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GRX
5D at the Ballywater Mini Centerand
a great shot of a it's Works interior |
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GRX
5D
Racing
History
1966
Monte Carlo Rally (1275cc) Paddy Hopkirk
/ Henry Liddon - 3rd, but disqualified!
1966
Rally of the Flowers (1275cc) A Fall /
H Liddon - Disqualified
1966
Tulip Rally (1275cc) T. Makinen / P. Easter
- 9th overall, 1st class
Manufacturers Team Prize
with R. Freeborough
1966
RAC Rally (1275cc) T. Makinen / P. Easter
- retired
1967
Circuit of Ireland (1275cc) P. Hopkirk
/ T. Harryman
- 1st overall, 1st class
1967
Tulip Rally (1275cc) D. Benzimra / T.
Harryman - retired
1967
Scottish Rally (1275cc) A. Fall / M. Wood
- retired
1967
London Rally (1275cc) A. Fall / M. Wood
- retired
1967
Marathon de la Route (970cc) A. Fall /
J. Vernaeve / A. Hedges - 2nd o/a
1967
Tour de Corse (1275cc) P. Hopkirk / R.
Crellin - retired
1968
Canadian Shell 4000 Rally (1275cc) P.
Hopkirk / M. Kerry - dsq
GRX 5D - 1966 Austin Mini Cooper
S
Chassis
No: CA2S7820483
Engine No: 9FSAY39689
Few cars in competition have fueled the
imagination like the giant-killing Mini
Cooper, the combination of diminutive
size, outstanding roadholding and punchy
power often running rings around the opposition.
Following the original 997 cc Mini Cooper's
launch in July 1961, Pat Moss gave due
warning of the car's potential by winning
the 1961 Tulip Rally on only the car's
second outing, and the following year
John Love won the British Saloon Car Championship;
it was successes like these that prompted
BMC to build a much more radical car,
an homologation special to take on the
world's best competition.
Launched
in March 1963, the 1,071 cc Mini Cooper
S was the ultimate Mini, at its heart
a much higher specification engine than
the plain Cooper's unit, and slightly
larger but much more efficient front disc
brakes. The increased potential of the
S was quickly demonstrated by Rauno Aaltonen's
outright win on the 1963 Alpine Rally,
followed by Paddy Hopkirk's 1st place
overall on the Monte Carlo, 3rd on the
Tour de France and 4th on the RAC.
A
few months later, in January 1964, the
997 cc Cooper was replaced by the 996
cc model, and by March 1964 its big brother
became available with two new engines,
the 1,071 cc Cooper S being discontinued
in August the same year. The limited production
970 cc S was aimed purely at the 1,000
cc class in races and rallies, an area
in which it was to excel. It is the larger
1,275 cc model, however, that is best
remembered, and with it Timo Makinen won
the 1964 Tulip Rally as soon as the 1,275
had been homologated.
The
successes continued, including Timo Makinen's
victory in atrocious weather on the 1965
Monte Carlo Rally and numerous other wins
that year culminating in outright honors
for Aaltonen on the RAC. It was in January
1966, however, that the works Mini Cooper
Ss caused a furor when all three cars
entered finished an impressive 1st, 2nd
and 3rd only to be disqualified on the
highly spurious grounds of an irrelevant
dipped-headlight infringement unsurprisingly
to the benefit of the French, and an embarrassed
Citroen team.
The
car that should have been 3rd was GRX
5D, driven by Hopkirk and navigated by
Henry Liddon – the other two were
Makinen's GRX 555D in 1st place and Aaltonen's
GRX 55D in 2nd – and subsequently
GRX 5D was extensively campaigned, results
including 9th overall and 1st in class
for Makinen on the 1966 Tulip, 1st overall
for Hopkirk on the Circuit of Ireland
and a highly impressive 2nd overall on
the arduous 1967 84 hour Marathon de la
Route for Fall/Vernaeve/Hedges, GRX 5D
being beaten only by a Porsche!
GRX 5D gettin'
some R&R |
1966 Monte
Carlo Rally - Disqualified! |
Amongst friends
at Ballywater |
Following
one accident too many when the car was
rolled, it was reshelled during 1967 as
a Mk II model which had been introduced
in October the previous year; subsequently
it also took part in the Shell 400 Rally
in Canada, notably making GRX 5D the only
BMC works rally car to ever compete in
North America.
Thereafter
the car passed into private hands, later
undergoing restoration to correct 1966
Group 2, 100 bhp+ specification –
including Aaltonen's special cigarette
lighter! – prior to entry on the
1982 RAC Golden Classic 50 Rally. GRX
5D was then regularly used in historic
events – results including a win
on the Welsh Association's Silver Jubilee
Rally in the late 1980's – before
its sale at auction by Coys in February
1989 for a record price of over $86,000.
Finished
in the correct works colors of red with
a white roof, and accurately restored
down to the smallest detail, GRX 5D is
in excellent condition. This is a rare,
genuine and important Mini Cooper S, and
one that remains fully competitive for
historic competition. It comes with FIA
papers.
The
SCM Analysis
GRX 5D was sold at the Coys 3 August [1996]
Silverstone Auction for $55,000 (USA).
While a substantial downturn from the
February '89 price, it is still an enormous
amount for a Mini-Cooper S, perhaps the
highest price that can be obtained in
the current market. Due to its provenance,
this S was well-bought, and should retain
its value over time. – ED.
Source: www.sportscarmarket.com
This picture was taken just prior to the
start of 1968 Shell 4000 rally in Calgary,
Alberta. This was GRX5D's last rally as
a works car. The first being the infamous
1966 Monte Carlo Rally where it was disqualified
from 1st position, the rest they say is
history. In fact it was disqualified from
the Shell 4000, the car in Paddy Hopkirk's
hands had led the event for three days
before serious overheating problems intervened,
the car was fitted with an auxiliary radiator,
which brought about its disqualification.
The car can now be seen in Tom Turkington's
collection in Northern Ireland.
Source:
www.minicooper.org
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