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| Mini Clubman and 1275GT
– 1969 to 1980 |
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In 1969 under the ownership of British
Leyland, the Mini was given a facelift by stylist Roy Haynes,
who had previously worked for Ford. The restyled version was
called the Mini Clubman, and sported a more square frontal look,
similar to that of the much larger Austin Maxi. (In fact, the
Clubman and 1275GT shared exactly the same indicator/sidelight
assembly as the Maxi.) The Mini Clubman was intended to replace
the upmarket Riley and Wolseley versions. A new model, dubbed
the 1275GT, was slated as the replacement for the 998 cc Mini
Cooper. (The 1275 cc Mini Cooper S continued alongside the
1275GT for two years until 1971.) The Clubman Estate took over
where the Countryman and Traveller left off.
The 1275GT is often incorrectly described as the "Mini Clubman
1275GT". The official name was always just the "Mini 1275GT",
and it was a separate, distinct model from the Clubman (albeit,
it shared the same frontal treatment as the Mini Clubman, and
was launched at the same time).
In 1971, the 1275 cc Mini Cooper S was discontinued, leaving the
Mini 1275GT as the only sporting mini on sale in the UK for the
rest of the decade. (Innocenti in Italy, however, continued
making their own version of the Mini Cooper for some time, and
also in Australia during the seventies, they made a unique
Cooper with Clubman front named Cooper SS, equipped with the
twin-carb version of Cooper 1275 S.) While not nearly as quick
as a 1275 Mini Cooper S, the 1275GT was cheaper to buy, run, and
insure. It was the first Mini to be equipped with a tachometer.
It also featured a standard-fit close-ratio gearbox. Performance
of the 1275GT was lively for the time, achieving 0–60 mph in
12.9 seconds, and the excellent midrange torque offered a 30–50
mph time in top gear of only 9 seconds. The bluff front,
however, meant that the model struggled to reach 90 mph. The
1275 cc A-series engine could be cheaply and easily tuned,
though the cheap purchase price and prominent "sidewinder" door
stripes meant that this model developed a reputation as
something of a "boy-racer special" during the '70s and into the
'80s.
The Mini Clubman and 1275GT were responsible for two motoring
"firsts". They were the first vehicles to use a flexi
printed-circuit board behind the dash instruments (universal
nowadays, but technically advanced for 1969). Secondly, the
1275GT was the first vehicle to be offered with run-flat tyres;
from 1974 this model could be ordered with optional Dunlop
Denovo tyres on 12-inch diameter rims. In the event of a
puncture, the Dunlop Denovo tyre would not burst and quickly
deflate, but could continue to be used safely at speeds of up to
50 mph. This was a useful safety feature, although the increased
road noise and relatively poor grip of this tyre meant that many
1275GT buyers ignored this option.
Throughout the 1970s, British Leyland continued to produce the
classic 1959 "round-front" design, alongside the newer Clubman
and 1275GT models. The long-nose Clubman and 1275GT offered
better crash safety, were better equipped, and had vastly better
under-bonnet access, but were more expensive. The Mini Clubman
and 1275GT were replaced in 1980 by the new hatchback Austin
Metro, while production of the original "round-front" mini
design continued for another 20 years. At the end of Clubman and
1275GT production, 275,583 Clubman saloons, 197,606 Clubman
Estates and 110,673 1275GTs had been made. |
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| Did
You Know? |
| 64,000 Mk I Coopers with 997 or 998 cc engines sold.
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