new to you

http://www.phautopassion.fr/Circuit/196 ... index.html

[spoon.450]

Fantastic history and photos chaps. Thanks for sharing.

[VKA305H]

More great photos TDF site brilliant. I think this discussion has asked more questions than answers given. Providence must be so complicated to establish. Not only has 45 years passed by but there are all these complications from the time. I also do not understand why they used registered cars for racers and actually that comes back to my original point about 550.

By the way I had the chance to buy OBL 46 F circa 1973 for £900 I only had my S and twopence ha' penny. I often wonder what would have happened if I had bought it! Cheers Brian

[Syd]

I can speak from experience when considering the providence of Works cars and the interchangeability of registration plates. I own one of the Works cars sent to Australia in 1967. It had come with a registration plate that pointed to a particular car. End of story one would think.

Only recently I tracked its arrival in Australia and the all important chassis and related numbers when registered in Australia. While I had doubts about providence and theories on its history I was surprised.
The work to trace the history after so much time is incredible.

What is clear is that the Works changed plates and other details frequently. The cars were just tools of the trade and expendable.

It is clear that LRX 827E in the photos (a Mk 2) is not the Alpine 827E (a Mk 1 Group 6 lightweight) which is probably not the 827E ( a more basic Grp 2) pre the Alpine.

It is all fascinating and unfortunately all but impossible to resolve after so much time. The main problem being the loss of chassis numbers and almost certainly the loss of the original engine.

But those who have a competition Mini of any type, enjoy it and use it whenever you can. The most fun comes from driving them, and in anger if possible.

The great photos are an added benefit.

Cheers