Mini Coopers

It was a long time ago that I first tried to list the different Mini Coopers. My first article was mainly written to help my own searches but I gather that quite a few people found it useful. It was, though, pretty basic now I look again and some of the photos that should have appeared have moved location and the links to them no longer work. Now I have my own for most of them and I have discovered lots of new variations so I think it is time to have another go at this. I should also express gratitude to Mr Lee Harris for his expert corrections and explanations of my first draft.

May 1962
227 Morris Mini Cooper

There were three main colours: blue and two shades of primrose. All had white roofs but all colours appear with and without white bonnets. 

The blue cars could have a red or lemon interior. For the primrose cars it was always red.

Wheels were always shaped but could be fixed or free-spinning.

Racing numbers 1, 3, and 7 and each can be found in thick or  a noticeably thinner typeface.

February 1964

317 BMC Mini Cooper S

1964 Monte Carlo Edition

The first red and white Cooper, easily identifiable by the spotlight on the roof. Like 227 in many respects, with just the two headlamp jewels.

Listed in the catalogues and boxed as a BMC Mini Cooper S but looking pretty much the same as a 227 to me and with Morris Mini Cooper on the base!

Mercifully simple, there are no known variations of this one. The wheels are shaped, rarely fixed or, more usually, free-spinning and it is RN 37.

February 1965

321 BMC Mini Cooper S

1965 Monte Carlo Edition

A new cast for this one, with two fog lamps built in above the radiator grille.

This does have BMC Mini Cooper S on the base. Three fog lamp jewels and this is the first with a sump guard fitted below the front bumper. No variations for this one either - they all had shaped, free-spinning wheels and RN 52.

November 1965

249 Mini Cooper Deluxe

With the same base as the 321s but reading Morris Mini-Cooper comes one of only a few black cars from Corgi.

You'll find this with a red roof and plastic panels on the sides and boot to resemble the 'Wickerwork' that was used to decorate a few real Minis (for the price of a small house at the time). It has no fog lamps, just the two jewelled headlamps.

There are two variations - one with normal, shaped wheels and one with cast, spoke effect wheels. All have yellow interiors

January 1966

321 BMC Mini Cooper S

1966 Monte Carlo Edition

Back to the earlier cast for the second 321 model which came out less than a year later. Another very easy to identify as it has ridiculously big signatures on the roof. No fog lamps in the cast.

Two fog lamp jewels and shaped, free-spinning wheels. This also has the sump guard and all models have RN 2. BMC Mini Cooper S on the base.

February 1967

333 BMC Mini Cooper S

International Sun Rally Edition

Similar to the 317 and second 321 models but this one has four fog lamp jewels in the grille. There are three main variations!

Austin badge and grille, shaped wheels

The Austin is the earlier of the two and has the comparatively small headlamp jewels. Re-tooling produced a 'chubbier' cast for the Mini which was used for later editions. That had a Morris badge and grille and slightly bigger headlamps. The Morris only has cast wheels.

Austin and Morris versions each issued with cast wheels

RN 21 on the doors, sump guard and four jewel fog lamps in the grille on all models. The Austin grille and normal shaped wheels are the most common type (although these are still pretty scarce).

The base has BMC Mini Cooper S.

March 1967

339 BMC Mini Cooper S

1967 Monte Carlo Edition

Very shortly after the 333 comes another Monte Carlo edition. This is nicely obvious with its oversized roof rack. Again, this comes in several flavours.

Austin badge and grille

Morris badge and grille

Each of the 'Austin' and 'Morris' cars can be found with cast spoke effect wheels. The 'Austin' can be found with normal shaped wheels too.

All these have RN 177, four fog lamps and sump guard as for 333. I have seen both yellow and white jewels used for the headlamps and the fog lamps although I am fairly certain that all the earliest ones were yellow. With the re-tooling mentioned above going on at the time, the Austin, with smaller headlamps will be seen as for the 333 model. However, with the availability and comparative ease of fitting replacements this is not always easy to distinguish now.

Each model can also be found with either paper Monte Carlo stickers or with these as transfers.

Summer 1967

349 Morris Mini Minor 

'Pop Art' Edition

Only available to order by post from a members' bulletin, this is not a Mini Cooper but, being vaguely red and with the two headlamp jewels you might just come across one that has lost its stickers and initially gets mixed up with the Coopers. OK, you would have to be really lucky to find one like that! But here it is anyway.

No variations or racing numbers.

December 1968

334 BMC Mini Cooper S 'Manifique'

This comes in two colours: metallic green and metallic blue. Everything opens and it has a sliding inner roof lining. No other variations.

March 1971

282 BMC Mini Cooper S

The first Whizzwheels Mini Cooper was really the preceding 334 re-issued with fewer opening bits and some different colours.

Just the one edition, I believe, with the 339 RN 177 added. they must have had some spare supplies of those.

January 1972

308 BMC Mini Cooper S

Monte Carlo Edition

The second Whizzwheels edition, just a 339 now with yellow paint.

Clearly, there were still RN 177 stickers lying around. This has the same four fog lamp jewels as 339 and also the roof rack and sump guard. This example has the Morris badge and grille. It did occur to me that there may be Austin variations out there but I am assured by Mr Harris that there will not be, this being the later, re-tooled edition which bore the Morris badge.

That's the end of line for Corgi's Mini Coopers in 1:43 scale as we know them.