Designed by Alex Issigonis in 1959, a new concept in car design was born.

  With a monocoque shell, transversely mounted engine and front wheel drive, the new ‘Mini’, soon became popular across a broad spectrum of the population.

  The potential for competition use was soon seen by John Cooper; BMC were finally persuaded by John Cooper and the two worked together in culminating the birth of the Austin Mini Cooper and the Morris Mini Cooper in 1961.

Victories in the 1964, 1965 and 1967 Monte-Carlo Rallies set the Mini on the road to fame but probably the greatest publicity was gained from their, somewhat unfair, disqualification for lighting irregularities in the 1966 event after coming in 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

A more powerful Mini Cooper, dubbed the ‘S’, was developed in tandem and released in 1963.

Manufactured between March 1970 and June 1971, the Mark III Cooper S is one of the rarest of all Cooper derivatives, with only 1,570 being manufactured before production ceased.

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