The Mini Cooper 1275 S is the Original Giant Killer
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- čas přidán 1. 10. 2022
- In the world of motorsport, few cars have the success, never mind the love of the original giant killer - the Austin and Morris Mini Cooper S.
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After several minis I collected my new Mini Cooper 1275 S from the showroom in 1964. I remember how I felt driving down the road that day and your comments and expressions brought back those memories. Many years and cars later nothing has ever felt the same.
One thing that I find impressive is that this is the fifth video you've done on the original Mini, yet you manage to cover different ground each time, so it doesn't get tedious. OK, this is a totally different beast from the others, so that task was a bit easier this time.
sooo many variations with the same body style- and even from different manufacturers- it's hard to run out of material
All the facts, figures and presentation in this video was of course up to your usual high standards, but everything we needed to know about this car was written across your face while you were driving it :)
err,,actually they;re NOT, far too many errors and misinformation,,the 1st ever Cooper 'S' was a 970 c.c. then the 1071 c.c and finally The 1275 Cooper 'S' discontinued late 1969/early 1970, from then it became the 1275 GT. first ever standard 'cooper' was a 997 c.c then came the later version until discontinued version the '998 c.c ' Cooper,,,,i used to work on these car's in their Heyday ,,i owned quite a few of them myself over many years, i'm a mechanic from the late 60's,,so remember these car's well. 🙂
When it comes to a raw driving experience I've experienced nothing like the MK1 S. It's just a car you get in and drive nothing else 💯
@@a1c3c3u a Mini and a Super 7 on the race track, S7 says" Damn did you feel that cigarette butt in turn 4" Mini says " Yeah, tricky it was a filter tip"
Truth is spoken here!
You never forget the first time you drive a mini.
@@anthonylloyd-reesgreat line
These always make me think of The Italian Job - "You're only supposed to blow the bladdy doors off!" 😂🤣
😄😄
My mum bought a secondhand Mini in 1974, and the sales centre didn't realise the Mini she bought was a Cooper model. My mum got a call from them that they made mistake with the sales transaction and would like to swap the Mini. She informed them that she paid cash for the car and that the sales transaction was final. When it was time for us to move to the United States in 1975, she sold it for a fat profit. We could have brought the car to the US, but we were allowed only one car so we had to choose a bigger Alfa Romeo saloon.
I've rarely seen a car journalist enjoy a car,quite so much.
I need a mini 2.
I have to agree with you the mini is the best car of all time especially if the engine has plenty of power. Mine is a mk1 I've had mine since I was 17 I'm now 60 and still love it. Excellent video as always, your knowledge of the mini is amazing for a youngster. Driving an old mk1 S with all its noise and commotion is something you never get bored of.
Great video
The same car for all your life? i can imagine that would only be possible with a mini lol. Any other car you’d get bored.
Once driven always loved. I'v driven Mini's all my life. Brought a John Cooper Le a few years ago, it's the best fun ever, love it 💚
Lovely little Mini, great to see it's fitted with our iconic SW5!
It sure is a little gem of a cam. It's on my shortlist to replace my MG Metro cam when my engine is going out.
You have opened a floodgate of memories for me. Mine was 9FSAY 38717. I took my 1966 1275 S out to 1293 and flat top pistons. With a full balance and the race camshaft I revved mine to 7000 often. I won multiple times in autocross competition. Several times I got the fastest time of day trophy. The red/black mini became my signature. Thank you sir.
My Aunt whose 97 gave me her Mini 1275 Automatic a couple of years ago. It has 29K miles on the clock and is pure fun to drive. Run up every week and only driven on dry days now. I had one back in the 1980s and so it was the perfect gift for me, which I now treasure.
The history of the Mini Cooper has always confused me but Ed did a great job of explaining it clearly.
There is nothing better in the automotive world than the mighty, RACING ROLLER SKATE. I love these little missiles. I had a 1275 S, here in Australia they were called Morris Cooper S. Mine was a white body, with a maroon roof. I loved that car. A good one here now, will set you back something like $50 grand.
I’m blown away how well this story is presented. Enjoyed watching it till the end. Well done.
Back when I was in college in the late 80's, everyone had a mini. I had a humble 850 but it had the dry suspension and I put wide wheels on it and it handled like nothing else. My mate had a string of minis including a 1275GT and I can imagine this cooper is like the last one he had - a tuned 1380 that was destined for rallycross but that ended up staying as a road car. It was an absolute monster, deafening to drive, weighed nothing, sounded just like this cooper with straight cut gears etc and even had a spaceframe front end. I drove it a few times and compared to my tame and refined 850, I found it utterly terrifying. Nothing would get down a country road like that thing. Damn, I've got to get another mini now too.....
Its hard to put into words how I feel when I drive my classic mini. There is no car like it. It is just an absolute joy. The fact it makes passers by smile as much as me just adds to it 🙂
So true. I smile every time I drive my cooper 😜 it's so much fun. Wouldn't drive anything else 💚
I get more thumbs up per day than mpg. There has never been a car kids love as much - I leave the doors open at shows and let them queue up to climb in!
That ability to just track flat round a corner is always a joy.
The brilliant Alec Issigonis design never bettered.
Hard to beat the beautiful whine of straight cut gears!
It might be the straight cut drops
Doesn't matter what people think of the Mini. It was one of the most important cars ever made.
You re quite right, young man, the 12G940 cylinder head being of 11 stud design was part of the Downton , Daniel Richmond magic made part of the Mini Cooper concept which contributed to the performance of these pocket rockets. He was of course a total genius. Not only his input into the Mini, but who he taught when they were employed with him. jan Odor of Janspeed, Gordon Spice who ended up racing 3litre Ford Capris, Richard Longman of Mini racing fame, Ralph Broad of Broadspeed and David Vizard famed Mini tuner all learned from Richmond. I had a 1380cc Mini , a displacement which required an offset piston set up , complete with the 11stud head , 731 camshaft and twin 1 1/4 SU carburettors. As you can imagine, a very quick little car. Added servo with Cooper S disc to aid stopping power . All out at 100mph , due to low gearing , 10 inch wheels etc , but acceleration was mind blowing . I had that car in 1979 . You have certainly gave me some happy memories all over again , thanks
Ed, this is your best video yet. Subject matter obviously helps massively (who wouldn't want that amazing little machine?), but your delivery, knowledge, emotion and technical ability means this is truly broadcast quality entertainment.
Can’t beat the whine of a straight cut gearbox. My Dad had a Cooper S when I was kid. In fact it was first car I was ever in as brought home from hospital after birth in it!
Straight cut gears sound like Panzer tanks moving around!
The best You tube on the Mini Cooper well done young man Your so lucky to drive that little car
Hi Ed! A viewer from the States, but wanted to say I'm really quite impressed with the content you're putting out lately. The r53 video you put out was superb and this video on a Mk1 continues that trend. You're really starting to come into your own with these sort of reviews with good technical knowledge and little history tidbits. Needless to say, you really put a more than considerable amount of research and passion into these videos and it's such a breath of fresh air. I'm quite excited to see what you do next.
92 hp is impressive I don’t think metro turbos were much more than that! Great vid!
Back in the 80's when I rode motorbikes and didn't have a car driving licence. I thought any car was rubbish until I got bested by one of these on a local road near Hornby in North Lancashire. I eventually got a Mini to learn to drive in and then a 1275 GT. Great video. In my first Mini I took the seats out apart from mine and just about squeezed in a full MFI flat pack kitchen when I got my first house.
Same here, I had a Triumph Trident which I thought was the quickest thing around until I came up behind a Cooper S, passed him and he then passed me and was gone, I had no chance, that was around the back lanes of Surrey, aah those were the days!
I'm still trying to wipe the smile off my face watching you in this car! You will have one....it will happen!!!
The first time I encountered one of these, I was in middle school in Southern California. Some friends and I were in gym class at the handball courts.
We heard two police sirens approaching the school. As we focused our attention on just what was happening, we saw a Mk. 1 S being chased by a Corvette, followed by two Police units.
The driver noticed my jaw had fallen, and eyes bulging open, smiled and waved like he was in total control of this cat and mouse situation.
Eventually the Corvette was stopped, but the cops just let the pregnant roller skate go, as it was too difficult to catch. This was 1970, and I’m sure they didn’t know what to make of it. Then and there I swore an oath to my friends that I would own one as soon as I had my license. Then two years later, I started with a 1963 Austin 850 I purchased for $375.
Because it immediately started breaking down, I was forced into becoming an ace mechanic, as I couldn’t afford the dealership repair costs. Four years later I had a late ‘67 Mk. 2 S, once I figured things out. In the years since, I’ve owned many British cars from 1100’s, bug eyes, Land-Rovers to Jags, but the Mini will always and forever be my favorite of the lot. I now own a 2010 Clubman that I’m enjoying, but the thrill that this young chap is enjoying, doesn’t seem to have survived all the transitions from BMC to BMW. It truly was an immersive experience,
and after owning and restoring dozens of short and long wheel based variants, I found myself being the Mini Owners of America San Francisco chapter president in 1991-1992,
I feel I’ve had a good run
with these noisy, smelly, impractical, less than dependable, wee beasties. And wish I’d kept a few seeing how dear they now are on the modern car market.
I’ll be eternally grateful to fate for having been born at a time before the second British Invasion reached the USA, and have fond memories of all the great
music and motor carriages that came out of Blighty in that era.
Ha ha you enjoyed that didn't you? I've never seen you so happy behind the wheel of any car before. Welcome to the world of hot Minis, the real Issigonis ones that is.
I've owned modified and been involved with many minis over the years. The final one was a Rallycross car, very very light, Swiftune 1430, straight cut box, Salisbury slipper diff, Westlake 7 port head and twin 45 Weber's. We went up to 1580 using Triumph 2.5 Pi pistons but they kept breaking so went back to the Cosworth forged pistons. Can't remember what the cam was but it had to be a special as the Westlake head required different firing order, it sounded like a Ford crossflow. We used Metro Turbo discs on the front and deliberately almost useless brakes on the rear. An animal to drive and we had an animal to drive it, we also did some European Rallycross with it. The Europeans hated us thrashing their Cosworths, Porsches, BMWs etc with a little English Mini - we attracted big crowds in the paddock wondering how we managed that ;-) I only drove the car once round the Brand's RallyX circuit on a slow victory lap, the Salisbury diff caused massive torque steer one way on acceleration and the other way on deceleration.
Glory Days 😊
Wow Ed, that must have been the most fun you've ever had driving a car. It certainly looked like it. And what a fabulous car it is! Of course, 1965 was a very good year, it's when I was born 😉.
It’s actually really nice to see in one part of the video you let your inner child out, you forgot the camera and let your joy out it made an already brilliant video an amazing one
I grew up in the UK and took driving lessons and my test in a mini. That was back in 1980 and three years later I moved to Florida. Amazingly, my test drive was the last time I drove in the UK! It’s very rare to see any original mini’s in Florida, but I’ve still had the desire to own one even now. Great little car.
Ok, that was the best review yet Ed! The combination of walk-around review and Cooper history mixed in with smile-inducing effervescent driving (how could it not be with this brilliant little car!) was excellent. Great video editing and production, with your genuinely excited but controlled delivery, is what differentiates your channel and keeps us coming back. Keep up the great work, looking forward to the next video!
I subscribed after seeing your passion for that mini! So good to see a new generation enjoying these classics. Loved your delivery, I felt your excitement driving it! Loved the array of engine sounds, brought back fab memories. Great video young man!
I too wanted a Mini since I was a kid in growing up in Vancouver Canada, where they were still imported. Now I live in Califorina and I'm lucky enough to have a 1965 Cooper S. I work in the industry with 1,000 hp cars, and every one is epic(!) but my weekends are spent with my Cooper S on the twisty roads of west Marin county! Blessed am I!
Young Alex you brought some memories back of my younger days I had many minis from 850, 998, 997, 1071, the proper 1275 s twin tank, a 1071 dry sump with caster oil addition many of them; more than one of each model - they were all tremendous fun and all of them in state of different tune. I my later years I seemed to need a little more metal around me. I sold my last mini in 1971 for a Honda S800 convertible sports which is another car I wish I had kept, Then I had children. Thank you for the memories. Kind regards
Great video Ed which brought a great big smile to my face along with a tear of nostalgic pride to my eye.
We really could design and manufacture world-beaters back in the day, couldn't we.
As the owner now of my 5th Mini, i can say that you have captured the pure joy of Mini Motoring. I will continue to follow your videos
This is a great review as usual. This cooper is a real icon. And Ed, your reviewing skills are up there with the best.
Wow!! What a great video! You have really put across what a 'Mini experience' is really like. Your face says it all. I like the way you brought us viewers quite extensive information on Mini's without being 'boring'. The video kept me glued even though I knew about pretty much all you said. You definitely need to get a Mini of your own! I hired a 1966 Cooper S for a day in September 2020. I did this to make sure a Mini was 'for me' as I'd never driven one. It was amazing, so within three weeks I found my own Mini and its such great fun to drive and tinker with (spent £5k on it so far!). Alex's Mini in this video was partly the inspiration back then in 2020. Same colour combo etc. Great video, look forward to the next!
My greatest regret in life is selling my Mk1 Cooper S. What a fabulous car.
I own 3 classic minis and yes I know exactly how you feel. I get in, start the engine and immediately start smiling. The best bit is I often see pedestrians smiling as I wizz past. Children pointing and other car drivers waving. You have to buy one. Just do it. You know you should.
Excellent work Ed. For Cooper S read Holy Grail. You may not want to drive from Kent to Scotland in one but, holy hell, get out into the country on a nice sunny day and I guarantee you will have more fun than you could possible imagine. I have many storys of Mini ownership having had five of the little devils over the years but one of my favourites involves a MkI VW Sirocco Storm. A very good friend owned the VW which he, and I, loved. It was pretty fast and handled nicely. I had just finished screwing back together my 1275GT after a full engine rebuild and modding session. It had twin carbs, a camshaft that I forget the specs of now, decent exahust and a few othe bits. It went well, very well! It had around ninety BHP so, well, yeah there's that.
My VW owning friend asked if I wanted to go for a spin one morning. Off we went. He had bought along another mutual friend for the ride. We stopped for a coffee at which time we swapped cars. Everyone tried both cars during our sortie. We all congratulated each other on our respective vehicles and off home we trundled. A couple of hours later VW friend called round and asked if I wanted to sell the Mini and that he wanted it, like, now!. I said no so he went off to buy a copy of Exchange and Mart. After another hour the other friend turned up to ask exactly the same question. Same response from me.
Anyway, the badgering for me to sell went on for a few months until I agreed. There then ensued a virtual fist fight to decide which friend would end up owning the car. In the end we enlisted the help of my brother who just happened to be at my house at the time to draw lots form a hat, actually a Mercedes hub cup as I recall, to decide who would be getting the Mini. And, yes, I regretted selling the moment it drove out of my street. It changed hands three times between the two friends over the next couple of years. I then moved away and lost track a bit. Oh boy do I wish I had it now.
What an absolutely brilliant review. You brought the little Cooper to life. I had one in 1976 and loved it!!!! Well done man.
I had a mildly warm Mini when I was younger. All these years later I still haven’t driven anything that gives more “smiles per gallon”…….great to see from the expressions and grins as you drive this that hasn’t changed 😊😊😊
Hi Ed, from Sydney, Australia. I'm 66 yrs old now, but at Uni' I had a mate I used to debate against while at 2 different schools, he studying marketing/advertising and myself medicine. But we had jointly an overriding passion, cars & bikes. His mom & dad were both chemists, same with his older sister. My mum's dad was an industrial engineer, so I had near been Pa's shadow since I was 3 yrs old, he was a "magician with metal". My mate Paul bought ex racing mini Cooper 1275 that had been worked & overbored , but had suffered major body damage in a roll over, he had also bought an engineless shell from a wreckers and the 3 of us made a good one out 2 cars. The university had a motor rally team, once completed & road registered no one could beat us in the mini Cooper. Paul drove it as his daily car and he had nicknamed it "the rat" with a painted rodent on the bootlid, he has kept it his entire adult life. I had 2 cars one given to me by an elderly great uncle when I was 13yrs old, so with my grandads help it was ready & rearing to go when at 16 & 9months I could obtain a license. The car I really, really wanted was a mk10 Jaguar, and at 19 I bought a left-hand drive one when in 15 month's time ALL cars in Australia had to be RHD to stay registered. So after finding a rusty tired example an elderly English couple had brought to Australia from the UK, I had my source of RHD swap parts. I updated my 1965 4.2ltr Mk10 to be a 1967 420G in the RHD conversion as that's what the donor car was. I still drive that Jaguar today in 2022, having been loved & looked after by me now for almost 50years my Jag is in the same condition as the mini in this episode , however it has not been restored but just maintained perfectly. Nothing is quite like some of the superb British cars of this period.
Well done Ed. Another ripper episode. I love the way you talk with knowledge about your subject and I feel the pure joy that you are experiencing driving cars, great smile on your dial. Would love to see you do an episode on the Mazda Mx5, manual gearbox, of course! If you haven't already. Thanks heaps.
What a great video. Great to see someone having so much fun.
Yet another top video Ed of a brilliant classic car. I had a couple of Minis back in the 80's, a very tired old 1000 where a lot of the horses had wandered off and a 1100 Clubman Estate that was a tad bonkers on the handling front. I'll never forget the leach like cornering ability of them. My best friend had a 1275 GT and he was a very good spirited driver who had a feel for driving that to this day I cannot understand how he managed it. Unfortunately he has passed (not through driving I might add) but those memories will stay with me for ever. Needless to say my ex missus didn't approve. I'd love another one but while still young in spirit I have to accept I'm getting older, I still want another though.
Great video Ed, Alex's cars are immaculate! I'm 57 and all I drove as a youngster were Mini's. Saloons, vans, Coopers, Clubmans and estates, and don't think I ever drove a bad one. Rusty yes, but all were fun. I see Alex's car up for sale at £50k and that's a bit sobering, when I used to trade them in hundreds. Anyhow, I still need another in my life and I've got my eye on a shell! Divorce time I think!😂😂
I worked with a guy who sold a mk1 Cortina for £275 to buy an original 1275 Cooper S for £350.....mind you that was way back in 1972. I think they've both gone up in price a bit since then
They are brilliant machines, no doubt about it! Love when you have the chance to drive the cars.
My father had several cooper s back in the late 60s early 70s, mum and dad and 3 kids in the back, and still used to go like a rocket
Definitely the BEST classic car ever
What a fabulously well documented and presented story of ‘our’ beloved Mini Cooper S!..
I had the pleasure of meeting the late great John Cooper at his Ferring-on-Sea Honda car dealership back in the 90s. He told me that it was the servo assisted front disc brakes (which he designed) that helped make the car such a big success.
I was lucky enough to own a 1071 and two 1275cc variants in my younger days; if only I had kept one!😢
A beaut car indeed. I fondly remember driving my 1970 model 1275S across Australia to Sydney via Adelaide, Melbourne, the Snowy Mountains and back one summer. At 187cm , I had to have bespoke mountings made for the driver's seat, having removed the rear one to increase luggage space. The little gem covered close to 10,000 kms in 6 weeks and did not let me down for one minute. A remarkable little car. PS I also managed (inevitably) to pick up a speeding ticket somewhere in Victoria. Of course anyone who owned a 1275S and NEVER got a ticket simply didn't deserve to own one!
A friend bought one of those in 1971 and an early 1972 drove it across the Nullarbor Plain from Melbourne to Perth. I remember being absolutely amazed by its cornering ability and it's speed
This was great! I love Mini/MINI for over 20 years and I learned some new things from you. It even feels less silly having owned a Golf now, haha. I drive MINI Paceman JCW now as a family car.
Another great video, Ed!😄👏 I think you were speechless a few times, there! I lost count of the 'Oh My God' comments, which looked appropriate given the performance. Thanks again, Steve 😁
Ed, I love your passion for driving the Mini. I shared that when I owned a Mini Deluxe 998cc in Australia aged 18 to 21 (deluxe had that same grill, windup windows and remote gear change) and then a straight Mjni 850 in the UK 1968 to 1969 which I drove London to Istanbul and back. Loved them both. Makes me want another. As you say “the best little cars ever”.
Well done Ed a brilliant review as ever and a stunning car as well - what a survivor!
Excellent vid' Edd! very well researched and the presentation is spot on!
Your enthusiasm is addictive, gotta love ❤a mini 💨💨💨💨
This is a superb video...Ed,your enthusiasm whilst driving made me smile watching..
Great stuff.. 👍👍
Another fantastic video, very interesting and informative, well done 👍🏼
What a great little car the Cooper S is, I think we could see how much you were thoroughly enjoying the experience and I was enjoying it too, a great sound!
A Classic Mini is also on my “bucket list” to own, I’ve always wanted one because like yourself Edd they are my favourite car.
You've covered it beautifully! No one has done a better job of presentation than you. I will look forward to your next project.
Love your enthusiasm. Great video.
"Overwhelming aurally" - yup, 100,000 miles in a Cooper 35 with straight-cut gears is what I blame my permanent tinnitus on.
Still miss the little beastie though.
Great video. The cars, motorcycles and the music. Everyone felt alive in the 70's.
my cousin had an 850. we took out the engine put in a bored out 1340 engine, straight through exhaust with a cherry bomb on the back and a big carb. it could get the speedo needle far past the 90 mph on the dial. all on drum brakes all round .. nuts
What a beauty, an original sleeper. Watching your reaction reminded me of when i was 18 and drove my first mini.
Enthusiasm, quality research and excellent presentation style. Keep going son!
Brilliant Ed. And thank you for pronouncing ‘Bathurst’ correctly and not “Bath Hurst”. A friend of mine has a beautiful, Australian built, Mini K.
I love your enthusiasm Ed.
Ed's smile at 12 minutes in, just says it all really. That same dumb smile we all get when we meet or drive our heros.
Thank you for sharing this....your enthusiasm is awesome and the noise of that thing when you're giving it the beans, sounds biblical!!!! Fabulous little car.
Superb information. Very well done!
Wow, you enjoyed the test drive so much, you extended it another 200% lol ! Great little car.
Dude you have created a great channel❤
Awesome video.
Great car, but not only that, a superb video without any daft music or silly wasted editing.
Really love your style of presenting, your knowledge, and your enthusiasm.
Love the exhaust note.
I like the way you give us an insight of the history of the car as well
Excellent video, you clearly did a lot of research and put a lot of work into this. Great stuff 👍
I used to drive the Ex Bruce McLaren 1293 Cooper S which was exported to New Zealand by his family after Bruce’s unfortunate death. A work colleague who was an old friend of Bruce bought it off the family on arrival. We were able to use it to visit clients!
The machine was an absolute delight, from its sheer power and fantastic growl, to its whine from the straight cut gearbox; the handling/throttle steer balance, just perfect! I have had some interesting cars since, but to my mind none has matched the “completeness” of that little white, black roofed vehicle. It cemented my appreciation of the combination small car/big motor for driving delight.
I fondly imagine this particular car is still around, I certainly hope so!
Your video brought back so many happy memories, thank you.
Philip. 🇳🇿
Mini Cooper has to be one of the most iconic cars of all time!
Personally I am bit too young so missed out on Mini Cooper so instead I had one of the last 1275GT. I thought it looked great and I enjoyed driving it but I always felt it could not be as good as a Cooper!
You're right. I had one and tuned it of course. It was "softer", not such a visceral experience and the engine was only single carb and had lower grade internal engine materials. Mine had awful Denovo (?) Run flat tyres and wheels which I quickly disposed of.
Mine had the Denovo wheels/tyres as well. For a time I ran 10" mini 'slot' wheels on the back but luckily the local Unipart shop were selling off some nice 12" alloys so ended up with a set of those!
@@Dick-Dastardly I did something similar. I bought a set of Minilite lookalikes 12", Is think they were Metro fitment as offset was slightly different. I fitted a set of the plastic wheel arch eyebrows which solved that issue. I modded the engine with 731 cam, bored +30 to give 1293, long centre branch exhaust with single silencer big bore system, changed head to 12G293(?) casting which had S size valves, a pair of 1.25 gas flowed SUs with K&N filter. It was quite fast and the brakes were a bit lacking so I fitted better front pads and a servo acting on front wheels only. I used to carry a head gasket and the necessary tools in door pocket and a gallon of coolant in the boot but never needed to do a roadside gasket change.
Sounds as though you did a fair bit. Apart from the wheels I didn't modify mine at all. At the same time I had a hilarious Minivan which was the subject of all sorts! Looking at DVLA My 1980 1275GT is STILL taxed to this day! Its had a colour change from green to orange! I'd love to come across it one of these days!
Wonderful review! Excited I just acquired a 68 Mk2 S Love it ❤️
Great that your insurance situation has now enabled you to drive the cars. Great video thanks Ed.
Ed, I'm 19 and I've been shooting around In my little mini for a year now since building..... You gotta get one! and keep the videos coming..
Very well-researched and related story. Despite having owned Cooper, Moke, and Cooper S, I never knew the last were available out of the factory with a straight-cut box. I do recall that Jack Knight made a straight-cut five-speed for the 'S'. That would be an interesting drive.
What a fantastic video on a matchless car!
Thanks for the nice video and detailed history. Very interesting. My first car was a mini 850. I bought 2 used minis for 50$CAD and made one with them. Used it for quite a few years and as I used to be a mechanic in those days (1968), I put up 2 Cooper S (1275cc) for my friends for racing (in fact, one Mini 850 was modified to be Cooper S, and the other one was a Cooper S). I can tell you that with a racing cam, port and polished head, racing tires, and a locked differential (not the limited slip, the real thing (don't remember the name...) that would clunk-clunk when turning without giving power, it would bring you at unbelievable speed when you hit the gas cornering. With a very small budget, our best success was ice racing. Good memories!
16:34 I felt you channeling some Mr. Bean just then. Wonderful.
I'll probably, sadly, never get to drive a real Mini but I am thankful for yourself and all the other enthusiasts over the years who have shared their experiences with these wonderful machines. Its simplistic design really is the perfect recipe of front-wheel driven British Fahrvergnügen.
I am new to your content and am utterly surprised by the quality of research, personal knowledge, and emotion translated throughout the video. The keen understanding of automobiles and historical perspective is something to which I ascribe. My appreciation for your passion, is basically what I mean to relay. The almost spiritual relation between a machine and a man who understands exactly how it works. Above all, well scripted and presented. You've earned a new subscriber.
Ed as always a fantastic video, got to say you cannot best the sound of a A Series and that Gearbox Whine and you can see you enjoyed yourself driving this one.
I wholeheartedly agree with every word said in the video... the Mini Cooper S has heart and definitely soul... its a living thing, and the sound of that engine avd straight cut gear box is a things of mechanical beauty.
I have owned 7 minis ... two of which were Coopers from the age of 17 to 34... im 53 now, and still long for one again one day... such a fun car.
Sounds HEALTHY...Very Nice!!
Love the reactions! It makes me want to bore out my engine. Thanks for sharing.
Great content, thank you.
Great Video! One glaring omission.
The unmistakable smell when getting into a 60s mini. My first thought as you were driving it on a damp day. Nothing quite like it.
Really enjoyed that. New subscriber. Looking forward to the future content