Mini Cooper 1275S (1964 – 1971) Review

Mini Cooper 1275S (1964 – 1971) At A Glance

5/5

+The definitive fast classic Mini - and just as just as the rest of them

-The usual - bumpy, noisy and uncomfortable. And a few rust issues. Mainly watch for fakes, though.

The best Cooper of all was the 1275S. It lasted through Mk1-Mk3, and ended up winning the Monte Carlo rally three times. The long-stroke that would eventually be used across the BMC range - and remain in production until 2000 - debuted here, and gave 76bhp, which was enough to launch the car to almost 100mph.

Single-colour paint schemes were available alongside the usual two-tone ones, making these Coopers great little Q-cars, as there wasn’t too much else to distinguish one from a standard Mini. Hydrolastic suspension was introduced in 1964, then an oil cooler and twin fuel tanks from 1966.

Along with the rest of the Mini range, the Cooper S was launched in Mk2 guise in 1967. Other Minis had dispensed with their marque names but the Cooper S continued to be available in Austin and Morris forms. The 1275 Cooper S actually made it to Mk3 form with concealed door hinges and wind-up windows. It retained Hydrolastic suspension until British Leyland’s agreement with Cooper was cancelled in 1971 and the model disappeared.