Footnotes

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. The first of these - the 1,071cc Mini Cooper 'S' of 1963 - took engine development a stage further and provided the basis for the 971 'S' and 1275 'S' of 1964.

The car we offer is an original example of the short-lived and rare 1,071cc Cooper S, built between April 1963 and the end of August 1964. 'AMW 225B' was first registered on 1st August 1964 by Messrs J R Marsh and G H Cady, trading as Bells Garage in Marlborough, Wiltshire. Bells was a Morris agency and the car was used as a demonstrator until November 1964 when it was sold to Mr S Hickson, a local resident. Mr Hickson kept the Mini Cooper until June 1972 when it passed to one Robert Stevens of Swindon, Wiltshire. The current (lady) vendor, only its fourth owner, purchased the car from Skyways Garage, Swindon in December 1972.

She used the Mini for domestic and social purposes but mainly for commuting to and from work locally. In 1976 the car was laid up in the garage, just before the arrival of the owner's second child. No longer suitable for her enlarged family, it has remained there ever since and is presented in 'barn find' condition, ripe for sympathetic restoration. Offered with its original buff logbook, an old-style V5 and two workshop manuals (one for the Mini Minor and the other a BL Special Tuning publication), 'AMW 225B' represents a wonderful opportunity for the Mini Cooper enthusiast to acquire a totally original example, unused and untouched for 40 years.