9 replies to this topic

[cagy]

Hello,

My 1275 gt is LHD and i'm in France, the VIN plate says that the car was made in Cowley so i asked heritage for a dating letter to find the exact date of manufacture because the paperwork has been lost. The only problem is that heritage have just told me that the car is a complete knock down that was exported and built in Belgium???? Has anyone ever heard of this before and does anyone know how i can properly date the car???


Craig

[rob#155]

The Mini was built in a few countries as completely Knocked down units, the innocenti was is an example of this, I beleive the record show a significant number of these left longbridge and they were built up under licence in Rhodesia, south Africa, portugal, Italy, Chile and Belgium(to name but a few)

The Belgium Built cars had a seperate manufacturers Chasis plate pop-riveted to the floor crossmember under the passenger seat.

Have a look for this and see if this helps out at all.
hope it does, can you let us know of any progress plz?
Cheers,
Rob.

P.S I have a 1971 clubman that was built in belgium so I am interested in any more info.

Edited by rob#155, 28 July 2010 - 11:28 AM.

[cagy]

My front floor is being replaced and the cross member has come out but i don't recall seeing a plate. How come my VIN plate says the car is from Cowley and another plate says who it was imported by into France and no more info??

How do you go about dating them ??

I know about innocentis because that's project number 2.


Craig

[frenchie851]

Ive heard the best way to date a mini is through a meal and a movie!

[rob#155]

Now this might sound a bit 'anorackish' but are you aware that you can date the glass in your car? this will only give you a rough idea, (my '68 mini has glass in it dated april 67) but if the glass is origional you may get a rough idea of the year, would this be of any help???

[cagy]

I've looked over the car and there is no plate for a Belgium car, futhermore, there is a Cowley VIN plate stating that the car has British Standard seat belts so the car came off the production line complete and wasn't sent out as spares, also there is a plate saying that the car was imported to France by British Leyland France, that is all i have on the car so i believe the car was made in England and exported to France and never went to Belgium. I shall see if i made a mistake in the VIN number and if you have anything to add please do.


Craig

[jay30]

Ive heard the best way to date a mini is through a meal and a movie!

Ummmmm! Get worried if talk heads towards exhaust bore LOL

[cagy]

Can anyone shed any light on this dilema?? has your Belgian mini got any other type of VIN plate on it??? because the Italian ones only have an italian plate and nothing relating it to England...



Craig

[cagy]

The windscreen has nothing on it so no way of dating it, i was looking at the inno and there are stickers on the windows but nothing to date them just a bunch of meaningless numbers.

I'm only trying to find an exact date to register it because i don't think any authority will accept the it's from sometime in 1972 or maybe 71. The thing that baffles me is the fact it's got a Cowley VIN plate and a plate saying that it was imported to France by British Leyland France SA, which doesn't tie in with what heritage said and they haven't replied to my email yet

[cagy]

Just got a reply from Heritage!!

It doesn't look good for my mini, it was built in Belgium because of the B suffix at the end of the VIN plate, the Cowley VIN plate is wrong because the car could never have come from Cowley, and the plate states BMC and not Leyland as the company was when the car was built. What i don't know now is why hasn't it got a Belgian plate on the crossmember like the others?? and why only a plate from British Leyland France?? Am i right in thinking that the minis were made in Seneffe???

And it still gets me no closer to dating it...


HELP lol

Edited by cagy, 29 July 2010 - 12:31 PM.