The rarest of all flavours of the Mini Cooper S, a 970 S built in 1964 comes up for auction at the Silverstone Classic on 29th – 30th July. A fine example of the homologation special created to qualify the Cooper S for the under 1000cc category in racing and rallying, the car presented by Silverstone Auctions is one of less than a thousand ever built.
With engine and chassis numbers matching logbook records and an extensive history file including homologation papers, heritage certificate, 2004 FIA Historic Technical Passport and MoT certificates, the iconic Cooper 970 S is estimated to sell for between £43,000 and £50,000.
“This is a rare and very collectible car,” says Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions. “This represents the rarest Cooper S of all time so an original car like this with matching numbers throughout is extraordinary.”
The Mini is in excellent condition having completed only 3,000 miles under its current ownership over the last 15 years. It’s been kept in a heated garage along with the vendor’s historic motor vehicle collection. The exterior is immaculately finished in Tweed Grey with a Old English White roof, enhanced by tastefully placed leather bonnet straps, Cibie spot lights, reversing lamp, and two Monza filler caps (originals also included).
Mini fans will drool over the specification of this historically important Cooper S. The engine has been uprated by renowned North Yorkshire motorsport experts AMAC Engineering and now features a 649 camshaft, baffled sump and lightened flywheel to produce a free revving unit up to 7500rpm with 95 bhp at the flywheel.
An alloy sump guard protects from underneath along with aeroquip brake pipes, and the suspension has been upgraded with a negative camber front setup, all finished off with an iconic set of Minilite wheels, including the spare. The authentic look is completed with FIA specification wheel arches, and under the bonnet there’s a further light with switch and an upgraded oil cooler and radiator, all vital for a night-time climb over the Col de Turini!
The interior also lives up to its Cooper S sporting heritage with a range of features including a full Safety Devices removable bolted in roll cage, a works specification dash with rev counter, retro trip meter, watches and a plug for a Don Barrow “Potty” map magnifier. Other period touches include a map light and spot light on the roll cage, Newton Commercial bucket seats, fire extinguisher and a Moto-Lita leather steering wheel. The original seats and steering wheel are included in the sale.
To find out more about the Mini Cooper 970 S and the Silverstone Auctions Classic Sale
