407 ARX
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 2:59 pm
Postby worksminis » 09 May 2017, 19:14
The second works Cooper.
June 62 Coupe des Alpes (French Alpine Rally). Aaltonen/Palm. Group 2. Red/white.
August 62 1000 Lakes Rally. Aaltonen/Ambrose. Group 2?
November 62 RAC Rally. Makinen/Steadman. Group 2.
To this point, available evidence points to the same car for all three events (no photo of 1000 Lakes).
January 63 Monte Carlo Rally. Hopkirk/Scott. Group 3.
Car now has full width black stripe on bottom front of bonnet and reg number applied either side of bonnet badge (what became standard works practice for this era), rather than a separate number plate stuck on above bonnet badge as previously and as later. This in itself is not evidence it is not the same car. The bonnet is easy to change. However, this car now has the fixing studs for the headlight protectors at a different angle (top approx. 1-2 o'clock looking at near side headlight from the front) compared to the Alpine/RAC car (top approx 10-11 o'clock looking at nearside headlight from the front). Whilst it is not absolute proof of this being a different car from that in the three earlier events, there is no credible reason for changing the fixings and other examples of this change on later cars have confirmed a “new car” carrying an old registration.
Photo of build of this car and 997ARX at Abingdon before 63 Monte show what appears to be two new cars, sitting on new wheels fitted with what looks like a standard car's Dunlop C41s.
This casts doubt on the accepted position that all 4 of the early works Coopers were the same car throughout their works competition history. Since all 4 of the first Coopers appear on the 63 Monte, there is no scope for “number plate swapping” with existing cars. A new car? (but see 977ARX).
September 63 Tour de France Auto. Makinen/Morrison. By now a 1071 S according to Browning.
November 63 RAC Rally. Morrison/Finlay. Now a 970 S according to Browning. (970 S not yet homologated and RAC not permitting non-homologated cars). Thus 997 or 1071.
Listed by Browning as sold to P. Riley (Peter Riley, former BMC works driver who moved to Ford in 63?).
The second works Cooper.
June 62 Coupe des Alpes (French Alpine Rally). Aaltonen/Palm. Group 2. Red/white.
August 62 1000 Lakes Rally. Aaltonen/Ambrose. Group 2?
November 62 RAC Rally. Makinen/Steadman. Group 2.
To this point, available evidence points to the same car for all three events (no photo of 1000 Lakes).
January 63 Monte Carlo Rally. Hopkirk/Scott. Group 3.
Car now has full width black stripe on bottom front of bonnet and reg number applied either side of bonnet badge (what became standard works practice for this era), rather than a separate number plate stuck on above bonnet badge as previously and as later. This in itself is not evidence it is not the same car. The bonnet is easy to change. However, this car now has the fixing studs for the headlight protectors at a different angle (top approx. 1-2 o'clock looking at near side headlight from the front) compared to the Alpine/RAC car (top approx 10-11 o'clock looking at nearside headlight from the front). Whilst it is not absolute proof of this being a different car from that in the three earlier events, there is no credible reason for changing the fixings and other examples of this change on later cars have confirmed a “new car” carrying an old registration.
Photo of build of this car and 997ARX at Abingdon before 63 Monte show what appears to be two new cars, sitting on new wheels fitted with what looks like a standard car's Dunlop C41s.
This casts doubt on the accepted position that all 4 of the early works Coopers were the same car throughout their works competition history. Since all 4 of the first Coopers appear on the 63 Monte, there is no scope for “number plate swapping” with existing cars. A new car? (but see 977ARX).
September 63 Tour de France Auto. Makinen/Morrison. By now a 1071 S according to Browning.
November 63 RAC Rally. Morrison/Finlay. Now a 970 S according to Browning. (970 S not yet homologated and RAC not permitting non-homologated cars). Thus 997 or 1071.
Listed by Browning as sold to P. Riley (Peter Riley, former BMC works driver who moved to Ford in 63?).
