i had a mini once . those things handle like no other car , you can take corners at 60km/h no brakes , near impossible to roll like vw's do a bit of work to the engines and they fly . most fun car i ever owned .
I have a v8 ute, but I value lightweight cars so much, my girlfriend has a Toyota 86, and a lotus exige will be my next car. Cars today are just way too heavy, even my ss ute is too big, but looks tiny compared to a stupid hilux.
I was cruising with a friend in his Ford Zephyr years ago and a Mini pulled up beside us at the traffic lights. I smiled at the guys in the mini as it was such a nice car unfortunately they thought I was taking the piss. Anyway they absolutely smoked us once the light was green just about lifted the front wheels of the ground.
The Mini won Bathurst in 1966, and Minis took the top 9 places. They were racing against more powerful cars The first car to finish behind them in 10th place was a Mopar, a Chrysler VC Valiant automatic. Maybe you should check out a highlight video of the 1966 Bathurst.
Didn't they alter the rules later because Ford or Holden V8s were not winning? I think it was a Escort or something and when it won they found some excuse to disqualify it.
Between 1960 and 1972 the Mini won 32 rallys, 3 of those were the Monte Carlo rally. 60s rally was something else, jump in the car and go, see you much later at the finish and try not to die
@@fredbeach2085 Have to agree, had an FC holden with bench front seat while at Uni. A tight left turn had any girl in your arms you wanted. Best I build a mini, I'm married now.
The Mini Cooper S was only 1275 cc naturally aspirated that’s 1.275 litre You just drive them flat out through the corners and all They are incredible! Handle like it’s on rails
I had one and got it bored out 1310 and blue printed, ported and polish. That this moved. No 253 Holden V8 could touch it. I could get to 35MPH first over a 302 Ford and the Holden 308, however I was flat out getting to the other side of the lights with the Ford 351. I couldn't take off in 1st gear as I'd just light up the tyres and get nowhere The only problem I had was I needed a better cooling system as it would over heat if I held it flat to the floor for too long What can I say, motor sports moves on and now my Tonka Toy Proton Jumbuck is faster than the mini, but then again it has a 1500 cc BMW motor.
My first car was a Hillman Imp with sorted suspension (slightly lowered, stiffened, modified camber etc) and it was great fun chasing bigger/faster cars on twisty roads. They may be able to pull away on any straight but I'd be right behind them coming out of the next corner.
I own a classic restored 1293cc mini. I'm 6'2" and I fit in it with loads of headroom and have set the seats further back with some adaptor brackets and used a smaller 12" steering wheel for knee room. Very comfortable and an absolute blast to drive. This guy doesn't shut up about the Mustang power, sure of course it is way way more powerful but it can barely maintain a lead over a car that frankly outhandles it hands down. I have a V6 Merc but my mini is way more fun to drive. It's not just always about raw power.
When people first started racing Minis, it was found that they could corner so hard that the original pressed steel wheels could be torn straight off the hub. They are like driving a roller skate - point, go!
I drive a Smart Car which is the modern day Mini and it's like being in a Mario Cart, it doesn't have high top end speed because it doesn't need to, it is a city car and in it's own environment it just kicks ass and parks anywhere!
I was supposed to be in that race (at the back) but had a centre main failure previous race and destroyed my engine. We are limited to pre 1965 specs - so minis ~1300cc max and running a 45DCOE weber and treaded tyres.
I always thought you ran slicks (albeit narrow ones) in that Championship as you guys seem to have plenty of grip. I have to run skinny Dunlop historic treaded tyres here in the UK and and it's a whole lot of slidy sideways fun!
I thought it looked an early mini. Mid sixties was peak mini IMO before they added claustrophobic trim and crass detail to the poetry of the 59 original
@@ianbrown9082 not wrong … the front runners use Hoosiers which are basically barely treaded race tyres. I use Yokohama a032r - cheaper and get more use but lose a few seconds per lap. We did look at running tyres like UK but story goes club President put a set on his Galaxie and did a few laps and said “no way”. Again just this year they raised idea of all minis running on yokis but didn’t get interest.
Built in the Australian British Motor Corporation factory at Zetland, New South Wales, using 80% local content, the Morris Mini K was advertised as the "great leap forward". The Mini K ('K' standing for Kangaroo) had a 1098 cc engine and was the last round-nosed model to be produced in Australia, originally priced at A$1780. The Mini K was offered in 2-door saloon[63] and 2-door van body styles. It was distinctive in having wind-up windows and a swivelling quarterlight in Mk.I-style externally hinged doors. A small round sticker with a kangaroo logo was placed on the triangular panel between the door and the front body seam. The "Kangaroo" name was supposedly coined because it is claimed that a kangaroo can go all day without drinking which the advertisers used to emphasise the frugal fuel consumption and, possibly, larger fuel tank.
You'd be surprised how much room there is in a mini. I'm 6' 4'' and it's one of the first cars I drove in one, I had to open the drivers window and let me knee out but I still managed. Having a wheel on each corner means that they handle like they're on tracks!!!
I was at Lakeside in around 1978 and watched a mini brick roll at Hungry's. It rolled for about 100 metres (100yards or thereabouts) and as it rolled the bonnet, boot, and both doors got ripped off. It ended up on its wheels and the driver climbed out with no dramas. But damn, it was an exceptional crash LOL.
Haha. Thanks Ian. I saw this years ago. You've got to feel for the poor Mustang driver. Bet he was knackered at the end of that. Probably still has nightmares of Minis appearing closer than they seem in his mirrors. Another channel you might want to check out is BlendLine TV. It's a grass roots Australian Motorsports channel. One to check out is insane Nascar engined XT Falcon at bathurst.
Back in the 70’s I had a Mini 1275 cc with just a SU carb, no mods at all. I could run rings around the 2000cc cars of the time, the handling of the Mini was so good, they didn’t have springs for suspension, they used rubber cones in their place. BTCC back in the 60’s ran a mixed grid and you will often see the Historic Touring Cars with a mixed grid. It seems that Australia shows more of this stuff on TV than we have here in the UK. Of course you would fit in a Mini
To be fair, a Mini is like driving a go-cart, while the Americans never made a car that could corner 😉👍 Edit: I seem to have offended some viewers with my post, so just to be clear. The above comment was a jest based on old European prejudices with regards to the handling of US vs European cars. The comment was not based on facts nor intended to offend - but rather to entertain. My bad!
I remember the days when NSW used the mini for the police highway patrol and it was hilarious to watch 2 large policemen squeeze themselves into and out of a mini.
Yes ! there was one in my local area and the cop was 6'2". Epic! I have a photo with that Officer, my friends made a huge cardboard key and with the Officers permission, we placed it on the roof of the car which made the car look like a wind-up toy. He was a good guy...only pulled MY Mini over once and I only got a warning.😁
My uncle told me of a school teacher back in the 1960s, who had a Mini. My uncle said that the teacher was quite tall, every morning at school my uncle and other students were puzzled at how he managed to get out of and get in it.
I got chased by Cst. Brown down Pennant Hill rd, I was in a Go Kart, he in the little sky blue Mini. I only got away because I cut down a footpath between some houses. Thought I had made it home, and there he is, sitting in my parents driveway, waiting for me! I cried foul, he said it was fair.
In the early 1970s I had a mate 6'4" who owned a Mini. He came home drunk one Saturday night, before RBT. His mum got up early and wanted to get her car out of the garage but my mate's Mini was parked across the driveway with 2 feet spare between the house and side fence. No one could work out how he did it. He and his older brother used to race a rather hot Austin Healey "Bugeyed" Sprite and Alphasud in the day.
An old friend of mine used to be a mechanic for Mercedes and had a Mini that he'd seriously modified, he took me for a ride in it once and it was phenomenal!
Not a problem...if you follow the vintage car races from Goodwood in England there is a bloke who drives an E Type Jag and he's had to get the roof modified with a bulge for his tall body / big head. I'd presume there was a roll bar too. I also saw a Shelby AC Cobra with similar.
@@andrewlaw My cousin Garry was around that height and had a Mini that he'd fold himself into. [Edit] Yes, 'Garry' was how he spelled his name. Dated back to a teacher spelling it that way.
I knew this would be a hell of a battle before I even watched the video. We see these kind of races a lot at classic car events in England. The Mini is basically just a go-kart with a body. They're way quicker round corners than you'd think. You throw them into a corner and they just stick! Pitting them against Mustangs is actually a really good pairing, if you're on the right race track.
It's very interesting to see match-ups like these. Rear wheel, straight axle V8s vs front wheel drive, 4 cylinder, independent suspension go karts. It's great to watch different cars go around a track. Goodwood has this in spades. Huge Ford Galaxies and Fairlanes, against British Ford Cortinas against Cobras, against minis. There's the Owlett, which is an old Frazier-Nash with a solid rear axle and a transmission made from bicycle chains. The squirrelliest looking thing you'll ever see. And then there's classic rallies. A vintage 1960s Saab 96 with a 3 cylinder 2-stroke screaming like a swarm of angry bees rounding the corners is the most insane thing you'll both hear and see. Check those out!
my first car was a mini here in the UK. incredible fun cars. And the handling really is fantastic. I even did a reversing J turn (180°) in front of half my school leaving one day...completely by accident, but passed it off as intentional. The Mini punching above its weight is basically the story of the UK for centuries 🙂
The race was at Sydney Motorsport Park, formerly known as Eastern Creek Raceway. It’s not actually Muscle Car Masters, but actually Historic Group N (specifically Na, Nb and Nc)….you can tell by the lettering next to the number on the doors.
In the early 90"s I remember that people used to swap the original engine of the Mini for a VTEC and race them . They become bullets with the engine swap. Chears from Portugal!
My early racing car experiences. Peter Manton(Cooper S) vs Norm Beechey (Monaro) vs Allan Moffatt (Mustang) vs Bob Jane (Camaro) vs Ivan Piantenesi (Brock modified Austin A30 with Holden 6pot), John Bowe in anything he brought carefully across Bass Strait. I can remember them at Mallala and Adelaide International Raceway. Great motor racing history from Adelaide (1970 -1973)
dont write off a cooper s mate, they've been biting at the heels of mustangs for years. tighter track is where they come into their own and of course long straights lend them toward the big V8's. but no track has ever seen a mustang out handle a mini. look for the neptune racing team from the 60's here in Oz, cheers for the vid
You'd Love, "Goodwood Members Meeting 2022", on TH-cam with all the vintage vehicles from 1900s to 80s, it's held at the Goodwood Race Track just down the road from Goodwood House West Sussex from where they hold the Festival of Speed, which held F1 racing pre 70s. Pure Nostalgia with all the great old racers racing wheel to wheel no holds barred....
Yes minis are NA, I'm not entirely sure you can add a turbo to the Mini's A-Series engine. But you can swap the engine for one of those screaming bike engines.
Really enjoyed that, took me back to the old days of Bathurst when you had Toranas, Mazdas, Cortinas, Minis, Escorts, Falcons etc. With drivers like Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Alan Moffat
I bout a Mini brand new in 1973. Hairy Lime was the name of the color. Did a little rally driving in it. Out ran the cops one night purely because of cornering and being able to take a side road at speed, switched the lights off and that cop flew past the intersection. He would never have believed we could make that corner at speed. Had to take the backroads to go to the drive-in, and get back home again. Crazy good little car.
Here in the UK, there is a dedicated racing club which hosts one-make races with Minis even more extreme than the 60's touring cars; that being the Mini Se7en Racing Club. The racing is split into two classes; the junior Se7en division with sub-1-litre engines, and the professional Miglia division with a 130hp 1.3L engine and super aggressive flared fenders.
I used to watch this mix in the sixties at Thompson CT. They're both SCCA sedans so they raced together. The Mustang would power by the minis at the end of the back straight, only to be swallowed up by them at the hairpin onto the front straight. Of course they're in different classes
loved my bored out 69' Mini to 1010 with 1 3/4 twin SU. My best mate was a Carby mechanic and every Friday night before heading out we would turn her up. One night I pissed a VC Commodore by over taking him up a hill, he caught up to me and rammed me, I took off and he kept flashing his lights and I kept loosing him on the corners. He would catch me on the straights. The streets were perfect grid pattern and I finally took a right at a stop sign under handbrake and he went straight though. A few moments later, flashing headlights again, only this time he had a Blue light turned on too. I had picked up detective heading to work. He was very cool, and understood what had happened and handed me back my license. "Keep it to the tracks". he said. That was the best and scariest night for a 20 yr old 33 years ago. I still remember the foot tremors trying to drive home after. Oh an the Tilley boys who race the Valiant's had a hand in modifying the exhaust and the extractors. You would have fitted in there as there was no passenger seat, I took it out so my 6.3 mate would fit.
Glad you had a look at this page mate. You'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it. This track is at Eastern Creek. Better known these days as Sydney Motosport Park. Make sure you check out the Aussie Race Cars. They are scaled down versions of day to day cars but are powered by 1200cc motorcycle engines. After being involved in racing, including V8 Supercargo, the Aussie cars are my favourite class of racing, hands down.
Back in the 60s this kind of racing was common in the UK, big Ford's and little British cars and then big jags and what not. Genuinely exciting racing Have a look at Rally Cross, that's great too
I love small cars, got a 1.0 Suzuki swift (sold as the Geo Metro in the states) and its just so much fun to chuck about on a back road. My other car, a Rover 825SD, is the exact opposite. Smooth, comfortable and a great cruiser with a surprisingly good sound track
As someone who owned a rare Mini and drove a couple of others I'll describe it like this: A Mini gives the platform to extract 100% from the car 100% of the time you want to and as a side effect make you do that even when you don't, hehe.
Loved it! Minis and Mustangs is a crazy match but on the right circuit it works beautifully. Driven some awesome Minis over the years, never a Mustang but totally different dynamics. Great race!
Love the Cooper S as a race car. Not so much as a road car, having seen one split almost in half straight across from B pillar to B pillar post accident. It looked like how some restaurants present the main part of the dish, cut open to show all the layers of what's inside. I think the driver really did try to wrap the car around whatever it was they hit.
Well many cars out of that (no seat belt) area deform like that in crashes nothing compareabel to modern cars with there computer simulation strengend super rigid driver cap and engergy absorbing crumbling zone
My dad raced a variety of cooper s on dirt tracks around the south of England, wet days were his best days. They may be small, but he was 6'2 and weighed around 18stone, so they had plenty of space.
Normally aspirated. My friends brother had a 1310 full house cooper s. I can personally attest to 130mph for a late 1960s mini. I remember one year at bathurst minis finished all at the front of the feild
Given a longer race and a tighter circuit and I'd be putting my money on a mini. Less brake and tyre degradation I'm guessing. Thanks Ian that was really entertaining. On a different tack and knowing how you love red landscapes I'd suggest a segment on Murchison river/Kalbarri Gorges in Western Australia. Did a 3 day camp/track thru there when l was a teenager, best 3 days of my life.
There was a mod for race sim rFactor called "Historic GT and Touring cars" that had these cars modelled really well and it was fun to drive. Ford Cortina was there also and it often went through corners with 1 front wheel in the air lol
What shocks me way more is that a car that was under 300 pounds and was powered by a 6hp engine raced in the Same class as a Porsche with a 4 cylinder engine. The ultra micro car was called kleinschnittger f125. These two Cars raced against each other i believe in the 60s.
I had four of the original, a couple of standard 1000cc's, a 1100 and a tuned 1000. As its been said, fantastic cars to drive, no real need to slow down for corners, just aim for the apex and when you get there, turn and boot it!
The Mini Cooper S is a 1275 cc (78 cubic inch) naturally aspirated front wheel drive vehicle. as opposed to the Mustang, which is a 289 cubic inch (4735 cc) rear wheel drive vehicle. My 1967 Cooper S is a great little track day vehicle - the cornering is unbelievable. You don't drive the car - you wear it. Great automotive experience!
The rules limit the modifications of these Minis quite heavily, so they are 1293cc with twin carbs and put out 125-135hp@8000rpm and weigh around 1400lbs
In the 90's, I autocrossed in the PCA. We were the "others" class and had 2 minis in our class. We had moderately modified GTIs and the minis would WALK us. They were also MUCH faster than the Porsches. It was maddening....like racing an El Dorado against a go-cart. LOL.
I have a first gen BMW Mini Cooper R50 (so non-S NA engine) and the thing is a weapon in corners for a road car. I'm 6' and have no problem being in it. My brother-in-law is ~6'4" and he had an S, who then passed it down to his son who is a bit taller and super long legged. They also get great gas mileage in urban areas, even when you are "spirited". The newer gen cars have been said to have lost some of their road feel, but I haven't had experience to confirm it. If you ever get the chance to hop in one for a test drive, don't pass it up. Even if you may not have the same feeling as me, you can at least say you've been in one. Also greetings from west central IL. :)
From Wikipedia: Sydney Motorsport Park (known until May 2012 as Eastern Creek International Raceway) is a motorsport circuit located on Brabham Drive, Eastern Creek (40-kilometres west of the Sydney CBD),[1] New South Wales, Australia, adjacent to the Western Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by the New South Wales Government and is operated by the Australian Racing Drivers Club. The circuit is one of only two permanent tracks in Australia with an FIA Grade 2 license[2] and is licensed for both cars and motorcycles.
there used to be a Celebrity Challenge race which was mostly Aussie celebs all driving factory cars around the track to see who was the best. They had to do training and everything but man was that a fun race to watch.
You HAVE to watch tonight's replay of a historical 1000 goals to 'Buddy' Franklin in the AFL, it will never happen again, the crowd erupted and all jumped the fence storming him, one of the greatest spectacles of sport to watch live!!! 30,000+ fans storming the field!!!
I’ve got a 1970 mini K ( K for kangaroo and it’s an Aussie only model) I’ve had since 1993 and my best mate has a 65 convertible mustang. Both great cars.
Sydney Motorsports Park at Eastern Creek. Wish they'd pump a bit of money into spectator facilities. I went there to one of the Top Gear shows a few years ago and the facilities were pretty rubbish.
I have a 1977 Mini and I can tell you you'd fit right in without any problem. Front seats are impressively spacious for the size of the car. Now, I'd bet you'd have a hard time even trying to climb into the back seats. Even for a child they are tight.
Watching this race reminds me of a NZ movie from the 80's 'Goodbye Pork-Pie' in which a yellow Mini is on the run from the police driving Holden kingswood's
I had a '74 Mini 1000. Those little things really do handle like nothing else. Seriously, you don't ever have to worry about braking, you can just bury your foot, and, keep it there.
Sydney motorsport Park track used to be Eastern Creek race track. But big fords in old days were great in a straight line but the nimble Holden's smaller lighter were able to kick arse around the corners so the power of the ford fell over similar will happen in this too
Definitely check out Goodwood in the UK. The members meetings have been running for over 75 years, and it is simply the best historics racing in the world without a doubt. Worlds best drivers involved, racing the coolest cars. Nick Swift is my personal favourite in terms of mini driving, unbelievable.
Yes Ian I used to have 1966 Mini way back and it was car that you could modify the hell out of it and it used to sound good with a straight-through muffler on it although I kept my car bog-standard and I loved it. It was such an economical car too but dreadfully noisy inside the cabin due to the gearbox noise. Yes mate they were naturally aspirated via an SU carbie and so easy to work on unless you had to work on the gearbox.
This shows an extension to the original track which is mostly used for drifting and corporate track days. The V8's the extended part where the mini's are fast.
I love the fact that anyone can manually adjust the camber/castor on the front wheels on a Mustang -But you have to weld add on parts onto a mini to get a similar ground cornering tires grip. But the Mini's are lighter and rev a lot higher -this allows them to buzz through the corners!
Saw similar at Donington in UK, with some Historic Touring cars, a Falcon (now that is big) was being swamped by Minis apart from on the straights, it could not stand the pace and had to let the Minis go in the end. Made me laugh to see a mini pass on either side of it through the old hairpin.
The 66 Bathurst had Mini’s filling 5 of the top 6 finishers. (Memory but something like that). The next big David Vs Goliath was the Torana XU-1 vs Falcon GTHOs; then the Valiant Pacers & Chargers came on board vs the Torana’s and Falcons
You could see a lot of these stuff in Europe in the late 1960s and 1970s in touring car racing, and even today in classic racing. Small European cars like Lotus Cortinas, Ford Capris, Minis and Alfas battling bigger American muscle cars like Mustangs, Falcons and Camaros. And it was tight races. Btw. there's no turbos on these Minis. This is classis touring car racing, meaning the cars have to apply to old homologation rules, so forces induction is out of the question.
They raced Mini Coopers vs Ford Galaxies in the UK. Insane races to watch. Galaxies just walk away on the straights and the Coopers take a bite in the corners!
It's all about horsepower to weight ratio, weight to tire patch area ratio, and the greater force needed to alter the course, acceleration, and deceleration of a greater weight (mass). Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus, said; More horsepower makes a car faster on the straight, but lighter weight makes a car faster everywhere on the track.
That was fun lol If I recall the NSW police used Mini Cooper S's back in the day. I was 17 and my uncle. who was a big man came around to see my mum in his he practically had to unwind to get out lol. He was killed during a pursuit 10 years later. Not in a Mini of course.
My mum drove around 1977 an Innocenti Cooper 1.300 with 64 bhp, that thing went 11 seconds to 62 miles, it nailed Audi 100 LS and BMW 2002 I. The early seventies only the Golf GTI from 1977 on was faster 60 miles for normal peoples cars . The VW 1600 Square back was just at 50 miles when the mini had over 62 miles on the speedo..
💚LOVED IT💚LOVED IT💚LOVED IT. My first car was a Mini Cooper S. British Racing Green with a white roof, with twin carbies and twin exhausts. I was a 17 -year -old girl. Usually, the boys with the nice car attracted the girls...well hey presto! I got quite a few good dates but a lot just wanted to drive the car. 🤣🤣 A Mini actually won Bathurst and partially because of their speed and maneuverability, The New South Wales Police actually had some as patrol cars. There was one in my local area and there was nothing funnier than seeing the 6'2" Officer "peel" himself out of that car 🤣 I have a photo with that Officer, my friends made a huge cardboard key and with the Officers permission, we placed it on the roof of the car which made the car look like a wind-up toy. The photo is epic. I will send you a copy if I can find it.
i went to the very first race at Sydney Motorsport park, back then it was Eastern Creek Raceway. my mum worked on the medical staff so i scored a pit pass, i must have been 14-15 i think it was called the Nissan 500, got some cool photos of he old supercars, brocky in his sierra, perkins in the vl etc....good times
In the day of genuine manufacturing racing, Mini Cooper S's won outright at Bathurst. There must be some you tube videos out there. They literally flww down the mountain.
The original Mini is nothing more than a go-cart for those afraid of rain ....... I love 'm I drove a "Special" with the 1275 cc engine.and had tremendous fun in it on the polder-dikes here in the Netherlands. Hardly a straight line to drive and flying up-and-down through the gears for the bends. Not quite the "Cooper" but it drove very well, thank you very much. Being 6'2" I'm not exactly small but had plenty of room for my legs and still had clearance above my head. The only thing was it had a very stiff suspension and driving 70 mph along an older highway made of concrete slabs made you feel every divider between the slabs through your spine. Fortunately those highways were on their way out to be replaced by smooth asphalt.
back in the 70's in the UK, it was common for rallycross races to have Minis, Escort Mexicos and Hillman Imps up against what we used to call Yank Tanks - Mustangs, Dodges and Chevvies. the Lydden Hill racetrack used to have awesome battles. ps i shoudn't forget the Long Marston track either
When Mini’s were found to be great track and rally cars in the 1960’s there was an explosion of interest in competition in Britain. My nearest track was Brands Hatch in Kent and I can remember in 1964 watching Ford Galaxies being tied up in knots by Mini’s on this very tight Grand Prix circuit. Fabulous days out. Regards. P.s. Galaxies at the time were Saloons not the current SUV’s.
I know a mini to mix this up. British project - Bad Obsession Motorsport, Project Binky (TH-cam series) cramming Toyota Celica engine, drivetrain, AWD running gear into a classic mini chassis without anything more than larger, wider than tyres & a bigger exhaust as external indicators for the work.
The original mini (*850) was like the tradis. Went for a trip once (1965/6?) with 7 passengers (4 in the back and 3 in the front)...Put twin SUs and full race extractors on it. Still only did 87MPH...LOL
Minis are brilliant little cars! They are small, light and surprisingly quick considering most stock Mini Cooper S cars were only 75hp and mustangs were over 270hp. Minis corner like they are on rails so can give the bigger cars trouble when on narrow bendy roads. There are videos out there where they have done crazy engine swaps into minis, often Superbike engines.
The Mini was a revelation as come rain, shine or snow it just pulled itself around corners. No car since has been as much fun. I once had someone pull out on my lane at speed and I ended up on the grass in the middle of the carriageway. Just keeping my foot down the car handled it with no problem and took me safely back on the road. Luckily having ridden bikes I knew to leave the brakes well alone. This was a case where the more recent crash barriers would likely have killed me. I must say though that in the race if there was a crash I would rather be in the Mustang.
I owned a 1275GT. Twin Weber carbs as standard and to this day I still say there is no car that would keep up with it on a tight street circuit. A blast to drive.
The Mini doesn’t care about the size of your engine, its beaten just about everything in some of the greatest races in the world. 1275cc NA 4cylinder about the size of a small outboard motor or a large sewing machine but a tiny, lightweight car with some of the sweetest handling ever.
i had a mini once . those things handle like no other car , you can take corners at 60km/h no brakes , near impossible to roll like vw's do a bit of work to the engines and they fly . most fun car i ever owned .
Mr Bean agrees (and Rowan Atkinson legit knows his cars)
Yer agree, the leyland 1275 with dual strombergs was a weapon on a 90 degree corner. I know the 1966 Bathurst winning car too and it is a machine
I have a v8 ute, but I value lightweight cars so much, my girlfriend has a Toyota 86, and a lotus exige will be my next car.
Cars today are just way too heavy, even my ss ute is too big, but looks tiny compared to a stupid hilux.
I was cruising with a friend in his Ford Zephyr years ago and a Mini pulled up beside us at the traffic lights.
I smiled at the guys in the mini as it was such a nice car unfortunately they thought I was taking the piss.
Anyway they absolutely smoked us once the light was green just about lifted the front wheels of the ground.
@@notthisguyagain4635 yeah not bad for a little east west motor .
The Mini won Bathurst in 1966, and Minis took the top 9 places. They were racing against more powerful cars The first car to finish behind them in 10th place was a Mopar, a Chrysler VC Valiant automatic. Maybe you should check out a highlight video of the 1966 Bathurst.
The above car is not the same as the Bathurst winners...above is Improved Production whereas Bathurst cars were Series Production.
Didn't they alter the rules later because Ford or Holden V8s were not winning? I think it was a Escort or something and when it won they found some excuse to disqualify it.
Between 1960 and 1972 the Mini won 32 rallys, 3 of those were the Monte Carlo rally.
60s rally was something else, jump in the car and go, see you much later at the finish and try not to die
I've owned a variety of cars and I can say, without fear of contradiction, minis are the most fun you can have in a car
With your clothes on I presume ?
@@fredbeach2085 for undressed activities I think the van version is preferable. :-)
Mini cooper is a car a totally adore and because of This car i met so many people and become friends with some of them 🖤👌🏻😄
never driven a lj GTRXU1?
@@fredbeach2085 Have to agree, had an FC holden with bench front seat while at Uni. A tight left turn had any girl in your arms you wanted. Best I build a mini, I'm married now.
The Mini Cooper S was only 1275 cc naturally aspirated that’s 1.275 litre
You just drive them flat out through the corners and all
They are incredible!
Handle like it’s on rails
That was the MORRIS or AUSTIN Cooper S....Mini Cooper S's are what you get today.
The Coopers were also made with smaller engines, approx 1 litre, the 1275 was a relatively late option.
I had one and got it bored out 1310 and blue printed, ported and polish. That this moved. No 253 Holden V8 could touch it. I could get to 35MPH first over a 302 Ford and the Holden 308, however I was flat out getting to the other side of the lights with the Ford 351. I couldn't take off in 1st gear as I'd just light up the tyres and get nowhere
The only problem I had was I needed a better cooling system as it would over heat if I held it flat to the floor for too long
What can I say, motor sports moves on and now my Tonka Toy Proton Jumbuck is faster than the mini, but then again it has a 1500 cc BMW motor.
@@justunicorn001 the block from the '60s BMW 1502 was the basis of BMWs F1 turbo engines in the '80s. Those produced over 1300hp!
@@flamingfrancis yeah but the BMW Mini is not in any way comparable to the original Issigonis designed Mini.
Heh, the Mini can be a lot slower in a straight line, but never having to slow for a corner is a HUGE advantage on a road course.
My first car was a Hillman Imp with sorted suspension (slightly lowered, stiffened, modified camber etc) and it was great fun chasing bigger/faster cars on twisty roads. They may be able to pull away on any straight but I'd be right behind them coming out of the next corner.
I own a classic restored 1293cc mini. I'm 6'2" and I fit in it with loads of headroom and have set the seats further back with some adaptor brackets and used a smaller 12" steering wheel for knee room. Very comfortable and an absolute blast to drive. This guy doesn't shut up about the Mustang power, sure of course it is way way more powerful but it can barely maintain a lead over a car that frankly outhandles it hands down. I have a V6 Merc but my mini is way more fun to drive. It's not just always about raw power.
When people first started racing Minis, it was found that they could corner so hard that the original pressed steel wheels could be torn straight off the hub.
They are like driving a roller skate - point, go!
I drive a Smart Car which is the modern day Mini and it's like being in a Mario Cart, it doesn't have high top end speed because it doesn't need to, it is a city car and in it's own environment it just kicks ass and parks anywhere!
A modern day mini is called a daihatsu
And don't bring up that ugly bmw thing
I was supposed to be in that race (at the back) but had a centre main failure previous race and destroyed my engine.
We are limited to pre 1965 specs - so minis ~1300cc max and running a 45DCOE weber and treaded tyres.
I always thought you ran slicks (albeit narrow ones) in that Championship as you guys seem to have plenty of grip. I have to run skinny Dunlop historic treaded tyres here in the UK and and it's a whole lot of slidy sideways fun!
I thought it looked an early mini. Mid sixties was peak mini IMO before they added claustrophobic trim and crass detail to the poetry of the 59 original
I assume period tuning is allowed, beyond the Weber carb? Surely, 100 to 120hp is possible from 1293cc?
@@fatkev1983 They'll be getting somewhere in the region of 135bhp
@@ianbrown9082 not wrong … the front runners use Hoosiers which are basically barely treaded race tyres. I use Yokohama a032r - cheaper and get more use but lose a few seconds per lap. We did look at running tyres like UK but story goes club President put a set on his Galaxie and did a few laps and said “no way”. Again just this year they raised idea of all minis running on yokis but didn’t get interest.
Built in the Australian British Motor Corporation factory at Zetland, New South Wales, using 80% local content, the Morris Mini K was advertised as the "great leap forward". The Mini K ('K' standing for Kangaroo) had a 1098 cc engine and was the last round-nosed model to be produced in Australia, originally priced at A$1780. The Mini K was offered in 2-door saloon[63] and 2-door van body styles. It was distinctive in having wind-up windows and a swivelling quarterlight in Mk.I-style externally hinged doors. A small round sticker with a kangaroo logo was placed on the triangular panel between the door and the front body seam. The "Kangaroo" name was supposedly coined because it is claimed that a kangaroo can go all day without drinking which the advertisers used to emphasise the frugal fuel consumption and, possibly, larger fuel tank.
I’ve got a K and love it.
Ian , this track is called Sydney Motorsport Park, it is located 40 kilometers west of Sydney CBD. in the town of Eastern Creek
You'd be surprised how much room there is in a mini. I'm 6' 4'' and it's one of the first cars I drove in one, I had to open the drivers window and let me knee out but I still managed. Having a wheel on each corner means that they handle like they're on tracks!!!
my dad raced them, he's 6'2 and was 18st, so yeah, bigger than you'd expect.
I was at Lakeside in around 1978 and watched a mini brick roll at Hungry's. It rolled for about 100 metres (100yards or thereabouts) and as it rolled the bonnet, boot, and both doors got ripped off. It ended up on its wheels and the driver climbed out with no dramas. But damn, it was an exceptional crash LOL.
Haha. Thanks Ian. I saw this years ago. You've got to feel for the poor Mustang driver. Bet he was knackered at the end of that. Probably still has nightmares of Minis appearing closer than they seem in his mirrors. Another channel you might want to check out is BlendLine TV. It's a grass roots Australian Motorsports channel. One to check out is insane Nascar engined XT Falcon at bathurst.
bo’oh’o’wa’er
true! I'd much rather follow a car than have one dogging me in my rearview
Back in the 70’s I had a Mini 1275 cc with just a SU carb, no mods at all. I could run rings around the 2000cc cars of the time, the handling of the Mini was so good, they didn’t have springs for suspension, they used rubber cones in their place.
BTCC back in the 60’s ran a mixed grid and you will often see the Historic Touring Cars with a mixed grid. It seems that Australia shows more of this stuff on TV than we have here in the UK.
Of course you would fit in a Mini
To be fair, a Mini is like driving a go-cart, while the Americans never made a car that could corner 😉👍
Edit: I seem to have offended some viewers with my post, so just to be clear. The above comment was a jest based on old European prejudices with regards to the handling of US vs European cars.
The comment was not based on facts nor intended to offend - but rather to entertain.
My bad!
I remember the days when NSW used the mini for the police highway patrol and it was hilarious to watch 2 large policemen squeeze themselves into and out of a mini.
Yes ! there was one in my local area and the cop was 6'2". Epic! I have a photo with that Officer, my friends made a huge cardboard key and with the Officers permission, we placed it on the roof of the car which made the car look like a wind-up toy. He was a good guy...only pulled MY Mini over once and I only got a warning.😁
My uncle told me of a school teacher back in the 1960s, who had a Mini. My uncle said that the teacher was quite tall, every morning at school my uncle and other students were puzzled at how he managed to get out of and get in it.
I got chased by Cst. Brown down Pennant Hill rd, I was in a Go Kart, he in the little sky blue Mini. I only got away because I cut down a footpath between some houses. Thought I had made it home, and there he is, sitting in my parents driveway, waiting for me! I cried foul, he said it was fair.
In the early 1970s I had a mate 6'4" who owned a Mini. He came home drunk one Saturday night, before RBT. His mum got up early and wanted to get her car out of the garage but my mate's Mini was parked across the driveway with 2 feet spare between the house and side fence. No one could work out how he did it.
He and his older brother used to race a rather hot Austin Healey "Bugeyed" Sprite and Alphasud in the day.
@@jurgentreue1200 You can pick up a mini at the back and drag it round, OK his mum could not but he would have been able to.
An old friend of mine used to be a mechanic for Mercedes and had a Mini that he'd seriously modified, he took me for a ride in it once and it was phenomenal!
My uncle was 6'4" and he used to drive a mini you would be surprised
I’m 6’1” and have plenty of room in mine.
Not a problem...if you follow the vintage car races from Goodwood in England there is a bloke who drives an E Type Jag and he's had to get the roof modified with a bulge for his tall body / big head. I'd presume there was a roll bar too. I also saw a Shelby AC Cobra with similar.
My friend passed his driving test in a Mini, he's 6' 9". 😂
@@andrewlaw My cousin Garry was around that height and had a Mini that he'd fold himself into.
[Edit] Yes, 'Garry' was how he spelled his name. Dated back to a teacher spelling it that way.
@@Graham_Langley It wasn't by choice, his test car broke down on the day and the only thing available was a Mini. 🤣
I knew this would be a hell of a battle before I even watched the video. We see these kind of races a lot at classic car events in England. The Mini is basically just a go-kart with a body. They're way quicker round corners than you'd think. You throw them into a corner and they just stick! Pitting them against Mustangs is actually a really good pairing, if you're on the right race track.
It's very interesting to see match-ups like these. Rear wheel, straight axle V8s vs front wheel drive, 4 cylinder, independent suspension go karts. It's great to watch different cars go around a track. Goodwood has this in spades. Huge Ford Galaxies and Fairlanes, against British Ford Cortinas against Cobras, against minis. There's the Owlett, which is an old Frazier-Nash with a solid rear axle and a transmission made from bicycle chains. The squirrelliest looking thing you'll ever see.
And then there's classic rallies. A vintage 1960s Saab 96 with a 3 cylinder 2-stroke screaming like a swarm of angry bees rounding the corners is the most insane thing you'll both hear and see. Check those out!
My first car was a 64 Morris mini Panel van. 1275cc bored out 60 thou with domed pistons. stuck like glue to the road and flew And I'm 6' 2",
my first car was a mini here in the UK. incredible fun cars. And the handling really is fantastic. I even did a reversing J turn (180°) in front of half my school leaving one day...completely by accident, but passed it off as intentional.
The Mini punching above its weight is basically the story of the UK for centuries 🙂
The race was at Sydney Motorsport Park, formerly known as Eastern Creek Raceway.
It’s not actually Muscle Car Masters, but actually Historic Group N (specifically Na, Nb and Nc)….you can tell by the lettering next to the number on the doors.
In the early 90"s I remember that people used to swap the original engine of the Mini for a VTEC and race them . They become bullets with the engine swap. Chears from Portugal!
My early racing car experiences.
Peter Manton(Cooper S) vs Norm Beechey (Monaro) vs Allan Moffatt (Mustang) vs Bob Jane (Camaro) vs Ivan Piantenesi (Brock modified Austin A30 with Holden 6pot), John Bowe in anything he brought carefully across Bass Strait. I can remember them at Mallala and Adelaide International Raceway. Great motor racing history from Adelaide (1970 -1973)
Mini's did some great rally racing. Also would love to see a race with mini's, Fiat 500(the original) and any mini car from that era.
dont write off a cooper s mate, they've been biting at the heels of mustangs for years. tighter track is where they come into their own and of course long straights lend them toward the big V8's. but no track has ever seen a mustang out handle a mini. look for the neptune racing team from the 60's here in Oz, cheers for the vid
Smaller wheels are a disadvantage on longer straights but you are correct they are nimble and weigh nothing
In New South Wales, in the 1970's, the Mini Cooper S, was used as a Police highway pursuit vehicle. They worked a treat doing that job.
What you failed to point out was that the blue mini (12 ) did in fact beat the other Mustangs .
You'd Love, "Goodwood Members Meeting 2022", on TH-cam with all the vintage vehicles from 1900s to 80s, it's held at the Goodwood Race Track just down the road from Goodwood House West Sussex from where they hold the Festival of Speed, which held F1 racing pre 70s. Pure Nostalgia with all the great old racers racing wheel to wheel no holds barred....
Yes minis are NA, I'm not entirely sure you can add a turbo to the Mini's A-Series engine.
But you can swap the engine for one of those screaming bike engines.
Really enjoyed that, took me back to the old days of Bathurst when you had Toranas, Mazdas, Cortinas, Minis, Escorts, Falcons etc. With drivers like Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Alan Moffat
I bout a Mini brand new in 1973. Hairy Lime was the name of the color. Did a little rally driving in it. Out ran the cops one night purely because of cornering and being able to take a side road at speed, switched the lights off and that cop flew past the intersection. He would never have believed we could make that corner at speed. Had to take the backroads to go to the drive-in, and get back home again. Crazy good little car.
Here in the UK, there is a dedicated racing club which hosts one-make races with Minis even more extreme than the 60's touring cars; that being the Mini Se7en Racing Club.
The racing is split into two classes; the junior Se7en division with sub-1-litre engines, and the professional Miglia division with a 130hp 1.3L engine and super aggressive flared fenders.
I used to watch this mix in the sixties at Thompson CT. They're both SCCA sedans so they raced together. The Mustang would power by the minis at the end of the back straight, only to be swallowed up by them at the hairpin onto the front straight. Of course they're in different classes
loved my bored out 69' Mini to 1010 with 1 3/4 twin SU. My best mate was a Carby mechanic and every Friday night before heading out we would turn her up. One night I pissed a VC Commodore by over taking him up a hill, he caught up to me and rammed me, I took off and he kept flashing his lights and I kept loosing him on the corners. He would catch me on the straights. The streets were perfect grid pattern and I finally took a right at a stop sign under handbrake and he went straight though. A few moments later, flashing headlights again, only this time he had a Blue light turned on too. I had picked up detective heading to work. He was very cool, and understood what had happened and handed me back my license. "Keep it to the tracks". he said. That was the best and scariest night for a 20 yr old 33 years ago. I still remember the foot tremors trying to drive home after. Oh an the Tilley boys who race the Valiant's had a hand in modifying the exhaust and the extractors. You would have fitted in there as there was no passenger seat, I took it out so my 6.3 mate would fit.
Glad you had a look at this page mate. You'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it. This track is at Eastern Creek. Better known these days as Sydney Motosport Park. Make sure you check out the Aussie Race Cars. They are scaled down versions of day to day cars but are powered by 1200cc motorcycle engines. After being involved in racing, including V8 Supercargo, the Aussie cars are my favourite class of racing, hands down.
Back in the 60s this kind of racing was common in the UK, big Ford's and little British cars and then big jags and what not.
Genuinely exciting racing
Have a look at Rally Cross, that's great too
not only are they fast on the track but minis DOMINATED rally in the early years because of how well they handled
I love small cars, got a 1.0 Suzuki swift (sold as the Geo Metro in the states) and its just so much fun to chuck about on a back road. My other car, a Rover 825SD, is the exact opposite. Smooth, comfortable and a great cruiser with a surprisingly good sound track
As someone who owned a rare Mini and drove a couple of others I'll describe it like this: A Mini gives the platform to extract 100% from the car 100% of the time you want to and as a side effect make you do that even when you don't, hehe.
Loved it! Minis and Mustangs is a crazy match but on the right circuit it works beautifully. Driven some awesome Minis over the years, never a Mustang but totally different dynamics. Great race!
Love the Cooper S as a race car. Not so much as a road car, having seen one split almost in half straight across from B pillar to B pillar post accident. It looked like how some restaurants present the main part of the dish, cut open to show all the layers of what's inside.
I think the driver really did try to wrap the car around whatever it was they hit.
Well many cars out of that (no seat belt) area deform like that in crashes nothing compareabel to modern cars with there computer simulation strengend super rigid driver cap and engergy absorbing crumbling zone
As soon as the Mustang started to slow up to close the corners off in the last lap it was all over for the Mini. Great race.
My dad raced a variety of cooper s on dirt tracks around the south of England, wet days were his best days. They may be small, but he was 6'2 and weighed around 18stone, so they had plenty of space.
Normally aspirated. My friends brother had a 1310 full house cooper s. I can personally attest to 130mph for a late 1960s mini. I remember one year at bathurst minis finished all at the front of the feild
Given a longer race and a tighter circuit and I'd be putting my money on a mini. Less brake and tyre degradation I'm guessing.
Thanks Ian that was really entertaining.
On a different tack and knowing how you love red landscapes I'd suggest a segment on Murchison river/Kalbarri Gorges in Western Australia. Did a 3 day camp/track thru there when l was a teenager, best 3 days of my life.
There was a mod for race sim rFactor called "Historic GT and Touring cars" that had these cars modelled really well and it was fun to drive. Ford Cortina was there also and it often went through corners with 1 front wheel in the air lol
What shocks me way more is that a car that was under 300 pounds and was powered by a 6hp engine raced in the Same class as a Porsche with a 4 cylinder engine.
The ultra micro car was called kleinschnittger f125.
These two Cars raced against each other i believe in the 60s.
I had four of the original, a couple of standard 1000cc's, a 1100 and a tuned 1000. As its been said, fantastic cars to drive, no real need to slow down for corners, just aim for the apex and when you get there, turn and boot it!
The Mini Cooper S is a 1275 cc (78 cubic inch) naturally aspirated front wheel drive vehicle. as opposed to the Mustang, which is a 289 cubic inch (4735 cc) rear wheel drive vehicle. My 1967 Cooper S is a great little track day vehicle - the cornering is unbelievable. You don't drive the car - you wear it. Great automotive experience!
The rules limit the modifications of these Minis quite heavily, so they are 1293cc with twin carbs and put out 125-135hp@8000rpm and weigh around 1400lbs
With treaded tyres too.
In the 90's, I autocrossed in the PCA. We were the "others" class and had 2 minis in our class. We had moderately modified GTIs and the minis would WALK us. They were also MUCH faster than the Porsches. It was maddening....like racing an El Dorado against a go-cart. LOL.
In the early days of motor sport in Australia, the races had all classes of cars; but they were production cars, the same as sold to the public.
A mini is the automotive equivalent of driving a puppy. Girls love them.
I have a first gen BMW Mini Cooper R50 (so non-S NA engine) and the thing is a weapon in corners for a road car. I'm 6' and have no problem being in it. My brother-in-law is ~6'4" and he had an S, who then passed it down to his son who is a bit taller and super long legged. They also get great gas mileage in urban areas, even when you are "spirited". The newer gen cars have been said to have lost some of their road feel, but I haven't had experience to confirm it. If you ever get the chance to hop in one for a test drive, don't pass it up. Even if you may not have the same feeling as me, you can at least say you've been in one. Also greetings from west central IL. :)
a friend from university back in the day had a Mini Cooper S. It was like riding in a go-kart. It felt like you were going a lot faster.
From Wikipedia: Sydney Motorsport Park (known until May 2012 as Eastern Creek International Raceway) is a motorsport circuit located on Brabham Drive, Eastern Creek (40-kilometres west of the Sydney CBD),[1] New South Wales, Australia, adjacent to the Western Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by the New South Wales Government and is operated by the Australian Racing Drivers Club. The circuit is one of only two permanent tracks in Australia with an FIA Grade 2 license[2] and is licensed for both cars and motorcycles.
there used to be a Celebrity Challenge race which was mostly Aussie celebs all driving factory cars around the track to see who was the best. They had to do training and everything but man was that a fun race to watch.
I had a 1967 Mk1 mini cooper in 1989....awesome handling and so fun to drive!
You HAVE to watch tonight's replay of a historical 1000 goals to 'Buddy' Franklin in the AFL, it will never happen again, the crowd erupted and all jumped the fence storming him, one of the greatest spectacles of sport to watch live!!! 30,000+ fans storming the field!!!
I’ve got a 1970 mini K ( K for kangaroo and it’s an Aussie only model) I’ve had since 1993 and my best mate has a 65 convertible mustang. Both great cars.
Sydney Motorsports Park at Eastern Creek. Wish they'd pump a bit of money into spectator facilities. I went there to one of the Top Gear shows a few years ago and the facilities were pretty rubbish.
I have a 1977 Mini and I can tell you you'd fit right in without any problem. Front seats are impressively spacious for the size of the car.
Now, I'd bet you'd have a hard time even trying to climb into the back seats. Even for a child they are tight.
Watching this race reminds me of a NZ movie from the 80's 'Goodbye Pork-Pie' in which a yellow Mini is on the run from the police driving Holden kingswood's
That was a real fun movie, and was important in getting recognition and success for the NZ film industry
I had a '74 Mini 1000. Those little things really do handle like nothing else. Seriously, you don't ever have to worry about braking, you can just bury your foot, and, keep it there.
Sydney motorsport Park track used to be Eastern Creek race track. But big fords in old days were great in a straight line but the nimble Holden's smaller lighter were able to kick arse around the corners so the power of the ford fell over similar will happen in this too
Definitely check out Goodwood in the UK. The members meetings have been running for over 75 years, and it is simply the best historics racing in the world without a doubt. Worlds best drivers involved, racing the coolest cars. Nick Swift is my personal favourite in terms of mini driving, unbelievable.
Yes Ian I used to have 1966 Mini way back and it was car that you could modify the hell out of it and it used to sound good with a straight-through muffler on it although I kept my car bog-standard and I loved it. It was such an economical car too but dreadfully noisy inside the cabin due to the gearbox noise. Yes mate they were naturally aspirated via an SU carbie and so easy to work on unless you had to work on the gearbox.
The mini was a Monte Carlo rally monster . Got to love both cars. This was fun . My dad had a mini 😂 great fun .
This shows an extension to the original track which is mostly used for drifting and corporate track days. The V8's the extended part where the mini's are fast.
I love the fact that anyone can manually adjust the camber/castor on the front wheels on a Mustang -But you have to weld add on parts onto a mini to get a similar ground cornering tires grip. But the Mini's are lighter and rev a lot higher -this allows them to buzz through the corners!
Saw similar at Donington in UK, with some Historic Touring cars, a Falcon (now that is big) was being swamped by Minis apart from on the straights, it could not stand the pace and had to let the Minis go in the end. Made me laugh to see a mini pass on either side of it through the old hairpin.
Had a 1979 Mini as my first car. I’ve never drove anything that handles like it ever since
The 66 Bathurst had Mini’s filling 5 of the top 6 finishers. (Memory but something like that). The next big David Vs Goliath was the Torana XU-1 vs Falcon GTHOs; then the Valiant Pacers & Chargers came on board vs the Torana’s and Falcons
The mini was never punching above its weight. One of the greatest cars ever made.
It most certainly was punching above it's weight.
It was a giant killer!
You could see a lot of these stuff in Europe in the late 1960s and 1970s in touring car racing, and even today in classic racing. Small European cars like Lotus Cortinas, Ford Capris, Minis and Alfas battling bigger American muscle cars like Mustangs, Falcons and Camaros. And it was tight races.
Btw. there's no turbos on these Minis. This is classis touring car racing, meaning the cars have to apply to old homologation rules, so forces induction is out of the question.
They raced Mini Coopers vs Ford Galaxies in the UK. Insane races to watch. Galaxies just walk away on the straights and the Coopers take a bite in the corners!
It's all about horsepower to weight ratio, weight to tire patch area ratio, and the greater force needed to alter the course, acceleration, and deceleration of a greater weight (mass). Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus, said; More horsepower makes a car faster on the straight, but lighter weight makes a car faster everywhere on the track.
That was fun lol If I recall the NSW police used Mini Cooper S's back in the day. I was 17 and my uncle. who was a big man came around to see my mum in his he practically had to unwind to get out lol. He was killed during a pursuit 10 years later. Not in a Mini of course.
My mum drove around 1977 an Innocenti Cooper 1.300 with 64 bhp, that thing went 11 seconds to 62 miles, it nailed Audi 100 LS and BMW 2002 I. The early seventies only the Golf GTI from 1977 on was faster 60 miles for normal peoples cars . The VW 1600 Square back was just at 50 miles when the mini had over 62 miles on the speedo..
The smile you get driving a mini down a B road is brilliant 😍 Americans don't know
This is what I would expect from this track with these 2 cars. Curious as to how much the cars were modified and what tires they were running.
Sydney Motorsports Park was built to host Motogp in Sydney which it did only once. Phillip Island in Victoria has hosted it ever since.
💚LOVED IT💚LOVED IT💚LOVED IT. My first car was a Mini Cooper S. British Racing Green with a white roof, with twin carbies and twin exhausts. I was a 17 -year -old girl. Usually, the boys with the nice car attracted the girls...well hey presto! I got quite a few good dates but a lot just wanted to drive the car. 🤣🤣 A Mini actually won Bathurst and partially because of their speed and maneuverability, The New South Wales Police actually had some as patrol cars. There was one in my local area and there was nothing funnier than seeing the 6'2" Officer "peel" himself out of that car 🤣 I have a photo with that Officer, my friends made a huge cardboard key and with the Officers permission, we placed it on the roof of the car which made the car look like a wind-up toy. The photo is epic. I will send you a copy if I can find it.
i went to the very first race at Sydney Motorsport park, back then it was Eastern Creek Raceway. my mum worked on the medical staff so i scored a pit pass, i must have been 14-15 i think it was called the Nissan 500, got some cool photos of he old supercars, brocky in his sierra, perkins in the vl etc....good times
In the day of genuine manufacturing racing, Mini Cooper S's won outright at Bathurst. There must be some you tube videos out there. They literally flww down the mountain.
1966
The original Mini is nothing more than a go-cart for those afraid of rain ....... I love 'm
I drove a "Special" with the 1275 cc engine.and had tremendous fun in it on the polder-dikes here in the Netherlands. Hardly a straight line to drive and flying up-and-down through the gears for the bends. Not quite the "Cooper" but it drove very well, thank you very much.
Being 6'2" I'm not exactly small but had plenty of room for my legs and still had clearance above my head.
The only thing was it had a very stiff suspension and driving 70 mph along an older highway made of concrete slabs made you feel every divider between the slabs through your spine. Fortunately those highways were on their way out to be replaced by smooth asphalt.
Owned a couple of Minis in my time. The most fun car to drive for short distances, but long journeys were a bind.
Handle like they're on rails.
back in the 70's in the UK, it was common for rallycross races to have Minis, Escort Mexicos and Hillman Imps up against what we used to call Yank Tanks - Mustangs, Dodges and Chevvies. the Lydden Hill racetrack used to have awesome battles.
ps i shoudn't forget the Long Marston track either
When Mini’s were found to be great track and rally cars in the 1960’s there was an explosion of interest in competition in Britain. My nearest track was Brands Hatch in Kent and I can remember in 1964 watching Ford Galaxies being tied up in knots by Mini’s on this very tight Grand Prix circuit. Fabulous days out. Regards.
P.s. Galaxies at the time were Saloons not the current SUV’s.
I know a mini to mix this up. British project - Bad Obsession Motorsport, Project Binky (TH-cam series) cramming Toyota Celica engine, drivetrain, AWD running gear into a classic mini chassis without anything more than larger, wider than tyres & a bigger exhaust as external indicators for the work.
Some of the greatest racing ever. Minis, Lotus Cortinas, Chevy Nova, Monaros, etc at Calder in the 1960's. Anyone could win.
The original mini (*850) was like the tradis. Went for a trip once (1965/6?) with 7 passengers (4 in the back and 3 in the front)...Put twin SUs and full race extractors on it. Still only did 87MPH...LOL
Minis are brilliant little cars! They are small, light and surprisingly quick considering most stock Mini Cooper S cars were only 75hp and mustangs were over 270hp. Minis corner like they are on rails so can give the bigger cars trouble when on narrow bendy roads. There are videos out there where they have done crazy engine swaps into minis, often Superbike engines.
The Mini was a revelation as come rain, shine or snow it just pulled itself around corners. No car since has been as much fun. I once had someone pull out on my lane at speed and I ended up on the grass in the middle of the carriageway. Just keeping my foot down the car handled it with no problem and took me safely back on the road. Luckily having ridden bikes I knew to leave the brakes well alone. This was a case where the more recent crash barriers would likely have killed me.
I must say though that in the race if there was a crash I would rather be in the Mustang.
Had a 71 mini back in the day , cool little cars .Some knew them as a "Pregnant Roller skate"
I owned a 1275GT. Twin Weber carbs as standard and to this day I still say there is no car that would keep up with it on a tight street circuit. A blast to drive.
The Mini doesn’t care about the size of your engine, its beaten just about everything in some of the greatest races in the world. 1275cc NA 4cylinder about the size of a small outboard motor or a large sewing machine but a tiny, lightweight car with some of the sweetest handling ever.