Mini Supers. Where Are They?
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Dan: Did it have the metal trim around the door windows?
Terry
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Dan, See my posting of Feb 9. Even Heritage gets the names wrong.
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Slightly O/T, but some of the name confusion could arise from later cars that were labelled "SuperDeluxe". My first car was a Mk 1 Austin Countryman leftie, no wood, but had an 850 engine, moustache grille, front bumper over-riders and bars, larger polished aluminum wheel covers with holes (I still have one) and the oval 3-clock binnacle. If I recall correctly, it was referred to as a 'super deluxe' in the owner's manual. Am I right?
I have the 'Purchasers Invoice and Sales Agreement' from 1972. It only has "1036955" for the Serial Number and "1253412" for the motor number. $175.00 + $8.75 tax and $2.00 transfer fee. Things were simpler then.
(Insurance for a year was $146!)
.
"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."
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An answer back from Garry, already. Production dates would make the Super the first built car -- in June 1961. The first Coopers were built in July 1961.
Usually, the Super is described as a Cooper without the 997cc engine and front discs. It would be more appropriate to say that the Cooper is a Super with a 997cc engine and front discs!
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In general terms, both the Super and 997 Cooper went on sale at the same time (different authors quote slightly different dates) and both had key start. In terms of production dates for both (made complicated because the Super was built at Cowley and Longbridge whereas the Cooper was only made at Longbridge) I don't have that information handy. I'll check with Garry D***ens to see if he has the numbers handy.
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Were these the earliest cars with a "key" start then?
Terry
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Thanks, I'll have to see if I can find a copy of Presnells book. Two of the Morris shots (same brochure different language) suggest a slightly thicker lower edge than the ones I have ..but otherwise.....
Cheers, Ian
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Both Austin and Morris Super grilles had vertical bars/slats that are most obvious when compared to the standard Austin and Morris grilles.
Here's an Austin. //www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Special-Mini-Grille-Grill-Crinkely-Wavey-Original-MK1-Classic-and-RARE-/181349023734?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a393e7ff6
A Morris one can be found on page 52 of Pressnell's book, Mini, The Definitive HIstory. The Austin one is on page 51.
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What was special about the Morris Supre grille?? The ones in the brochure look like my Traveller grille (too lazy to count the slats..)
Cheers, Ian
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Export in this sense is a car made at Cowley or Longbridge to meet regulations in another country. Could be RHD or LHD.
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Chuck I was about to refer to the great MM Mini VIN page.... then discovered it was written by you!
I am C-A2S7L-799458. Which I've understood from your page to be Mk1 Austin Cooper 998, Longbridge, LHD. It had 997 brakes and fortunately they reside on the shelf instead of the car.
The PO called it a Super DeLuxe which I now understand is not kosher.
Question is, what is meant by an "export" car? Just non-RHD...is that all?
Jemal once said that your page here on this site is one of the top-traffic Mini pages out there, period.
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If you have a Mini built within the Super build dates (prior to Oct. '62) and BMIHT tells you it is a Super, it is almost certainly a Super.
If you have a Mini built within the Super build dates (prior to Oct. '62) and BMIHT tells you it is a Super Deluxe, it is almost certainly a Super.
If you have a Mini built in October 1962 and BMIHT tells you it is a Super, or Super Deluxe, check for a floor starter. Key start = Super. Floor start = Super Deluxe.
The search continues. One of the two possibles in my part of the country sounds more and more like it was a real Super, but the trail has gone cold. The last owner found didn't have enough information to confirm for certain, and doesn't have any leads to the person he sold the car to. The other one of the two cars is still waiting on follow up information from a previous owner.
There has to be more of them out there!
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ThanKs for the clarification chuck , but still confusing
BIG AL
new e-mail address-
[email protected]
Please update your records-
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Garry D ickens is the Mini Super Registrar for the Mini Cooper Register for those few of you who are not members. In the February 2014 issue of CooperWorld, the very good MCR monthly magazine, he once again goes over the issue of identifying the Super from BMIHT ("Heritage") certificates. It's not that Heritage is giving the wrong listings for the Supers, the factory records often listed them incorrectly! I've quoted Garry's article below. (For those into VTec conversions, Pose Pack flares and 14 x 7 wheels, you might want to skip on to the next thread.)
"I make no apologies for again covering the subject of the Super very often being incorrectly termed 'Super deluxe'. This error is continually repeated and for those who may have not previously read my articles (or who may have forgotten) an attempt to differentiate between the two models follows:
"The confusion really began from the car's introduction, in September 1961 and has continued ever since. At the time of the Super and Cooper launch, the range continued to offer the already existing Basic and Deluxe models, both of which had been available since the Mini launch in 1959.
"The early factory ledgers record the Austin as 'Super' but from the beginning of production, Morris, as 'Super deluxe'. Soon they were both recorded in various ways. 'S D L' (Super deluxe), 'Super de-luxe' or 'Super D/L'. Very few were recorded as 'Super'. Nevertheless, the model was launched and marketed as both Austin and Morris 'Super' with all BMC publicity material and sales brochures referring to the car as 'Super'; nowhere was it ever referred to as 'Super deluxe' apart from in the ledgers. To be precise, Austin was introduced as "Super Seven', Morris as 'Super Mini-Minor' but became 'Austin Super Mini' and 'Morris Super Mini' from January 1962.
"As I have previously written, I can only think the reason for this is until production of the Super began, the saloon car models were either 'Basic' or 'Deluxe'. When the new 'Super' came along it was recorded in the ledgers as an upmarket 'Deluxe' hence 'Super' deluxe -- it would seem then, there was even confusion between production and marketing!
"Interestingly, member Sean Heath brought to my attention an article in the 22nd September 1961 issue of 'Autocar' in which both the Cooper and Super were being described, even they sometimes referred to the Super as 'Super deluxe'!
"Despite all marketing material, brochures, posters and so on, all referring to the car as 'Super', Heritage certificates are being supplied with details exactly as recorded in the original factory ledgers therefore, Super owners who apply for one are being advised their car is a 'Super deluxe'! As more and more Supers are being discovered and Heritage certificates being issued, the situation can only get more confusing.
"The 'Super deluxe' replaced both the deluxe and Super in October 1962. The chassis number continued with the extra 'S' which up until then was unique to the Super. The Super deluxe specification was quite basic compared to the Super. It was fundamentally the same as the old 'Deluxe, even having a floor start for the first eighteen months or so of production. It carried over from the Super specification, the oval three-dial dash, black vinyl cover on lower dash-rail, interior roof light and bumper corner-bars, not much else. With very minor changes to specification the model continued until introduction of the Mk2 in 1967.
"To sum up, if you have a car built between June 1961 and October 1962 with a Heritage certificate showing it to be a Super deluxe, likely it is a Super. If you are unsure because your car was built in October 1962 at the time of model change, or you don't have a certificate, if your car has a floor-start, it isn't!"
There you have it, my probable typing errors aside. Rely upon the build date and the clues your car can give you, and if you think you have a Super, let me know or contact Garry directly.
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Garry D***ens has some interesting observations regarding the problems with identifying Supers in the latest issue of CooperWorld, the MCR magazine. I'll try to post them tomorrow.
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meb, Thanks for the lead to Eric's car. He's been in touch with me and it is almost certainly a Super. And an intersting one: an Austin built at Cowley.
The confirmed count just went up 50%...from two to three!
I now have leads for two in my area (Seattle), but neither confirmed, yet.
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Cheleker- Thanks for checking that out.
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Sorry racing...was replying to Cheleker...I should have specified
"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May
"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge
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bluebox, turns out the car is not a Super. It is the later Super Deluxe. Most cars I track down turn out to be from the right time period but are Deluxes, or are Super Deluxes later then the Super time frame.
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