Starting Out Small: 1961 Austin Mini Cooper S

It's not every day you see an original Mini out and about, and after getting to drive one of these iconic cars I believe it is a car that every enthusiast should get to try in their lifetime. Starting out as a creation of the British Motor Corporation in 1959, many variants spawned from the practical design. John Cooper saw it's potential in motorsport and the Cooper and Cooper S were born in 1961.

This example is a 1961 Austin Mini Cooper S powered by an ever-so-slightly newer naturally aspirated 998cc I4, which began being placed in the Mini Coopers in 1964. Succeeding the 997cc motor that fit the 1961-1963 examples, this motor makes somewhere in the ballpark of a whopping 50 horsepower. As depressing as that sounds in today's automotive world, weighing in at 1400lbs it has a similar power-to-weight ratio as the modern Fiat 500, another 60's classic brought back to reclaim it's niche in the 21st century market.

Being voted the 2nd most influential car of the 20th century, only falling short of the legendary Ford Model T, the Mini earned that title from it's influential design and practicality. It's FWD format changed the game for all cars to follow, allowing 80% of it's total floor pan space for luggage and passengers. Despite it's size, it without a doubt seats 4 better than a Scion FRS. All this being said, I couldn't imagine being put on the street with the rest of today's automobiles, feeling like I'll be crushed by every compact SUV that fills our roads today. Luckily for me, I got to see how it does on an Autocross course in the rain instead.

It was a very neat feeling sitting in the driver's seat. Something about the pure simplicity of a steering wheel, three pedals, a couple of gauges, and a shifter nearly straight from the floor was very appealing to me, maybe because it is also the oldest car I have driven to date.

It was suggested I drive around paddock and get used to the shifter, and I quickly understood why with it's very indefinite feel when putting it into gear. The steering felt extremely genuine, with no form of steering aids and 10" wheels, it felt just like hopping into a go-kart. So I was right at home.

A car that makes me look big!

Taking it over to the staging line had a whole other special feeling for me, especially with my grandfather manning the start of today's Test n' Tune. It would be roughly 45 years ago that my grandfather and grandmother were attacking cones in their 1968 Cooper S, a slight personal touch to my experience with this one. And despite us actually outrunning it on foot to the second corner (I'll admit it was close), it was really enjoyable. Due to the short gearing and lack of power, the car felt comfortable in 3rd gear which differed from the typical 2nd gear racing Autocross is known for. Just like the contemporary versions, it rotated fantastically when breathing off the throttle. The lack of grip from the wet weather conditions certainly made it into a very amusing slippery, countersteery ordeal.

Poor quality, just use your imagination

The course finished with a 7-cone slalom down the hill into a fast right-hander, and with gravity on my side the Mini would come barreling down the hill at a pretty good pace. Entering the slalom completely composed, the back end would step out further and further after each cone, but the Mini never had the audacity to send me for a loop. Being practically as long as it is wide, knowing each corner of the car was not even a concern. Because it was very predictable, and really had a go-kart-like feel when out on the course, I believe that I can say the Minis of the 21st century really captured the tossability that everyone loved of the originals.

Big thanks to Hamid for letting me take a spin in his timeless classic, it was definitely a great experience I won't be forgetting.