Mini Cooper Italian race history

First post...deep breath...I have just purchased a yellow 1963 mini cooper. The last owner told me that it was raced (unsure of what period) in Italy (the car is LHD)

The livery is yellow, with yellow / black chequered roof. Though engine is missing, the car is relatively standard, and has not been developed - i surmised from this that if it had been raced it would have been fairly early on in its life.

I know this is the root of bugger all to go on, but curiosity has prompted me just to investigate; the past owner knew no more than what i have repeated here, but i suppose the car is quite distinctive and just wondered if anyone knew anything about it.

Many thanks

Will

If you post some pictures of the car and in particular any unique features that would help identify it from any other yellow minis it'll help.

Is it Fiesta Yellow, or a non standard colour? Is it a UK assembled car rather than an innoccenti?

I'd recomend you try posting on the Mk1-performance-conversions mini forum as there is a guy (in the Netherlands, i think) compiling a database of Mini race results

If it was in local Italian events it might be a bit of a long shot, but at least there would be less minis racing in Italy than the UK at the time!

Is it Fiesta Yellow, or a non standard colour? Is it a UK assembled car rather than an innoccenti?

AFAIK Innocenti only started assembling Mini's in 1965.

If your acquired Mini raced in Italy it could probably be Piero Conte's BMC Mini Cooper S who ran in the 1964 and 1965 Monza ETCC round.
In the latter race Domenico Cedrati (nicked "Poker") ran an identical car. Just a theory......

Quite a lot of Italian ´Mini´ drivers competed in the 1964 La Consuma hillclimb:
#189 Franco Zaniratti, Austin Mini-Cooper
#187 Roberto Benelli, Morris Mini-Cooper
#192 Gilberto Bagnasacco, Austin Mini-Cooper
#183 Fernando Wissel, Austin Mini-Cooper
#177 Enrico Verga, Austin Mini-Cooper
#191 Piero Conte, Austin Mini-Cooper S

Only entered
#180 Sergio Fiorentino, Morris Mini-Cooper S
#188 Gianfranco Padoan, Austin Mini-Cooper S

Probably one of those? There weren't so many in Italy.

Edited by hansfohr, 16 April 2010 - 09:04.

AFAIK Innocenti only started assembling Mini's in 1965.

If your acquired Mini raced in Italy it could probably be Piero Conte's BMC Mini Cooper S who ran in the 1964 and 1965 Monza ETCC round.
In the latter race Domenico Cedrati (nicked "Poker") ran an identical car. Just a theory......

Quite a lot of Italian ´Mini´ drivers competed in the 1964 La Consuma hillclimb:
#189 Franco Zaniratti, Austin Mini-Cooper
#187 Roberto Benelli, Morris Mini-Cooper
#192 Gilberto Bagnasacco, Austin Mini-Cooper
#183 Fernando Wissel, Austin Mini-Cooper
#177 Enrico Verga, Austin Mini-Cooper
#191 Piero Conte, Austin Mini-Cooper S

Only entered
#180 Sergio Fiorentino, Morris Mini-Cooper S
#188 Gianfranco Padoan, Austin Mini-Cooper S

Probably one of those? There weren't so many in Italy.

Hello Hansfohr,

Many thanks for these leads - i have discovered the car was dispatched to Dusseldorf when new, to the dealership of A. Bruggeman & Co - cant find any info. Searching Gianfranco Padoan brings up the Voelkel racing team.

Any idea who was involved with Voelkel? Running it through a search engine reveals a large manufacturing operation just outside, wait for it, Dusseldorf! I know this is a selective and VERY contrived way of analysing evidence, too good to be true - but fun nethertheless!

Thanks for your continued help

Will