# Dumb question about MINI COOPERS



## punisherwz (Feb 7, 2004)

I have heard from a few friends that cooper is/was the brand mini was originally made under. Well i havelooked and i can find no hard evidence showing this to be true. DO any of you have any sites that explain weather this statement is true or false?


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

:hi: and welcome to the 'fest!

Your friends are wrong.

John Cooper was the world champion Formula 1 constructor engaged by BMC in Longbridge to "hot up" the Austin and Morris Mini. Both marques were sold, the cars were identical except for minor trim variations. He was paid 2 Pounds per car royalty to lend his name to these models. Originally sold from '61 to 1970 in England, and exported around the world, the "Mini Cooper" was re-introduced in the UK by Rover Group Ltd in 1990, and was produced till the last of the Mini's, at about which time BMW purchased the rights to the MINI design and the rest, as they say, is history.

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini_history.html


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## postoak (Mar 5, 2002)

Great link! Thanks, wingspan! :thumbup:


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## punisherwz (Feb 7, 2004)

ok thanks for clearing that up


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Just some other data about the early Minis - they were also produced under license in other countries for their home markets. Usually this was to get around having to pay import tax and also to customize the vehicles for the home market. Two other versions of the Mini come to mind - Authi in Spain and Innocenti in Italy. There are backgrounders on both companies in the Unofficial Austin-Rover Web Resource

Minis were produced by Authi (with 100% local content I believe) from 1968 until 1975. They did not sell Mini Coopers until 1973.

Innocenti Minis were produced from 1965 until 1975. These were considered much better built and had nicer interiors than the UK models (OK I am a little biased since I have one) Most of the Innocentis had the smaller engines for tax reasons; I think the 1300cc came out in 1972. By comparison, Authi's first models were 1275cc.

My Innocenti is a 998cc Cooper engine model and was imported into the US a year or so ago under the "antique car" clause. It still has a few niggly electrical problems (mostly age related) but I hope to have it back on the road this year.


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

gojira-san said:


> My Innocenti is a 998cc Cooper engine model and was imported into the US a year or so ago under the "antique car" clause. It still has a few niggly electrical problems (mostly age related) but I hope to have it back on the road this year.


HAH! A few electrical problems...indeed. So, how much smoke have you let out of the wires lately? :rofl:

(hijack continued) I have a wierd problem -- at 80 MPH I get a sort of "sprinkle" effect on both sides of the windscreen. It started after I replaced the water pump, so I have literally everything off the car (rad, hoses, water pump, alternator, by pass hose, etc) so I suspect a leak (duh) somewhere but can't get to the bottom of it.

This past weekend I discovered both of my rocker cover rubber gaskets were knackered, so I replaced them but haven't gotten a test in the car so maybe it's fixed...or not

Any chance of pix of the Inno?


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

wingspan said:


> HAH! A few electrical problems...indeed. So, how much smoke have you let out of the wires lately? :rofl:
> 
> Any chance of pix of the Inno?


(hijack continued) Sorry for the delay - I just saw the reply today.

Hey I have 8 fuses in the Inno - so you can get the smoke out faster :rofl:

Here's a pic of the Inno parked next to my Avalanche - it's like Mutt and Jeff!


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

gojira-san said:


> (hijack continued) Sorry for the delay - I just saw the reply today.
> 
> Hey I have 8 fuses in the Inno - so you can get the smoke out faster :rofl:
> 
> Here's a pic of the Inno parked next to my Avalanche - it's like Mutt and Jeff!


:thumbup: There's a good writeup in the Parnell book on Innos - I assume you have it? Great book...

When I first got back to the states and drove Magnus around locally, I had thought of maybe going to the Chevy dealer and taking a picture next to a pickup...now maybe I'll go down to the Hummer dealer and snap a few...


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

So will the Innocenti fit through the Midgate? 

I read something interesting in Roundel or some other mag recently:

So BMW builds MINIs and owns rights to the name, etc...
One of the names the original Mini was sold under was the Austin Seven (or more correctly, Se7en, IIRC)...
The Austin 7 was also the name of a much older car from the 20s and 30s...
BMW's first car, the Dixi, was a licensed version of that Austin 7.


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

Kaz said:


> So will the Innocenti fit through the Midgate?
> 
> I read something interesting in Roundel or some other mag recently:
> 
> ...


Correct, and also Morris Mini-Minor as well as Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet for the upmarket (imagine a Mini with a boot/trunk grafted on to the back end.)

Yes, lots of heritage and common threads there...IIRC in the 90's BMW Sold Rover Ltd to Phoenix Holdings PLC after a few troubled years trying to make it work (think they revered to Rover Group as the "English Patient" ) but they kept Land Rover and Mini brand names..


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Kaz said:


> So will the Innocenti fit through the Midgate?


I did the measurements and no, the Mini is just a little too wide to fit in the bed.


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Austin 7







and Austin 7 Chummy


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Riley Elf


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Mini Traveler


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

I thought the woodys were called 'Clubman'? An older couple in my neighborhood drives around all the time in a green one. I love it!


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

As I recall Clubman refered to the "new nose they fobbed off on Minis for a while.There were Mini Clubman estates but I believe they had no wood.Morris Mini Travelers and Austin Mini Countryman had wood were the only ones with wood I think.


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Mini Clubman Estate


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Mini Pick Up


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Van


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Moke


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