1969 American Austin Mini Cooper

The 1956 Suez Canal Crisis led to petrol rationing in the UK, and sales of larger vehicles both domestic, and imported from the US, plummeted. British Motor Corporation (BMC) immediately reacted, and put to task to a designer Sir Alec Issigonis, to come up with a car that not only was fuel efficient but had enough passenger room to accommodate 4 people comfortably. The Mini was born out of this concept, and came to be voted the second most influential car design, next to the model T.

A wolf in sheep's clothing would best describe this 1969 Base Mini. Superbly modified to be as comfortable on the legal street, and as competitive on the racetrack, this Mini can only be described as one-of-a-kind. A true, notably recognizable Mini Mark II that has been engineered for “reliable racing”. Candy Apple Red will at least allow you to see the blur.

Exterior
Original front fenders, flared at the wheel wells, and use of the original 1969 Mini bonnet, headlights, and grille, A frame post, bumpers, and rear “boot” area, work in unison with many upgrades to create the final design. A contemporary electric sunroof, rear lighting, flared rear fenders, and new interior door hinges, coated in Candy Apple Red, and Black Roof, were worked very nicely into the Issigonis original design.

Interior
VTEC racing style bucket seats with COBRA 3-point harnesses are surrounded by a full interior roll bar and crash bar system. A sport steering wheel is backed by an aluminum jeweled swirl pattern dash, that contains necessary monitoring lights, speedometer and tachometer. Black cut pile carpeting covers the floor, and a 2+2 bench seat is snuggled into the rear of the passenger compartment. Air conditioning is present, and aluminum drilled door cranks and interior door release handles are attached to vinyl interior door panels.

Drivetrain
A transversely mounted Honda Civic VTEC dual overhead cam engine, is attached to a 4-speed manual transmission, and is cooled by an upgraded radiator. Headers and the exhaust system are in very good condition. Independent coil spring suspension is seen all around, as well as oversized disc brakes. 10-inch Raceline Alloy wheels are wrapped by Yokohama all weather radials, and are attached to all 4 locations, and finish off the “wolf” in the sheep's clothing theme.

Definitely not an “Original” in the true sense of the word as to the BMC concept by Sir Alec, but definitely an “Original” as to this concept and design…with performance that is over the top. A well-done project, that is more a racer than a commuter, but can definitely be used for both. Look at the bright side: you'll never be late for work again!

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 100 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. A 450 barn find collection is currently on display.
This vehicle is in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.