During the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally, the Mini Cooper S truly showed what it was made of. "The three musketeers:" Mäkinen, Aaltonen and Hopkirk dominated the competition from the very start, and it was in that order that they crossed the finish line as the three best drivers. However, the joy was short-lived. This was because the French competition committee decided to disqualify the trio due to the additional lamps fitted in the grille, which were claimed not to comply with the official regulations. In the same way, fourth-place finisher Roger Clark in his Ford Lotus Cortina was affected, as he too was penalised for the fitted extra lights. Thus, first, second, third and fourth place were all disqualified, and the victory instead went to the Finnish Citroën driver, Pauli Toivonen, who had actually crossed the finish line in fifth place.

What many do not know is that the Mini was actually created as a solution to the ongoing oil crisis of 1956. A crisis that was further intensified by the Suez Crisis that same year. As the oil shortage was severe, car manufacturers were forced to create fuel-efficient cars. This is why Alec Issigonis (later dubbed "Sir"), a Turkish-born Englishman, created the world's first Mini. The project for this car went under the name "ADO15", and already in 1959 BMC (British Motor Corporation), with Alec Issigonis at the helm, presented the first Mini. The model was a milestone with its front-wheel drive, transverse engine, 10-inch wheels and efficient use of space. In 1961, Issigonis became Technical Director at BMC. He was knighted and retired in 1971, but continued working until his death in 1988. The most iconic Mini in history was born through a collaboration with John Cooper. He was the owner of the Cooper Car Company, which he founded already in 1947 together with his father, Charles Cooper. They built fast sports cars for track racing and later for Formula 1 and the Indianapolis 500. John Cooper saw potential in BMC's Mini and managed to persuade BMC and Alec Issigonis, which in 1961 resulted in the Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper. To make these models a bit sportier, he increased the engines' capacity from 848 to 997 cc, which gave the Mini an additional 19 horsepower. To meet the homologation requirements for Group 2 rally, dual carburettors were also fitted. In 1963, the model was further developed with a reinforced 1070 cc engine. This model came to be called the "Mini Cooper S", where "S" stood for Sport! This model went on to achieve great success in rallying, with numerous major victories, especially during the 1960s.

We can now present an example of this very model. A Swedish-sold Austin Mini Cooper S from 1966. Painted in Signal Red with a black-painted roof. This Mini Cooper S was sold new in Dalarna, on 27 October 1967, to rally driver Carl Gunnar "CG" Sundqvist. He quickly tuned up the engine from 78hp to a thrilling 90hp. He also replaced the front seats with period-typical rally seats from "Paddy Hopkirk" of the "Alpine" model. With this very car, Carl Gunnar competed in numerous rally competitions. Among others, the Winter Cup in Sandviken in 1968, which is documented in the image gallery. The car has since then lived its entire life in Dalarna. Over the years, the car has been well looked after and carefully serviced and maintained. The engine has just been thoroughly overhauled and serviced by a renowned sports car workshop. The front seats have been carefully restored to an exquisite original condition. The car is fantastically fun and quick to drive. Contact us for more information.