1973 Austin Mini Cooper S Mk II Replica

The original Minis appeared in 1959 and have become very popular, none more so than the John Cooper inspired variant and its S sibling. Right up to when BMW took over the marque some 40 years later, these little cars were campaigned in all manner of sporting events and were greatly enjoyed as regular transport.

Not everyone could acquire one of the true S models as they were scarce and expensive. Many standard cars were thus uprated by enthusiasts in an attempt to emulate the performance and enjoyment of the original product.

And here we have then a desirable 1973 Mini, clothed in Cooper S livery and powered by a gutsy factory fuel injected 1275cc engine. A thorough and comprehensive rebuild has been carried out in current ten-year private ownership. Essentially, it is a 1973 body shell with a 2000 Mini Cooper S retrofit. The engine is a new-old stock unit purchased directly from Rover and fitted with a reconditioned cylinder head, a new flywheel, a gearbox with new hub synchros and a high ratio differential. The braking system has been improved with alloy road brake drums. The improvements and modifications apparently have resulted in a low revving performance Mini which is capable of 60 - 70 mph in third gear, therefore it is not a high revving screamer! We are told that the subframes are in good condition, as is the body and paint, apart from some surface rust underneath the rear window. The silver and black leather interior is very good and all instrumentation works as it should. With less than 1000 miles covered since the rebuild, this little Mini is ready for a summer of motoring.

The history file contains a near complete run of MOT test certificates from 2014 and the V5C registration certificate.