£150k for a Mini!

http://www.2bc-autom.../miniCoops.html

I've got my lottery ticket and the good thing is I could drive it home in ten minutes.

They also have a Dino for a quarter of a million; I remember telling Bob Howlings that the white example he had on offer was too dear at two thousand quid! Shows how much I know. 

it would be interesting to hear what Stuart Turner had to say

This is 10,000 times what my 1965 848cc mini cost me in 1974! Admittedly it did not have the provenance of this one but certainly had patina, having been smacked up the rear by a London bus! A few nights effort after work had that straightened out, almost........ Perhaps I should have hung on to it.

It's only what people are prepared to pay, like paintings, footballers, etc etc.

That car will likely never lose value unless something horrendous happens in the car auction or classic car market.

So, its a sound investment, doesn't matter what it is.

People will pay stupid money for crud like Marina's Cortina's and the like, I am always staggered at what folk spend on MG's too, it was as mass produced as a Mini!

Wasn't the award for 3 non-consecutive "Coupes" ("clean" runs on road timing) on the Coupe des Alpes (see the narrative) a "Coupe d'Agent", not a "Coupe d'Or" as claimed? (Coupe d'Or being for 3 consecutive "clean" runs. 

"Original" (ie.magnesium) Minilite wheels will be fit for scrap or display only now, so why make a big point of it? That reg number certainly never used them during its "works" life.

At a rough guess, based on the events listed, the reg number would have been used on about 3 different "cars" (ie. body shells) during its "works" life alone. "Chassis plates" were switched by the works comps dept, leave alone reg numbers.  

I have had a brief look at Martin Pfundner's book Alpine Trials and Rallies and the situation is far from clear-cut.  Rules varied over the years.  Originally a " clean" run on the road sections earned a "Coupe" with the general classification being determined by special tests, timed ascents/descents of certain passes, a speed trial at Monza, etc.  In some years only class winners were awarded a "Coupe".  Three consecutive "Coupes" secured a "Coupe d'Or" while 3 non-consecutive "Coupes" earned a "Coupe d'Argent".  Later the division between road sections and special sections became blurred and "Coupes" were awarded to those within 2% of the winner, but the criteria for "Coupe d'Argent" and "Coupe d'Or" appear to have been the same.

Wasn't the award for 3 non-consecutive "Coupes" ("clean" runs on road timing) on the Coupe des Alpes (see the narrative) a "Coupe d'Agent", not a "Coupe d'Or" as claimed? (Coupe d'Or being for 3 consecutive "clean" runs. 

 

"Original" (ie.magnesium) Minilite wheels will be fit for scrap or display only now, so why make a big point of it? That reg number certainly never used them during its "works" life.

 

At a rough guess, based on the events listed, the reg number would have been used on about 3 different "cars" (ie. body shells) during its "works" life alone. "Chassis plates" were switched by the works comps dept, leave alone reg numbers.  

With old cars like this I would venture that no person can say with, absolute accuracy, just how much of the current vehicle was there on day one. As you imply, they had a hard life from the beginning and for quite a period were "just old cars" so were treated as such.

You make a good point regarding the magnesium wheels. A friend had some old mag Minilites tested (we think they were made about 1967 but with all the iterations that company has been thro' their records are useless); seven wheels tested (x-ray, dye penetration and some other clever modern stuff) six wheels totally useless, even for road use, one suitable for road use but no competition!

Why did BMC use Minilite, rather than the better-engineered Cooper Car Company wheels? Cost, or would it have meant loss of face to use wheels from "the opposition"? 

A few years ago we built a 998 "Cooper spec" car from a 1992 Mini City, great fun, dirt cheap (apart from the Mini Sport engine). I discovered the "Cooper" wheels were still in production (although I can't immediately recall who makes them now). We decided that it would be just too expensive to revert to 10" diameter, as the wheels were very expensive vs the total cost of the build and the larger discs, with 12" wheels, would give us a chance of arriving at our accident at a slower speed! My son decided to sell the car- my idea was to build the mech hardware into a GTM but 'erself pointed out that we already had three two-seaters too many!

Looks like the Euro-millions has rolled over, so I've bought a ticket for Friday................ 

http://www.2bc-autom.../miniCoops.html

 

I've got my lottery ticket and the good thing is I could drive it home in ten minutes.

 

They also have a Dino for a quarter of a million; I remember telling Bob Howlings that the white example he had on offer was too dear at two thousand quid! Shows how much I know. 

Tell em their dreaming!

With old cars like this I would venture that no person can say with, absolute accuracy, just how much of the current vehicle was there on day one. As you imply, they had a hard life from the beginning and for quite a period were "just old cars" so were treated as such.

 

You make a good point regarding the magnesium wheels. A friend had some old mag Minilites tested (we think they were made about 1967 but with all the iterations that company has been thro' their records are useless); seven wheels tested (x-ray, dye penetration and some other clever modern stuff) six wheels totally useless, even for road use, one suitable for road use but no competition!

 

Why did BMC use Minilite, rather than the better-engineered Cooper Car Company wheels? Cost, or would it have meant loss of face to use wheels from "the opposition"? 

A few years ago we built a 998 "Cooper spec" car from a 1992 Mini City, great fun, dirt cheap (apart from the Mini Sport engine). I discovered the "Cooper" wheels were still in production (although I can't immediately recall who makes them now). We decided that it would be just too expensive to revert to 10" diameter, as the wheels were very expensive vs the total cost of the build and the larger discs, with 12" wheels, would give us a chance of arriving at our accident at a slower speed! My son decided to sell the car- my idea was to build the mech hardware into a GTM but 'erself pointed out that we already had three two-seaters too many!

 

Looks like the Euro-millions has rolled over, so I've bought a ticket for Friday................ 

I have never sold a 10" Superlite [Minilite clone] A few 13s and one set of 12s. Not much in tyres for 10s or even 12s these days.

Absolute bargain compared to Tracey's unmade bed

 

£150k for a Mini!

 

Absolute bargain compared to Tracey's unmade bed

 

Put some smelly knickers in that Mini's boot, and you'd easily double the value.

With old cars like this I would venture that no person can say with, absolute accuracy, just how much of the current vehicle was there on day one. As you imply, they had a hard life from the beginning and for quite a period were "just old cars" so were treated as such.

 

You make a good point regarding the magnesium wheels. A friend had some old mag Minilites tested (we think they were made about 1967 but with all the iterations that company has been thro' their records are useless); seven wheels tested (x-ray, dye penetration and some other clever modern stuff) six wheels totally useless, even for road use, one suitable for road use but no competition!

 

Why did BMC use Minilite, rather than the better-engineered Cooper Car Company wheels? Cost, or would it have meant loss of face to use wheels from "the opposition"? 

A few years ago we built a 998 "Cooper spec" car from a 1992 Mini City, great fun, dirt cheap (apart from the Mini Sport engine). I discovered the "Cooper" wheels were still in production (although I can't immediately recall who makes them now). We decided that it would be just too expensive to revert to 10" diameter, as the wheels were very expensive vs the total cost of the build and the larger discs, with 12" wheels, would give us a chance of arriving at our accident at a slower speed! My son decided to sell the car- my idea was to build the mech hardware into a GTM but 'erself pointed out that we already had three two-seaters too many!

 

Looks like the Euro-millions has rolled over, so I've bought a ticket for Friday................ 

Probably because Ford had started using them the year before and Rootes the year before that and they thus had a proven strength record for rallying. BMC first used them on the 67 Monte, where the regs for that year gave a clear advantage to those who opted for 8 tyres for each leg and carried the wheels/tyres on/in the car. In 67 Coopers were not the race oposition they became in 69 but would their wheels have stood up to being driven on with deflated tyre to the end of a long rally stage? (and were they made in 4.5J, which is what the rally team used mostly?).