10 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

Will Sparrow Championship winning, Cars and Car Conversions 1970 Mini Cooper S (WNX 700H ), campaigned in the early 70's winning many Motoring News events and won Welsh International Rally in 1970 and 2nd in 1971. Car recently restored to original specification and rebuilt by Will Sparrow. One of the last competitive Minis .

Arden 8 port engine with straight cut box / drop gears with Salisbury LSD.

Concours restoration of a genuine car , 500 miles covered since restoration completed.

Extensive history with the car.

 

£89950 Or near offer

http://www.carandcla....uk/car/C738582

 

[THE ANORAK]

Cooper s in a clubman shell ?

[Spider]

Is that asking price 90 thousand quid?

 

Or did I mis-read that?

 

Just like to know before I click on the link,,,,,,,

[mab01uk]

Cooper s in a clubman shell ?

 

It is a Mk2 Cooper S shell (external hinges, etc) and was often featured in CCC magazine at the time.....but like many competition Mini's in the 1970's was updated with a Clubman front which also gave more room under the bonnet for 8-port heads/carbs, etc.

 

Yes, 90,000 quid but then I suppose many would rate it's privateer rally history and provenance more highly than many of the BMC ex-works Mini's with their often more doubtful authenticity?

Still a very high starting price though!

Edited by mab01uk, 16 June 2016 - 09:51 PM.

[JBW]

I remember seeing the car a couple of times, was only thinking the other day what had happened to it.

CCC was the best, pity its gone.

[Cooperman]

This is a properly restored international rally winning classic car. Will has restored it using the original shell and it has been done to a high standard.
When you look at the prices achieved for the so-called 'genuine' ex-works cars which simply have the correct number plate, then this is the 'real deal'.
It was amazing what Will and Nigel achieved in that car.

[THE ANORAK]

oh yes, that will teach me not to look properly   can see the external hinges now.

[whistler]

This is a properly restored international rally winning classic car. Will has restored it using the original shell and it has been done to a high standard.
When you look at the prices achieved for the so-called 'genuine' ex-works cars which simply have the correct number plate, then this is the 'real deal'.
It was amazing what Will and Nigel achieved in that car.

When this car first appeared with the round nose front and the carbs covered with a 'shoebox' it didn't half attract some attention. Then we all saw how fast and powerful it was with Will driving, absolutely astonishing. Next time I saw it they'd grafted a steel Clubman front onto it. Very professional job it was too. Worth every pound of the asking price as this was, I believe, the first of the 8 port headed engines that worked well for rallying. Just wish I had a lottery win handy.

[CMXCVIII]

The fact that Will Sparrow has restored the car himself means that its provenance is 100%. It's a genuinely historic International rally winner.

[Spider]

oh yes, that will teach me not to look properly   can see the external hinges now.

 

(All our Aust made Clubman fronted minis had external hinges )

[Cooperman]

I well recall competing against that car both with Jock Russell in the Porsche 911 and with Cec Offley in the 1293 Downton Sprite.

Will was a superb driver and his navigator Nigel Raeburn was about the best there was back then. Both are still around the historic rally scene and I meet up with them regularly.

Will & I were both helping out on a historic rally and at the finish a friend of our had turned up to marshal in her daughters classic Mini. However, when she was about to leave for home the Mini would not start. Not to worry, though, Will Sparrow and your own 'Cooperman' would soon have it working - NOT! It turned out that the car had been fitted with electronic ignition and that had failed. It was a bit embarrassing for both Will & me, but we went and had some more beer, Cec Offley who was also there gave her a lift home and the Mini was retrieved on a low-loader.

Will has certainly restored this Mini to the highest standards and exactly to how it was when he was winning in it. I think it is the last Mini to win an international rally outright and Will's quality of engineering is at least as good as the 'works' achieved.

What a superb car it is.