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Inspired by a fantastic photo on Pete's Sporting Minis Facebook page, I did a little bit of research on JBL 495D. Pete's pic shows 495 on the 66 Alpine driven by Aaltonen, where they finished third. According to the Browning...and Price books this was the third outing for 495, previously driven by Hopkirk on the German and London....both events retired. Next event was the 66 RAC, driven by Lampinen, where he rolled it causing catastrophic....beyond repair ?? damage....many good photos to confirm. JBL 495D did re appear soon after in the hands of Aaltonen for the 67 Swedish, looking like a brand new / completely rebuilt car. Aaltonen finished a respectable third overall, but JBL 495D was written off ( Browning book ) afterwards. I wonder why this was....and what happened to the apparently good car. A DVLA check shows no details held. Is this another car waiting to be discovered.....or am I just getting carried away After a disappointing ( due to mechanical issues ) East African Safari in HJB 656D, Aaltonen used the LRX cars regularly. No hidden agenda.....just intersted !
Any thoughts......?

I've still got the 'S' rims from the wrecked '66 RAC car, the only bit of ex works history I'm ever likely to own !

Nick

It wasn't much good after the Swedish either

See the "Works Cars" entry for JBL495D on the Mini Cooper Forum. The (probably new) car was distorted beyond further works use on the 67 Swedish.

It is just about possible that the engine/transmission from the previous JBL495D on the Nov 66 RAC (it was the least "used" mechanically of the RAC cars) was put into the third GRX309D (failed transmission on the RAC, with bits in the engine oil) for the Dec 66 Welsh.

Thanks Simon and keith….photos, if available to support those theories would be great

Another from the 66 RAC
Note evidence of repositioned bonnet strap from Alpine.

And the 67 Swedish ( new car ? )

Post Swedish pics / history would be interesting if anyone can elaborate. Perhaps ( if it wasn't too fu…..damaged )..it acquired another identity ?..... LRX ???......leaving 495D identity...…..erm…...kicking around....

Another of Rauno and Henry on their way to third overall on the 67 Swedish

'66 Alpine :

Thanks Pete....that's the pic that set me off !!!

spoon.450 wrote: After a disappointing ( due to mechanical issues ) East African Safari in HJB 656D,

Interestingly this car was reportedly sold off locally after that rally but is now registered (1990), so what's the story to that? I knew someone was building a replica many years ago but didn't know the actual car had been repatriated? Anyone know the story?

A bit of video from the '66 Alpine. Looks like the cars are gathered at the start in Parc-Ferme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x7T02hcEck



Nice and clean before the start of the '66 Alpine

I don't think the 67 Swedish photos show just how badly creased it was. Only likely scenario seems to be it was disposed of afterwards (as a shell or rolling shell or car?).
Doesn't seem to have reappeared at any highish level in rallies in private hands (was probably fixable given the time and effort from someone without deadlines).
Re-RAC and Alpine, a reprepared Alpine car for Lampinen on the RAC seems likely (not one of the main contracted drivers so not a new car?). The three works Fords on the 66 Alpine were definitely re-used on the 66 RAC, alongside the car of Clark J, which was the 1000 Lakes car of Clark R.

Nice film clip that Stu. I spotted the Ted Rowland/Pat Spencer Cooper S aswell!

So what about HJB? Does anyone know the car?

Another possibility is that the "new for 67 Swedish" car was sold, damaged, in Sweden less ID and Browning's "written off" aligns with scrapping the RAC car. Not sure how that works on carnet/temporary export paperwork though. Or, the Swedish car was an identity swap, using the still current tax from the destroyed RAC car on what was an unregistered new car.
Other D reg cars continued in 67. This one did not after Sweden. A car comprehensively damaged beyond repair in the UK or Ireland was a pretty public fact so could be reason enough to terminate the reg number.
GRX55D is a similar case - the new Gp2 car comprehensively destroyed on the 66 Circuit of Ireland and the original Gp1 car disappears after being a test car prior to that (hydrolastic unit testing at Strata Florida post 66 Monte?). (Testing revealed in photos in the Dudley Pike book).

LMM76C wrote:Another possibility is that the "new for 67 Swedish" car was sold, damaged, in Sweden less ID and Browning's "written off" aligns with scrapping the RAC car. Not sure how that works on carnet/temporary export paperwork though. Or, the Swedish car was an identity swap, using the still current tax from the destroyed RAC car on what was an unregistered new car.
Other D reg cars continued in 67. This one did not after Sweden. A car comprehensively damaged beyond repair in the UK or Ireland was a pretty public fact so could be reason enough to terminate the reg number.
GRX55D is a similar case - the new Gp2 car comprehensively destroyed on the 66 Circuit of Ireland and the original Gp1 car disappears after being a test car prior to that (hydrolastic unit testing at Strata Florida post 66 Monte?). (Testing revealed in photos in the Dudley Pike book).

Thanks Keith......so, going off at a bit of a tangent,....what is the history to the car that currently wears GRX 55D..?....anyone ?
Again, not holding breath

spoon.450 wrote:Thanks Keith......so, going off at a bit of a tangent,....what is the history to the car that currently wears GRX 55D..?....anyone ?
Again, not holding breath

I seem to recall latter day photos of a car carrying GRX55D but with Gp2 arches and the competition number of the Monte Gp1 GRX55D. That clearly is a blatant nonsense to roll out.
We know a new Gp2 GRX55D was built for the 66 Circuit of Ireland and destroyed on it. That obvious total wreck close to home would tend to make it impossible to re-use the number again (it is not as if it was destroyed on some obscure European event that few would notice).
Early on in this thread there was paperwork suggesting GRX309D may have been GRX55D. Clearly it was not. Evidence from Pike that the Monte Gp1 GRX55D was a Strata Florida test car before the new Gp2 GRX55D appeared would suggest the original Gp1 car was then sold on without the reg no, much as GRX309D was.
Since I was away from Mini matters for many years during which so many famous reg nos re-emerged, I couldn't possibly comment as to how the number got on to a car again but it is potentially possible the original Gp 1 GRX55D survived, very battered and worn, in much the same way as the original GRX309D did - but to then re-appear in later years as an arched car with the non-arched Monte door numbers is very silly.

Thanks for a sensible explanation Keith.
It would be nice to think that the car currently sporting GRX 55D registration was the Monte car....even if dressed up wrongly.