Description
To many, its designer Alec Issigonis included, the notion that the Mini might have a future as anything other than basic transport was anathema, and the idea of a high-performance version was laughable. One man though, saw it quite differently. Racing car manufacturer John Cooper already knew quite a bit about tuning BMC’s A-Series engine – he was running the company’s Formula Junior effort at the time – and a test drive in a prototype Mini convinced him of the car’s competition potential. The result, launched in September 1961, was the Mini Cooper, a car that offered a size/price/performance package that was nothing short of miraculous. The Mini Cooper soon established its credentials as a rally and race winner, and the stage was set for even faster versions.
BMC established Authi in Spain in collaboration with Nueva Quijano in 1965 to gain access to Spain’s heavily protected motor industry. The mini proved to be the most successful Authi produced model by far with over 120,000 sold between 1968 and 1975. The Cooper 1300 was launched in October 1973, the power plant was not exactly the same as the MKII cooper S engine, having more in common with the British 1275 GT.
The example on offer today was imported from Spain in 2016 and has formed part of a collection since. The Mini was first registered in Barcelona in 1975 and in 2004 it was imported to Majorca. Since arriving in the UK the Mini has been recommissioned and has an MoT and receipts for work carried out.
This Mini is offered with a history file containing Spanish documentation, MoTs, receipts, NOVA certificates, paperwork and offered on a UK V5C
