Sold | 1965 Austin Mini Cooper 970 S One of the rarest and most coveted Minis

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£23,625 (Est: £30,000 - £35,000)

1965 Austin Mini Cooper 970 S One of the rarest and most coveted Minis

United Kingdom • 18 Mar 2026 • Lot 77

Vehicle Details

AI Listing Summary

This 1965 Austin Mini Cooper 970 S is a rare 'Homologation Special' model, one of only 963 produced, making it highly collectable. It has been well-preserved, retaining original features and benefiting from recent mechanical and cosmetic work, including rust protection, after being rediscovered in a garage after long-term storage.

Condition

7

The car is described as being in a notably original condition and having survived very well, suggesting a high level of preservation. While it needed minimal work to be roadworthy again after being stored for decades, it did undergo some recommissioning and rust protection work recently. There's mention of 75,000 miles, which are believed to be genuine, implying some wear consistent with use, but not excessive. Therefore, 'Very Good' is appropriate.

/ 10

[Transmission]

Transmission:

CA2S7549642

Chassis No:

Odometer:

75,000 miles

BSH 165C

Reg Number:

RHD/LHD:

RHD

The more powerful Mini Cooper 'S' appeared in 1963 and quickly established itself as the basis for competition-focused models.

Larger disc brakes, more luxurious upholstery and discrete 'S' badges on the bonnet and boot were subtle upgrades, with the real changes made to the adaptable A-series engine.

With competition in mind, in 1964 Cooper produced two 'S' models specifically for circuit racing in the under-1,000cc and under1,300cc classes (rated at 970cc and 1275cc respectively).

The road-going 970 'S' was a real 'Homologation Special', specifically produced with the under-one-litre class of the BSCC in mind.

Its specialist short-stroke engine produced 65bhp but was expensive to manufacture, so BMC made it a special-order model, and consequently, very few were sold (with even fewer remaining today).

The 970 'S' was only produced from June, 1964, until April, 1965, with just 963 examples supplied, making it one of the rarest and most sought-after Mini models.

This 1965 Cooper 9...