The Mini Cooper
John Cooper would have had many thoughts on his mind when he tried to convince a deeply sceptical Alec Issigonis that the latter’s still-new Mini could be as successful on the rally stage and racetrack as it was at bringing customers to showrooms. But starting a relationship that would remain key to the Mini proposition nearly 60 years later was probably not among them.
Issigonis resisted, but his bosses at BMC could see that a warmed-over Mini bearing the name of the current Formula 1 World Champions would be a potent force in the showroom. And so in 1961 started the 10-year story of the original Mini Cooper, progressing through three generations of Mini, five different engines, standard and ‘S’ versions until the car had been made a film star, a fashion accessory and a competition whizz-kid with three Monte Carlo rally wins the highlights of its success in motorsport.
Berwyn Jones’ family owns the rare, 1961 Cooper featured here. Bought new in October of that year, by the local doctor who was a close family friend, it was passed on to the Jones family in 1977. Berwyn used it on a regular basis until the mid-1980s when he decided to carry out a restoration. These days, it mostly attends shows.
“The car is the same age as me, two months older, so the car and me will be 60 next year. It has been with me so long I wouldn’t think of parting with it,” says Berwyn. The Cooper gave the Jones family the bug, as they now own no less than 10 Minis. Oh, and a Wolseley Hornet.
“Issigonis was ahead of his time, responding to the oil crisis, turning the engine the other way around, putting the drive through the front. He set the template.” At the time of meeting, Berwyn and family say they don’t have anything planned to mark the 60th anniversary of the Cooper – “…but we’d like to if we can.” It’s a sentiment countless fans of the Mini Cooper will echo.
There is no time to detail all the Coopers here, but all came with tuned engines with twin carburettors, disc front brakes and close-ratio gearboxes. All were made in reasonable numbers save the 970cc ‘screamer’ of which fewer than 1000 were made and far fewer survive.
To drive any is a hoot, but it is the S models that best fulfil the promise of the Cooper badge. They are actually a real challenge to drive fast, not because they’re treacherous but because there’s a very definite technique required to get the most from them.
Even the 1275cc cars don’t have much power by modern standards (unless race-prepped), so it’s all about maintaining an ambitious entry speed, scrubbing off excess speed before the apex and, above all, trying as hard as possible not to laugh yourself off the road. Light, insect-agile and flooded with feel, even today it’s highly debatable whether a front-wheel-drive car with more enjoyable handling has been made.
As remarkable as the drive is the car’s packaging. Parked alongside any of our other Bull Market list cars, the Mini Cooper is a postage stamp in a sea of envelopes. Yet when you get in, there’s enough room for four people, while the boot has the original false floor (so widely used today). Peering through the boot, Berwyn Jones points out the apertures left from when the car was assembled using a rotisserie spit.
Next year, come what may, the community will find a way to come together and mark the 60th anniversary of this remarkable car. We look forward to joining the celebrations.
1961 Mini Cooper
- Engine: 4-cylinder, 997cc
- Transmission: 4-speed manual, FWD
- Power: 55bhp @ 6000rpm
- Weight: 584kg
THE HAGERTY VALUATION TEAM SAYS
- Hagerty value condition #2: £24,100
- 2019 Hagerty value condition #2: £24,100
- Hagerty 12-month value change: No change
Values of all variants of the Mark I Austin/Morris Mini Cooper have been increasing in value over the past few years, but Hagerty believes they have the potential to rise again in 2021, thanks to the 60th birthday. The first 997cc model now seems somewhat undervalued, given the prices asked for its later, larger-engined brethren. Plus, with just 1000 examples made, the early Mark I Mini Cooper 997 is a very collectable classic.