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Put the Mini next to a VW Beetle and it looks small. With ten-inch wheels and a tiny, transverse-mounted four under the bonnet, the diminutive Morris Mini Cooper S nevertheless seats four adults comfortably. In rally trim, the mighty mite dominated the Monte Carlo Rally from 1964 to 1967, being disqualified in 1966 due to a nit-picking headlamp configuration technicality.
FM previously released the 1967 Mini in street mode. A genuine bargain at $75.00, the tiny 1:24 scale model has a full suspension and full engine detailing. The trunk floor even removes to reveal the spare tire. The Rallye Edition of this model adds icing to an already sweet cake. It comes with all plaques, badges and markings. It has a roof rack with two spare tires in it, all rally lights, hood strap, mud flaps, and wheel-well flares. The red color's the same, except the roof is white instead of black. The dash has all rally gauges and switches replicated in 3-D. There's a roll bar as well, along with what appears to be defroster wires on the windscreen. I already had the original release when I saw the Rallye Edition on D4C's website. It looked so cute I just had to have it too. After all, it's not like it would take up too much more space on the display shelf.
(03/24/1999)
Here are some historical facts provided by Member Bill Cross: This is the car that put front wheel drive on the map, with Alec Issigonis doing such a good job that the incredible roadholding of the Mini led John Q Public to believe (mistakenly) that ALL FWD cars handle as well. The car that FM has modelled (LBL 6D) is one of the most famous rally Mini Coopers, being the winning car on the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally. If memory serves, it's now in the British Motor Heritage Museum, at Gaydon, in Warwickshire. Having won the event in 1965 and 1966, Mini Coopers placed first, second, and third, in the 1967 event, only to be subsequently disqualified over some specious lighting regulation - I believe the French "officials" deemed the 4 Lucas "Flamethrower" auxiliary lights to be too low...see, we Brits and the French are STILL at war!!! The 1275cc Mini Cooper S is a car I've always wanted to own, and never have...although I did once have the great pleasure of driving a rally-prepared 1275 S, overbored to 1340cc, that belonged to a wealthy rally-driving friend. Has to be driven to be believed. I made a brief foray into the world of Club rallying, myself, in the UK, in the early 1970s, driving a Ford Cortina Lotus (please don't say you've never heard of that car either!). My only "attempt" at preparation was a sump guard (you guys say skid plate), and lots of lights, including a similar 4 lamp system to that modelled by FM on the Mini. Jokers used to look at the lights and ask if the engine stopped when I turned them all on! My usual response was to creep up behind them in the dark switch on all the lights, plus high-beams, and simply burn the paint off the back of their car. (01/14/1999)
(03/17/1999)
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