Estimated Price: £40,000 - £50,000

A genuine multiple race and rally-winning Mini Cooper S with significant international competition history, this 1964 example offers a rare opportunity to acquire a car directly associated with one of Portugal’s most celebrated racing drivers, Manuel Lopes Gião. Campaigned under the banner of Sporting Clube de Portugal, this is no replica or retrospective tribute, but the actual competition car with a fascinating story spanning Portugal and Angola during the golden era of Mini motorsport.

Finished in period-correct Connaught Green (paint code GN18), the Mini retains the purposeful character of a genuine competition Cooper S, complete with sliding rally-style windows and the distinctive twin external fuel fillers associated with the model. Its restoration included a comprehensive rebuild of the bodyshell, subframes, suspension, steering and running gear, with an emphasis on retaining the car’s original character while preparing it for continued enjoyment.

Under the bonnet is a competition-inspired engine built by respected specialist Bill Richards Race Engines. The specification includes a ported and polished cylinder head with larger valves, a Piper 285 camshaft, an AEG480 nitrided crankshaft and AEG177 connecting rods. Twin 1½-inch SU carburettors provide fuelling, while drive is transmitted through the desirable 22G333 Cooper S gearbox, featuring a cross-pin differential and 3.44:1 final drive ratio. Hardy Spicer drive couplings complete a purposeful mechanical package.

The competition history is the defining feature of this remarkable Mini. According to the accompanying history, the car was built on 30th July 1964 and dispatched from the factory on 13th August 1964, as supported by its British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate.

During the 1965 season, Manuel Lopes Gião campaigned the car in several important events across Angola and Portugal, including the Circuito da Boavista in Luanda, the Circuito de Nova Lisboa, Benguela Club competitions and the Taça de Luanda.

The following year proved particularly successful for Gião. Competing in the inaugural Campeonato Nacional de Ralis, he reportedly won seven of the eight rallies contested, with victories including the Grande Rallye de Sintra, Rali de Inverno, 1000km do Benfica and Rali Noturno do Sporting. These achievements established his reputation as a formidable competitor and further demonstrated the Mini Cooper S’s ability to challenge larger and more powerful machinery.

Inside, the cabin features black bucket seats, competition harnessing and a period-style three-spoke steering wheel. The centrally mounted speedometer is calibrated in kilometres per hour and displays 182 kilometres since restoration, while Smiths instrumentation retains the purposeful character expected of a competition-prepared Mini.

Accompanied by its UK V5 registration certificate and British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate, this Cooper S combines a significant period competition pedigree with an extensive restoration and a highly desirable specification.

For collectors of historic motorsport machinery, this is a rare opportunity to acquire a genuine competition Mini with a direct connection to Manuel Lopes Gião and an impressive record of period success — a fascinating chapter in the international story of one of Britain’s most iconic sporting cars.