For a long time, I thought I was going to buy an original Austin Mini Cooper, but that’s probably never going to happen. Still, I should have bought that $800 Countryman that just needed its wood refinished. What we have here is an enthusiast-owned, right-hand-drive 1974 Mini Cooper Tribute. It’s on Craigslist in the Portland, Oregon area, with a $21,500 asking price. It looks turn-key and largely original, unlike that bizarre V8 example we wrote about here. Thanks to Tony Primo for the submission.
The “tribute” thing means it’s not an original Cooper car, but I wouldn’t let that stop you. It’s still “an exceptional enthusiast-grade driver, combining iconic vintage styling with high-level performance upgrades.” The car was given a full mechanical workover by JET Motors, a first-rank Mini specialist. “Thanks to their expert sorting, this car runs, stops, and handles far better than a standard factory Mk III Mini,” the owner says. The Mark III ran from 1969 to 1976.
This is a “powerful” 1,275-cc Mini, and the A-Series engine has upgraded rockers and a single large SU carb with a K&N intake. The generator was jettisoned for an alternator, and electronic ignition was installed. There’s an upgraded brake booster. The four-speed manual is said to shift crisply, without grinding.
The exterior features two-tone paint, special wide-body fender flares, performance alloy wheels, and a removable vintage wooden-slat roof rack. Inside are high-back performance seats (vinyl upholstery) and a wood-grain dash panel.
British racing legend John Cooper first got his hands on a Mini in 1961, creating the Mini Cooper 997 that proved unbeatable in rallying. The Mini Cooper S was offered with either a 1,071-cc or the classic 1,275-cc seen here. From 1966 on, Cooper S cars got twin fuel tanks. While this car has gas caps on both sides, there’s no word if it actually has dual tanks or just a dummy cap on one side.
The Cooper S continued in production until 1971, so this is indeed a sympathetic recreation. The title is clean, and the car is registered and running around the rural routes in Oregon.
These Minis are tiny, but surprisingly spacious inside, and a blast to drive. They’re not highway cars—which is why they didn’t make it here—but on winding roads (and rallies) they can’t be beat. Hagerty puts a ’67 Mini Cooper S at $30,200. But subtract a bunch of that for a tribute car.
Well, on one hand, I want to thank Jim for bringing us back to earth after that V8,,um,,creation, and coming from the Badger, can only speculate the catalyst there. And I was overjoyed until I saw the RHD. Big disappointment to me, and possibly others so used to LHD. And don’t say it’s a piece of cake, I’d wake up screaming in the night, more so. Shift with the left hand? Not bloody likely. Still, with that “other” Mini fading fast, this is pretty neat, but not too compliant for the future. Be one heck of a fun postal carrier. In fact, I read, they were the choice for “posties” in England from the get go. The Mini postal van is one of the rarest. I even read, the post office put restrictor plates on the vehicles to prevent speeding,,,really? Cool cars.
Yes, because commercial vehicles weren’t allowed to go as fast as cars – so car-derived vans (Mini, Imp, Anglia, etc) might’ve been restricted by employers.
Thanks Derek, I suppose I should talk, our commercial vehicles in the US are governed as well( 63mph), but I didn’t think it would be necessary to limit a postie, I mean, with that job, what’s the rush?
Howard, when I drove a Parcel Post truck in the 60s, the deal was when you finished your route and came back to the PO, you were done for the day. I got out and hustled, so I could have my afternoon free, until a couple of the older guys took me aside and said ” Don’t come back so early, you’re making the rest of us look bad.”
Ah, gummint work.
Triggers an urge to watch the original “Italian Job”. Very Spritely machines, another one that shamed many a stuffed suit out in their overpriced sports car they thought should be the scourge on any and every autocross.
Interesting feature about these is the ease of switching them over from RHD to LHD.
Anyone here ever done that?
Have seen a right to left change and it doesn’t look that difficult. Since the dash on this one is aftermarket no problem moving it either.
I had a friend who had a 1275 Cooper “S” with LHD. I was going to Bermuda and he asked me to find a RHD rack in yard and bring it back. There were not a lot of auto dis-assemblers in Bermuda, but I found one and returned to NH with it, wrapped in brown paper. The only problem was that it’s size and shape loosely resembled a rifle, which caused some consternation with the airlines and customs agents.
Good to see a 1275 Mini with mini Mini Minilites!
Good to see a 1275 Mini with mini Mini Minilites ( 10″)
Mine always had Cooper outset (drum) steel wheels. Round holes rather than slots set them apart.
Does it have a 12G940? One of the few Mini bits that I have left…
This “1974” left the assembly line around 1989. Minis frequently went through an aging process to get imported into the States, especially California, that sometimes involved swapping the VIN.
A car of this era is fine on the highway, BTW.