1965 Austin Mini Cooper S Mk1 – Ex-John Cooper | The Corgi/Vanguard Toy Car Icon
With roots deep in British motoring folklore and direct ties to the Cooper family, this 1965 Austin Mini Cooper S Mk1 is not just a car — it’s a rolling piece of popular culture and motorsport history. Finished in period-correct Almond Green with an Old English White roof, this matching-numbers car underwent a meticulous, factory-spec restoration by JD Classics in 2017 at the request of the Cooper family, prior to them taking delivery. Every element was restored to original specification, and the car has covered just 250 miles since.
Inside, the cabin is finished in Dove Grey and Porcelain Green with grey carpets — a faithful recreation of the original Mk1 style, presented in concours condition.
But what truly sets this Cooper S apart is its exceptional provenance:
- Toybox Royalty: LWY 733D was the actual car used by Corgi/Vanguards as the template for their famous diecast Minis — a generation of enthusiasts grew up zooming its numberplate across carpet racetracks.
- Authentic Cooper Lineage: Once part of the Cooper family private collection, this car embodies the legacy of a man who turned a humble city car into a motorsport icon.
- Magazine & Media Star: LWY 733D has been featured in multiple specialist magazines and classic car videos, cementing its place in Mini folklore.
- Heritage Documentation: Accompanied by a Mini Heritage Certificate confirming its factory origins and authenticity.
Under the bonnet is the highly desirable 1275cc A-Series engine, introduced in 1964. Producing 75 bhp, it transformed the Mini into a Monte Carlo giant-slayer – famously winning the rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967 and leaving far more powerful rivals stunned.
This example wears the Austin Cooper S badge, though identical models were also marketed under the Morris nameplate. That dual branding was part of BMC’s broader strategy, but the soul of every Cooper S lies in its motorsport heart — a vision sparked by John Cooper and immortalised by cars like LWY 733D.
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