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Mini Cooper Mk 1 & Mk 2 - A Brief History |
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This
first Mini Cooper was launched in July 1961. It had
been developed by the designer of the original Mini
Sir Alec Issigonis, with racing driver and engineer John
Cooper, who in 1959 had driven a prototype Mini to the
Italian Grand Prix and had been greatly impressed by
the car. It was initially produced with a 997cc version
of the BMC A series engine which was fitted with twin
SU carburettors, revised cylinder head, and an improved
exhaust system. The car was also fitted with a close
ratio gearbox, which had a remote gearshift, a higher
axle ratio than the standard Mini and was fitted with
front disc brakes. These Coopers were easily distinguishable
from the standard models by the different front grille,
two-tone paintwork, and on the Mk 1, two-tone upholstery
- most of the Mk 2 cars featured black vinyl. All Coopers
were fitted with 100mph speedometers as opposed to the
90mph units on standard cars. In January 1964 the 997cc
engine was swapped to a BMC 998cc unit, and later
the same year the rubber cone suspension was replaced
by BMC's Hydrolastic system. The Mk 2 version of the
Austin & Morris Mini Cooper arrived in October 1967,
featuring among other cosmetic changes, a wider rear
windscreen, and in 1968 an all synchromesh gearbox.
Production of the Mk 2 Cooper ended in 1969.
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Specifications |
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Mk 1- 997cc |
Mk1 & Mk 2 - 998cc |
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1961 - 1963 |
Mk1 1964 - 1967 Mk 2 1967 - 1969 |
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2 door saloon, all steel body, mounted on steel front & rear subframes |
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10ft 0.25 in |
10ft 0.25in |
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4ft 7in |
4ft 7in |
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1400lb |
1400lb |
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997cc 4 cylinder inline |
998cc 4 cylinder inline |
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55 bhp @ 6000 rpm |
55 bhp @ 5800 rpm |
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55lb ft @ 3600 rpm |
57lb ft @ 3000 rpm |
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4 speed manual |
4 speed manual |
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Front |
Front |
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Front disc, rear drum |
Front disc, rear drum |
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Independent by rubber cone until 1964, then Hydrolastic |
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Independent by rubber cone until 1964, then Hydrolastic |
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Model
Performance (approx) |
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Mk 1- 997cc |
Mk1 & Mk 2 - 998cc |
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88 mph |
90 mph |
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18 seconds |
17 seconds |
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32 mpg |
32 mpg |
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Austin Mini Cooper Mk 1 |
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