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The rarely seen rear view of the second running Mini prototype from the excellent book 'Mini: The Definitive History' by Jon Pressnell.
The 1st was painted orange hence the 'orange box' nickname and this the 2nd was apparently a deep red.
What would this fetch at auction today if only BMC had kept it for posterity?!!
Photo was taken in 1959....note the Mini behind reg. no. XOC 233 with van style grille.



More photos here:
http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.u ... hotos.html

The questions are would we all still be as interested in Minis and would they have been in production so long if they had looked like this ?

mk1coopers wrote:The questions are would we all still be as interested in Minis and would they have been in production so long if they had looked like this ?

Eeer no. I would not. , the rear screen down looks like it was designed by a French designer.

Glad they went for the mk1 style lights and a boot

What happen to these prototypes? Destroyed?

I asked the late Jack Daniels (Issigonis Draughtsman) what had happened to them a few years back at a Gaydon Mini event. He was pretty sure BMC scrapped them both in the early 60's along with the XC9003 wooden mock-ups.
I'm suprised no one has yet built a replica "Orange Box".........although reproducing the engine turned through 180 degrees would be a major challenge!

Most of the testing of these cars took place at Chalgrove airfield, quite close to Cowley. Prior to this, Jack Daniels himself commuted daily in an experimental split screen Morris Minor with front wheel drive. Apparently most prototype cars were scrapped (often under supervision from the revenue) and were never registered for the road. The supposed reason for this was that a car became taxable (for purchase tax) at registration so much testing was done on trade plates or on airfields to avoid this extra cost. The few prototypes that did 'escape' largely did so via the 'back door' to a department manager or similar.

See how much oil has leaked out!

As I understand it, only the orange orange box had wider rear track, they'd already reduced it by the time the built the red and black one.

Tim

If they'd still been as much fun to drive and as good at motorsport the ugly stick wouldn't have mattered too much, mind you they would probably be a lot rarer and worth even more!

They do look funny with the A35 grill!!

Imagine how annoying it would be to do anything with it all round the back!! setting the points and chaging plugs or oil filter would have been a right task!

The cars were put in the tunnels under longbridge, but unfortunately destroyed in a fire, as per many other of the experimental cars.

The styling studio did make a full size model in wood, and this was given to a blind school in Birmingham, but it has never turned up? Shame...................

My dad is on one of these photos in the background. Photos were taken by the BMC (austin) photographer.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

P

Thanks for the information /bad news, do you know in what year the fire happened?

Is that a Van behind the orange box? What year was the van introduced? 1960?

It seems the prototype was about for a few years!

ricardo wrote:Is that a Van behind the orange box? What year was the van introduced? 1960?

It seems the prototype was about for a few years!

No it is a Mini saloon reg. no. XOC 233......the early Mini's on test had van style grilles, as can be seen in the early BMC films of Mini's testing at the time.

Mab, in your 2nd post the 3rd picture behind the orange box it shurly looks like a van to me!

It is clearly a van in the picture. There were van prototypes built in 1959. May be one of those.

Looks like a saloon to me in first pic, the roof isnt long enough for a van, plus you can see through the vehicle clearly see through the n/s/r quarter glass??

2nd and 4th pics most def a van different vehicles ??

Sorry, I was referring to this picture:



I does look like a van, you can even see the rear door hinges.

Exactly Ricardo.

nick@dunsdale wrote:Looks like a saloon to me in first pic, the roof isnt long enough for a van, plus you can see through the vehicle clearly see through the n/s/r quarter glass??

2nd and 4th pics most def a van different vehicles ??

Yes sorry some confusion here.....the first pic posted shows the saloon reg. no. XOC 233 in background with a van grille fitted as were several of the other early Mini's on test in BMC films of the time.
2nd and 4th pics are definitely a van in background which were launched in Jan 1960.

Not really noticed this early photo before......from the book MINI - The True and Secret History of the Making of a Motor Car by Simon Garfield.

I don't mind the look of the front of them, its really just a early version of a Elf/Hornet front.

There is a guy here in Aus that has made a "twini" mini. He has the rear engine in the wrong way round, and has had a camshaft made to make it run the other way, if that makes sense.