Description
The original Mini was conceived in response to the 1957 Suez oil crisis. The British Motor Corporation (BMC) tasked Alec Issigonis with creating a small, fuel-efficient vehicle. Leonard Lord, President of BMC, was also keen to see that a safer alternative to the bubble cars that were popular in Germany would be built and sold in Britain. With the insistence that the design be no more than 10ft long and would devote an unprecedented 80% of its footprint to passenger and luggage space, Issigonis took his tablecloth sketch to production reality in under two years.
Launched in 1959, the Mini was a radical design of its time. The transversely mounted engine with its gearbox-in-sump arrangement drove the front wheels, this ground breaking technology allowed room to house four adults. The Mini’s frugality, practicality and performance were immediately obvious, making it an instant success. Issigonis’s friend John Cooper, owner of Cooper Car Company and designer and builder of Formula One and Rally cars, saw the potential of the Mini for competition. Issigonis was initially reluctant to see the Mini in the role of a performance car, but after John Cooper appealed to BMC management, the two men collaborated to create the Mini Cooper. The Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper debuted in September 1961.
The Mini Cooper S MK3 Evocation offered here at Autostorico is a 1998 example which has covered a mere 55, 000 miles. This stunning car has been lovingly restored over the past 3 years using many old stock Rover parts including a new bodyshell. The engine and gearbox have been fully rebuilt with a new centre branch exhaust system fitted. New Cooper S wheels have been fitted with the correct chrome hub caps. In addition to all the period Cooper S fittings this unique car benefits from a date related number plate.
A perfect opportunity to own such an iconic British classic, which will certainly appreciate over time.
Viewing strictly by appointment only.
