Minty - 1964 Aurora Gears Racing /Newtune 1071 Cooper S

[Pete]

Cheers mate, need the Mini mounting though.

[GraemeC]

It may be worth securing a mirror, in case an arm comes up on its own or with a damaged head?
Not sure if it is the case with all the Eversure ones, but many seem to have tinted glass - you can see this in the photos on the second of those two links.

(I must admit, I do have a restored black crackle one ready to go on my next build, but I am considering if your need is greater than mine.....)

[Pete]

Thanks Graeme. Got a couple of mirror heads now, just the correct Mini arm to find.

Love this photo from Aintree (No.9) but haven’t been able to identify the race as she ran #146 in April 1964 not #9 ..and another from Oulton chasing her brother and Liz Jones. EDIT : 2nd race at Aintree on 16th May

[spraybeateer]

Some fantastic photos and history Pete! good to see a car like this being brought back to
original.
As far as I remember its the car that inspired me to put the same stripe on my first Mini
when I repainted it in 1967, hopefully get to see it in the flesh sometime this year!!!

[Pete]

Thanks Frank.

I’ll show some photos of the car soon, when I get near it.

Meanwhile Gerry Marshall and David Wansborough at the Snetterton 500 in 1965.(car 35)

[Nick W]

Wonder if it still has the holes for that number plate lamp fitted?

[Pete]

Bugger. Shoulda looked whilst the paint was off! . I’m sure they’ll be there!

David Wansborough having a peep, Peter Pilsworth and Ken Costello in front at Brands..

[Pete]

And low and behold there’s one of the holes for the bracket that held on the rear light for the Snetterton 500 race...

[Pete]

This one ..

[Pete]

You can see it and the second one above it in the ‘as found’ photos.

[Pete]

There were two odd holes here aswell, wonder what these were for?

[Nick W]

My guess is they had the lamp there also at some point?

[Pete]

Yep, the other hole is above the one I’ve left visible and the offset is the same as the two above so can only conclude that Newtune fitted the lamp above the bootlid first just as Broadspeed did from that Snetterton photo and then must have moved it to the side before the race? Unlike some of the other Minis in this race Newtune didn’t fit any door lights.

[Pete]

Results ...won the 1300 class. Gerry’s son still has the trophy!

[BigWig]

What an amazing find, and the history Love the period paint scheme it has been changed back to.

[Pete]

Thank you.
Anita Taylor (right) with Michelle Burns Grieg who was dating Great Train Robbery getaway driver and successful F2 racer Roy James at the time. Michelle was racing this Downton tuned Mini and the story goes that Downton Engineering was raided by the police soon after the robbery in 1963 and her Mini was searched for any of the stolen loot!

[Pete]

New race added to the list, 2nd visit to Aintree May 16th 1964. Anita certainly raced the car a lot! Jackie Stewart in this one, Bob Smith and Phil Middlehurst in quick Minis plus my uncle Dave.

[harrymini]

Lovely car and history Pete, anything special used on suspension handling area?

[Pete]

Lovely car and history Pete, anything special used on suspension handling area?

Well the beauty of the early race cars was their simplicity so in short..not really! I’m fitting a NOS Speedwell anti roll bar soon and the height is currently adjustable but may go back to old school set height.

[Pete]

I thought I might find an ad in Autosport when Aurora sold the Minis and I did! So Robbie Gordon bought 110 NNM but I wonder who bought Trevor Taylor’s Morris? I’m sure I can work it out somehow.