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Fantastic! Lets hope VRO1M will be kept looking as it is.

Chassis number suggests a Londbridge built Austin Super Delux...

Also looks like it has the mortal remains of a 1275 S attached to it.

The number plate gives a clue to the year of registration - as you can't add a private plate to a car that would make it appear newer than it really is. Would an 'M' plate be '74?

Looks like it could tell an interesting story!

I like that very very much. No doubt it will be returned to super +++++ factory spec, polished radiator tank and all. Oh no, we'd have to use the correct SG-346/2 radiator paint

Thats a 100% Bitsa .. i built one just the same back in the day into a new Mk1 shell, that new shell cost me £130 from my local BMC parts dealer .. i even put the same MGB reversing lights into the bootlid .. also had my car,s 45 Weber set up at Morespeed they were located under the railway arches in Birmingham... in those days to get a Ministry of Transport new registration Logbook the Policeman came on a motorbike and inspected the car, using thinners kept in his Triumph bike panniers to rub off my new paint to see if the shell was actually new or stolen.. then happy days trying to beat e-types.. was easy to win on the twisty bits but not on the straight roads.

that's beautiful

and I bet it gets bought and 'restored'


what a shame

feck me, id take it over any cooper s, if I had the money and space to be creating my 'heritage fleet' I would buy it

rich@minispares.com wrote:that's beautiful

creating my 'heritage fleet'

Rich's heritage fleet... the mind boggles!

tintoptom wrote:

rich@minispares.com wrote:that's beautiful

creating my 'heritage fleet'

Rich's heritage fleet... the mind boggles!

it certainly wouldn't have any genuine cooper s's in it.....

I love strange cars like this that have a character about them - they are disappearing fast and its a shame

rich@minispares.com wrote:that's beautiful

and I bet it gets bought and 'restored'


what a shame

feck me, id take it over any cooper s, if I had the money and space to be creating my 'heritage fleet' I would buy it

Couldn't agree more. Here's the blurb from the auctioneers, take it with a pinch of salt but it kind of makes sense, still not sure how you could stick an M plate on a Mk1 shell but I guess the DVLA were a bit less particular in 1974.

This 1974 Mini was recently discovered by one of our team members, having been owned and held within the same family since it was built to order in 1974. A fan of the Cooper S, the vendors wife wanted something a little more special and with a brother trained as a mechanical engineer, they together decided to create, what in their mind would be, the ultimate Mini. The project to build this car began in earnest in July 1972 when £85 was spent to purchase a rolling Austin Mini shell (chassis number 918077a) next to purchase was a Morespeed modified 1293cc Cooper ‘S’ rally engine, Supplied by Morespeed Conversions Ltd., Birmingham. This was twinned to an ‘S’ all synchro gearbox No. 5277, a 510 Camshaft, lightened cam followers, Cooper Oil Pump, 1275 ‘S’ cylinder head, two 1½" SU carburettors and an inlet manifold to suit. Other upgrades included a lightweight ‘S’ H.C. water pump all of which was supplied by Mike Coombe Racing in Rugby, Warwickshire.

The upgrades did not stop under the bonnet, an electrically heated rear screen was fitted along with a rear wiper arm, SU AAB needles and AUC 4578 springs were coupled to 5x10 Cosmic wheels with the rear wheels at a negative camber obviating the need for spats. It has a front-mounted oil-cooler just below the front grill and all brake pipework is made from 'CUNIFER 10' and runs inside the passenger compartment where possible. The Interior is in fabulous condition. There are additional bespoke gauges and switches mounted in the roof and the vacuum reservoir for the brake servo is located under the rear seat squab.

Built to order, receipts are present for virtually every item used, in a lovely history file. Unfortunately the car has been stored for many years now and thus needs some light cosmetic/structural work in order to be considered roadworthy but the engine is running well having been recently re-commissioned.

It looks pretty solid so hopefully it won't be over restored, just recommissioned, would love to see it on the road where it belongs.

Is that an 8 track as well as a radio?

Reminds me of my 1973 Rally Cooper S Bitsa. Logbook states built from parts, all or some of which not new. Looks like you could build your own and register them quite easily in the early 70s.

It's a sad thing. I remember getting my 64 mk1 after my other half got a City E as her first car, in went the MG Metro Engine and S Brakes and out went the carpets. It smelt of hot oil when running, hot oil and vinyl seats. It was sublime on the road.

ASBO was nicer, a better shell and a real hodge podge of bits, some very trick pieces indeed. It was made to go fast along Cornish lanes and that's what it did. It wasn't polished, it was rubbed over with an oily rag. It went like stink, sounded epic and didn't have the correct wiper motor, or ashtray cover.

Both got turned into Cooper S reshells. I imagine they are now £40k cars, full of originality, with a genuine history and lady owners.

I'm not interested in factory Mk 1 district nurse minis, or perfect cooper recreations with the correct wheel codes. I want to see one lifting it's wheel on a corner, hear the scream of the gears and see the puff of smoke from the thrashed engine. I note the gradual decline in minis doing hillclimbs. They are all off to be too valuable to race, or to be "put back" as perfect cooper esses.

It's like seeing a picture of Jo Guest now, complete with false teeth and granny perm, rather than where she was best. On the Razzle Track with her legs behind her ears.

£18,975 for a '59 project...

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24121/l ... 100&page=4

Not sure that bubble's ready to burst yet, if it ever does??

Provenance and originality helped there. No glass washer bottle though but there is a bag of 1970s Fox's Glacier Mints on the dash.

Pete wrote:£18,975 for a '59 project...

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24121/l ... 100&page=4

Not sure that bubble's ready to burst yet, if it ever does??

I was there, it really was an excellent, original little car with no structural rot...I reckon some elbow grease and a couple of grand and you could have it MOT'd and on the road, as long as you like a bit of patina. Bloke who bought it got caught up in the bidding and his comment was 'dunno what I'm gonna do with it'...........

timell wrote:

Pete wrote:£18,975 for a '59 project...

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24121/l ... 100&page=4

Not sure that bubble's ready to burst yet, if it ever does??

I was there, it really was an excellent, original little car with no structural rot...I reckon some elbow grease and a couple of grand and you could have it MOT'd and on the road, as long as you like a bit of patina. Bloke who bought it got caught up in the bidding and his comment was 'dunno what I'm gonna do with it'...........

Any idea who the winner was? Hoping they get in touch.

i was the online bidder...

the charges really affected us getting it

The commision the auction houses take is huge. They probably made £4K on that deal.

I knew of 4 people bidding inc Harry and Tim, from what Tim's said I think it's gone to a dealer oddly.

Not sure that bubble's ready to burst yet, if it ever does??

Oh, don't you worry, it will.

bill773mini wrote:I knew of 4 people bidding inc Harry and Tim, from what Tim's said I think it's gone to a dealer oddly.

Or "collector and purveyor of fine motor vehicles" Bill. Whoever he was he clearly had a sense of humour and deep pockets