From a collector’s standpoint, they were just plain cheap from concept to completion, and they built a ton of them
Chassis number: CA257662044
Engine number: 9FSAY34709
Belying its small size and apparent fragility, the Mini Cooper developed into the most successful Works rally car of the 1960s. One of its most famous victories was Paddy Hopkirk’s headline-grabbing win in the 1964 “Monte.” The Mini Cooper family’s ultimate expression — the 1,275-cc S — won first time out in 1964 and became the Works’ frontline car from 1965 onward, winning eight international rallies outright that same year, a quite outstanding achievement.
According to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, this now Morris-badged (though originally Austin) Mini Cooper 1,275-cc s/n CA2S7662044, was built at Longbridge on November 26, 1964. Following subsequent preparation by the Abingdon-based Competitions Department, initially as an Austin for export market reasons, it took part in the 1965 Swedish and Acropolis Rallies before finishing 13th in class on the Alpine and (as a Morris) winning the RAC Rally of GB in the legendary Rauno Aaltonen’s hands.
Having been driven to victory by Tony Fall on the Scottish Rally the following season, DJB93B rolled into retirement from Abingdon Competitions Department service during the 1966 Gulf London Rally and was not seen again until 1986. By 1991, ownership had transferred from clubman Jeff Wilson to Mini Machine of Darlington, from whom the project was taken on in 1996 by the highly respected and very successful Works Rally co-driver and subsequent World Rally Team Manager Phil Short, who commissioned a total restoration to original Works specification.
most impressive history file contains signed and dated BMIHT Heritage Certificates pre- and post-rebuild that confirm manufacturing, registration and competition history. The file contains Abingdon “Build Sheets” for 1964 RAC Rally, BMC Homologation Forms from period, FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form, current MSA Competition Car Logbook, MoT Test Certificates 1986 to July 2007, two folders of original invoices, and current Swansea V5C registration document.
This is one of the most correctly specified and detailed ex-Works Minis around.
Since completion in 1998, the car has been maintained regardless of cost (as confirmed by bills on file) and always garaged in a heated and dehumidified motor house. Apart from regular exercise on various historic rally fun runs as part of the Slowly Sideways Group, DJB93B has also been successfully hill-climbed and sprinted with a win in the 2001 Midland Speed Classic Championship. The car was purchased at Bonhams’ Race Retro sale at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, in March 2007 (Lot 306). Since then, it has been invited to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it was driven again by Rauno Aaltonen in 2010.
