7 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

More from my Mini archives:

Edited by mab01uk, 03 February 2013 - 06:40 PM.

[mab01uk]

Car Mechanics magazine
(April 1978)

 

[mab01uk]

Autosport magazine
(November 1974)

 

[Cooperman]

A good car to compare it with is the Ford Escort 1300GT Mk.1 from 1968 to 1974.

It outperformed the Mini 1275GT in virtually every respect. It was all of 3 seconds quicker to 60, had a top speed 9 mph faster, was mor reliable and nicer to drive.

The Mini 1275GT had performance about equal to the 1961 Cooper 997. BMC sure screwed up with that car.

Some owners fitted a full Cooper 'S' engine mods to get decent performance

[mab01uk]

True....although it has been said by someone who worked at BL that :- "the Mini Coopers never made money due to the low volumes with high cost of many non-standard parts fitted and that the price premium made it less desirable as a new car but very popular as a secondhand model. The 1275GT replacement was however highly profitable due to mainly using standard parts but John Cooper would not compromise on this, she insists it was this rather than his £2 per car payment that caused the Coopers to be discontinued by BL. "There were huge arguments as the Cooper was a very popular model internally with staff, but the Cooper wasn't selling enough. The 1275GT made money the Cooper didn't."

 

British Leyland, Cooper And The 1275GT....

https://www.theminif...and-the-1275gt/

 

Of course in the early 1990's the Cooper was re-introduced by Rover to the Mini range with what was basically the MG Metro engine and often outsold the other models in the range, proving that maybe nearly 20 years of potential Cooper sales had been lost.....but I suppose it could be argued that sales of the popular MG Metro would have been in direct competition for buyers with a Mini Cooper during the 1980's.

 

In 1987 I did write to Graham Day suggesting fitting the MG Metro 1275 A-series engine in the Mini range again.....this was his reply in link below.

 

Letter From Rover Chairman, Graham Day - 1987:-

https://www.theminif...raham-day-1987/

Edited by mab01uk, 29 March 2023 - 03:59 PM.

[mab01uk]

 

[Chris1275gt]

That revue is about as spot on that I’ve ever read on a 1275gt. I’ve even done all the mods they suggested it needs!

[mab01uk]