A 5-speed gearbox for the Mini & Metro in 1980......instead of all the money (several million) that BL spent on the A+ upgrade for little (if anything) gained?
Could the UK have taken the SA block that was in our 1098 and 1275 engines in the 70s and 80s? They are apparently very good engines.
THE SA engine block was cast in South Africa by Gearings Foundary, at Epping, Cape Town. Based on the UK 1275cc Cooper S engine block, the South African engines featured integral side covers and an internal oil filter gallery, which allowed the filter to be placed high on the block, above the starter motor........a similar oil filter position to the much later MPi A-Series engine block produced in the UK (1996-2000).