9 replies to this topic

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

Currently red with white roof. Can't decide whether to go black. White seems Beatles and black seems more rolling stones if that makes sense.

Edited by HUBBA.HUBBA, 29 October 2016 - 09:17 PM.

[Daz1968]

I like black with red, that's the standard early cooper colour but it's all down to personal preferance

[mab01uk]

Until the 1990's Rover Coopers came along red with a white roof was only used on the BMC works Mini's, while the red factory 'road going' 1960's Coopers had a black roof.

 

1967 Wood & Pickett Margrave Elite  as owned by Mick Jagger....

 

and here is Beatle Ringo below in 1964 with a Works Monte Mini with white roof. ......although he actually owned a Radford Mini Hatchback 

http://www.minispace...atles/index.htm

 

Edited by mab01uk, 30 October 2016 - 09:03 AM.

[greenwheels]

Sixties rally cars were painted with white roofs to keep the occupants cooler in hot countries.

[Cooperman]

I rallied in a red Mini with a white roof a year before Abingdon first did their rally cars that colour.

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

I rallied in a red Mini with a white roof a year before Abingdon first did their rally cars that colour.

Now that's just showing off.

[Cooperman]

There is a little story, which I may have told before.

My great friend and the guy with whom I started rallying, Bill, was given a brand new tartan red 850 Mini for his 21st birthday in 1961. So here we were, two young aerospace students with what was, back then, a modern rally car once we had done some preparation. 

Shortly after getting it we were in the pub (where else   ) and a friend mentioned that he had never driven a Mini, so Bill gave him the keys and told him to 'run it round the block'. Unfortunately he put it onto its side, was profusely apologetic and agreed to pay for the damage which, fortunately, was not to bad.

We had another rally and flying mate who worked as an insurance assessor and he sent us to a guy not far from work who had a small body-shop. The car was repaired very quickly, so that Bill's parents wouldn't find out, The guy who was doing the repair called and asked if Bill would like the roof a different colour. Minis were all single-colour in early, pre-Cooper, 1961. He was asked to paint it white because de Havilland Aircraft, where we were students, painted the roof of the Comet airliners white to keep them cool when parked on the tarmac at airports.

We entered, and won outright, the first rally we did in that car in July 1961. It was red with a white roof.

Later when people said that I had copied the works in my then-new 1964 998 Cooper on which I had the original black roof painted white before delivery I used to explain that in fact they seemed to have copied Bill & me.

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

There is a little story, which I may have told before.

My great friend and the guy with whom I started rallying, Bill, was given a brand new tartan red 850 Mini for his 21st birthday in 1961. So here we were, two young aerospace students with what was, back then, a modern rally car once we had done some preparation. 

Shortly after getting it we were in the pub (where else   ) and a friend mentioned that he had never driven a Mini, so Bill gave him the keys and told him to 'run it round the block'. Unfortunately he put it onto its side, was profusely apologetic and agreed to pay for the damage which, fortunately, was not to bad.

We had another rally and flying mate who worked as an insurance assessor and he sent us to a guy not far from work who had a small body-shop. The car was repaired very quickly, so that Bill's parents wouldn't find out, The guy who was doing the repair called and asked if Bill would like the roof a different colour. Minis were all single-colour in early, pre-Cooper, 1961. He was asked to paint it white because de Havilland Aircraft, where we were students, painted the roof of the Comet airliners white to keep them cool when parked on the tarmac at airports.

We entered, and won outright, the first rally we did in that car in July 1961. It was red with a white roof.

Later when people said that I had copied the works in my then-new 1964 998 Cooper on which I had the original black roof painted white before delivery I used to explain that in fact they seemed to have copied Bill & me.

Cool. Wonder if someone at Abingdon saw your car and said' "I like the look of that". Just look at all the cars these days that have a white roof - all the bini's, fiat's etc

[tiger99]

Marvellous! But putting a Mini on its side in one quick drive? That is not easy...😞

As for the roof colour, to be politically correct it needs to be medium grey, to avoid offending proponents of black or white. 😃

But I would prefer to find a can of tartan paint...

[minifreek1]

Old English White always looks good with a red Mini, but depends on which shade of red the car is painted....

 

Don't really like the look of black and red combo, but its your car.....