My enduring memories, as I grew up during the 1960’s was that of the Mini and more specifically the Cooper S. A number of these cars were owned by people that lived near me and I would take every opportunity to watch and listen to these cars being driven. Of course I vowed that one day I would have one of my own.
The Mk1 Cooper S is a legend and a classic. A classic due to it’s good looks, it’s desirability and, of course, not least it’s motor sport history. The brainchild of that marvellous man John Cooper and the creation of Daniel Richmond of Downton Engineering Works Ltd. Daniel was the man that set the specification of the Cooper S based on the fact it was intended for and needed to stand up to serious competition.
To find a properly restored example is not easy. Unfortunately they are often rebuilt with incorrect mechanical parts and often with new shells. There are also some very successful but unscrupulous dealers who obtain logbooks and build ‘original’ cars around them. I know of a very well known Mini dealer that is currently rebuilding one of these. However the engine is non-S and the shell is a modified Mk3!
I personally know of a man that searched high and low for a Mk1 S. Eventually he bought one that looked great. He paid a lot of money for it only to discover the engine used non-S parts and the bodywork was not original and poorly restored. To find an original un-restored example is like searching for the Holy Grail – only a little more difficult!
So, welcome to my website. I hope and trust that you will find it interesting and if you are undertaking a restoration of your own I hope you might pick something up during your time here. It has been created to provide an interesting read.
The Mk1 Cooper S is a legend and a classic. A classic due to it’s good looks, it’s desirability and, of course, not least it’s motor sport history. The brainchild of that marvellous man John Cooper and the creation of Daniel Richmond of Downton Engineering Works Ltd. Daniel was the man that set the specification of the Cooper S based on the fact it was intended for and needed to stand up to serious competition.
To find a properly restored example is not easy. Unfortunately they are often rebuilt with incorrect mechanical parts and often with new shells. There are also some very successful but unscrupulous dealers who obtain logbooks and build ‘original’ cars around them. I know of a very well known Mini dealer that is currently rebuilding one of these. However the engine is non-S and the shell is a modified Mk3!
I personally know of a man that searched high and low for a Mk1 S. Eventually he bought one that looked great. He paid a lot of money for it only to discover the engine used non-S parts and the bodywork was not original and poorly restored. To find an original un-restored example is like searching for the Holy Grail – only a little more difficult!
So, welcome to my website. I hope and trust that you will find it interesting and if you are undertaking a restoration of your own I hope you might pick something up during your time here. It has been created to provide an interesting read.