Used 1986 Austin Mini Classic John Cooper Prototype STOCK NO.

The team at Monument Garage are excited to offer for sale this one off, unique ultra low mileage 1986 Austin Mini 1275 John Cooper Prototype. It is in truly outstanding condition throughout and has only travelled just over 2800 MILES from new. This car needs to be seen in the flesh to see how good it really is. It comes with a comprehensive history file and even a certificate of authenticity, This is an opportunity to buy a piece of British motoring history and is an ideal collectors piece.

From its peak in 1971, Mini production had dwindled to just under 35000 units per year by the end of 1985. The only market where there appeared to still be growth was Japan. With this in mind, the President of Austin Rover Japan approached John Cooper in early 1986 and asked if it was possible to put an MG Metro engine into a standard 998cc Mini to produce a Sports Version. An MG Metro-Engined Mini was soon on its way to Japan for evaluation. That car was registered as: C734 SWV.

The management at Rover Japan showed great enthusiasm for the idea but a request for a limited production of 1000 units was turned down by Austin Rover’s CEO, Harold Musgrove, who was planning to end Mini production altogether in March 1987. John Cooper however, had already been approached by other Japanese interests to produce conversion kits for 998cc Mini models and this, coupled with a change in management at Austin Rover in late 1986, proved to be the turning point. C734 SWV once again came back into its own in 1988 when a formal presentation was made to Austin Rover in July of that year. The role of this car in re-establishing the now famous ‘Mini Cooper’ in 1989, maintaining its desirability and driver appeal throughout the 1990’s right up until the end of production in October 2000, cannot be understated. C734 SWV was the forerunner of the engine conversions that John and Michael Cooper would eventually offer customers from 1991 onwards. The DVLA paperwork with this car shows a 998cc Austin Mini Mayfair being purchased by John Cooper Garages in April 1987 and at its next documented sale in March 1989 with the cylinder capacity already changed to 1275cc. Whilst being shown at the International Mini Meeting in 2014, the current owner was approached by Michael Cooper ( John Cooper’s Son ) who regaled him of his various memories of converting the car, including the installation of a Cooper Badge to the rocker cover, which is intact to this day.

The car was owned by Michael Standring of Wood & Pickett and forms part of his personal collection. It is immaculate both inside and out, having seen very little use over the years. The car is to be the subject of a detailed upcoming feature in Mini World Magazine by the well-known classic car journalist, John Parnell. It is finished in Targa Red paint with a white roof, bonnet stripes and distinctive original Cooper rear quarter decals. The technical specification features a ported and gas-flowed cylinder head fitted with enlarged valves, 35mm inlet and 29mm exhaust, an increased compression ratio, twin 1.5” HS4 carburettors with K&N air filters and a special three-branch exhaust manifold. Stopping power is aided by the addition of a Type Six brake servo while a high efficiency radiator, coupled with an oil cooler, allowed the engine to cope with the demanding summer temperatures in Japan. The Interior of the car remains original to the Mini Mayfair, the only clue of its sporting underpinnings being the Cooper-badged Moto-Lita steering Wheel.

Each and every car supplied by Monument Garage comes fully valeted, serviced to manufacture specifications (if required), 12 months MOT and 3 months warranty (if applicable). There are various Funding Plans available, one of which may help with the purchase of the car, so we would like to invite you to visit the showroom to view the car, meet 'The Team' and discuss any vehicle you may have to part exchange.

Running Costs are as follows: Road Tax (12 Months): £ | Insurance Group (1-50): | Fuel Consumption (Combined): mpg.

We are a small friendly family business operating in Brigg, North Lincolnshire with an enthusiastic, knowledgeable team of staff giving a personal service to everyone we meet. We have well over 50 years experience in the motor trade and most of our stock is ‘hand picked’ from main dealer groups from across the country. Every car is prepared to a high standard and presented immaculately in our 40 car indoor heated showroom. We operate a ‘no pressure’ attitude in the way we work and generally find customers choose to buy cars from us, so if you are looking for a small runabout or a luxury saloon, please call in to see us. Our up to date website provides full details of all the cars we have; www.monumentgarage.com. We hope we will get the opportunity to welcome you to our showroom to discuss your requirements, alternatively please call us on: 01652 656560.