1965 British Motor Corporation, Mini Copper S

COOPER’S MIGHTY MINI

MAKE: British motor corporation
MODEL: mini cooper s
YEAR: 1965
ENGINE: 1300cc
OWNER: rodney hansen
OWNED: 2008

When Alec Issigonis designed the Mini in 1959, he couldn’t possibly have foreseen the incredible success the tiny car would have (nearly six million of the original Minis were built) or the iconic status that would be bestowed upon it.

Designed as a cheap, fuel-efficient car that could fit a family of four and some luggage, the clever space-saving design of the Mini utilised a transverse engine with the gearbox in the sump which, together with front-wheel drive, allowed for a surprising amount of space inside.
The engine configuration also allowed for a decent motor to be squeezed into the engine bay, and with a weight of less than 700kg, and 10-inch wheels placed right at the corners, the Mini was quick and handled like a dream.

Its excellent abilities were not missed by those with an interest in racing and who could see the potential of the agile little car. Cue the genius that was John Cooper – builder of Formula One cars (Sir Jack Brabham won the 1959 and 1960 F1 titles in Cooper cars) and engineering magician.

The resultant Mini Cooper S was an absolute killer on the race track and rally circuit, and Mini Cooper S cars won three Monte Carlo Rallies and the Bathurst 500 in 1966, amongst many other victories. In short, the Mini Cooper S is one of the true icons of automotive history.

Rodney Hansen, from Hansen Automotive & Gas in Toowoomba, has owned a piece of that history for the past 8 years in the form of this racing 1965 Mini Cooper S.

Rodney worked on and helped build the car for its previous owner.

“Warren, the guy who owned it, worked for me,” says Rodney. “And we built it from a standard road car into a sprint-type vehicle and took it to the next level by putting in an alloy half cage, changing the suspension, and putting sway bars in front and rear. We also gave it more power by fitting one of my old 1380cc race engines. We started building a new engine to replace that one when Warren decided to sell the car and, sadly, soon after, he passed away.”

The close relationship between Rodney and Warren has ensured the Mini is more than just a piece of classic automotive hardware that’s nice to own. There is a real emotional attachment to the car.

“After doing all that work alongside Warren, this car now has a lot of sentimental value,” says Rodney. “It is still called ‘Wok’s car’ after the name we called Warren and, in a way,
I do feel as if I am just looking after it.”

Which doesn’t mean he won’t throw it around the race track when he can.

“I basically run it at the street sprint series,” says Rodney. “The Gatton Sprint, Leyburn, the Pittsworth Street Sprints and the Noosa Hill Climb. It’s a lot of fun to drive. However, you’ve got to respect it because of the type of vehicle it is. They are expensive if you have a mishap! I had a smash at the Gatton Sprints and, while I was a bit sore and sorry for a week, I was MORE sorry that I bent the car.”

That crash might have seen the end of the Mini if it were in the hands of someone else but, for Rodney, there was never any thought of doing anything but getting the car back into shape to race again.

“That crash was severe, but I couldn’t bring myself to write it off,” he says. “It took about 12 months to get it fixed and I had some amazing help. Graham Goodall repaired the panels and Daniel Fulloon did an awesome job with the paintwork. Street Art Wheels helped with the repair and alignment of the wheels, while CF Performance helped with dyno work.”

Rodney’s fascination with the Mini, and automotive in general, goes way back. He started early, showing some skills when maintaining the mower he used to earn some coin after school. He would go on to score an apprenticeship at Toowoomba’s TK Motors under the leadership of Tony Kennedy. This would, eventually, lead him to setting up his own business, Hansen’s Automotive and Gas, which offers the full range of workshop services to all automotive customers, Mini owners included.

“My first car was a Mini and I did nothing but BMC for 14 years,” says Rodney. “I basically did my apprenticeship on them at TK Motors and I still work on Tony’s Minis today. The Mini has been part of my life for a long time.”

And it likely always will be. As well as the 1965 Cooper S, Rodney owns a couple of other rare Minis too.

“I have a genuine 1969 Cooper S which we will be restoring,” he says. “And I also have a 2006 R53 Mini. It’s a genuine Challenge Cup car factory-built by BMW. It’s John Cooper Works enhanced and is left-hand drive and, I think, is the only genuine R53 Challenge Cup car in Australia.”

It’s fascinating listening to Rodney talk about the fun to be had from racing the Mini. This is because the other motorsport project he enjoys sits at the other end of the racing spectrum. As a champion drag racer, Rodney has won Winternational titles in the 2014 Supercharged Outlaw series, and it seems odd to compare driving a Mini to the thrills of piloting a drag racing monster to an astonishing 208mph and a 6.58 second quarter-mile time.

But, as Rodney says, the key to motor racing of any kind is the thrill, the adrenaline rush. And though the two types of racing in which he excels are radically different, that rush is the same, and completely addictive.

“There’s alcoholics anonymous and drug rehabilitation,” he says. “But there’s nothing for us adrenaline junkies!”