Tim discovers the last surviving Mini High Top Prototype tucked away in the Tempe museum in Australia.
The original Mini is one of the greatest cars of all time, and NZ Classic Car magazine can’t let a year go by without Minis popping up. The Mini story has been told over and over in books and journals around the world, and the many variations of the little ‘Issigonis box’ in standard, racing and customised forms still fascinate. Having lived right through the era of the Mini I had begun to think I’d seen every permutation in the pages of books or in the metal.
Until I discovered a very rare Mini High Top van, which turned out to be the last surviving example of six prototypes that came off the Australian Zetland production line in 1964. In its English motherland, the little Mini was first produced in 1959 from Alec Issigonis’ inspired design, which had initially been roughed out on the back of an envelope. A year later, the little transverse-engined car gained extra length on a slightly longer wheelbase to form both the Mini Traveller (a name inherited from the ‘woody’ Morris Minor estate) and the more utilitarian van, devoid of wooden embellishment.
The low-slung Mini vans served many a plumber, sparky and delivery boy in their decades of service to the various tradesmen throughout the British Commonwealth. Florists, fishermen, tinkers and tailors… an endless list of happy clients found the Mini van ideal for many purposes. Although inclined to be a little ‘dinny’ when empty, like the Triumph Herald Estate and most other small wagons of the day, the character-filled and modern Mini van charmed its way into many a business situation and tight parking spot.
Commonwealth Minis
The Mini was officially launched in Australia on March 23, 1961. An advertising campaign kicked off with a large blank page in newspapers save for a tiny birth notice in the centre for readers to hone in on. It was treated as if it was the Commonwealth nation’s new baby. Assembly of the Minis soon became common in the outer satellite nations of the Commonwealth, and New Zealand and Australia were not exceptions. Minis rolled off the Kiwi assembly lines in Newmarket, Petone and Nelson, while across the Tasman, New South Wales’ Zetland factory was its assembly plant.
Out of Zetland came the classic Australianised British cars like the Austin Lancer and Morris Major (developed from the English Morris Minor), and later Austin Nomads, Tasmans and Kimberleys. An 1100cc Australian Mini appeared as a Mini K, complete with kangaroo decals, and for a while the BMC Australia boffins eyed up improving the already practical, but low-roofed, Mini van. During 1964, six prototype vans were built at Zetland with newly designed raised roof-lines due to the addition of reinforced fibreglass tops. The code name for this new Mini hybrid was simply ‘H’, referring to the proposed model name of High-Top.
Inside the Mini is upholstered in a standard red vinyl which is still in top order, and with the ordinary rudimentary Mini dash
Alec Issigonis’ dream, as an immigrant from a poor country area that had switched between Turkey and Greece depending on various conflicts over the centuries, was that the British working class person could afford a Mini. As for the Mini van, it was seen that small businesses could have a sprightly delivery vehicle at an affordable price. It seems the Australian BMC directors were thinking the same for their consumer base, but with the added height for perhaps more carriage space, or did they think the average Australian was taller? The reason for the construction of the prototypes seems lost.
Perhaps it was just a lateral thinking design exercise. Today, however, over 40 years later, we can view this last example in the factory standard neutral grey with an engine plate that categorises the small vehicle as an 848cc four-cylinder with the engine number 8y/u/H-22572. It’s listed on the manufacturer’s plate as being of type YJBAV1R. According to Roy Gould of the Tempe museum, the Mini’s paperwork denotes it as having rolled off the Zetland production line in October 1964. The under-bonnet plate confirms this.
Inside the survivor
Inside the Mini is upholstered in a standard red vinyl which is still in top order, and with the ordinary rudimentary Mini dash. The bright-work, original paint and mechanical devices such as the rear door handle and early Mini outwardly bulging door hinges are all in great condition. Today the Mini High Top sits on Espia E7A Zaramec 145/80 R10-680 tyres manufactured by Falken. Outwardly there is basically nothing unusual about this Morris Mini van except for the high roof-line, and its mono eyebrow of a screen visor.
Over the years, British Motor Corporation (and later British Leyland) Minis were subjected to all sorts of mutations from racers to customised hot rods and hill climb specials. They have been shortened, lowered and stretched. While my discovery of the High Top in Tempe simply adds yet another quirk to the Mini story, it is great to see a genuine ‘everyday’ prototype example in such good running order. If you’re in Sydney and you’re a Miniphile you may just need to take the short train ride out to Tempe and tick this one off your list!
Words & Photos | Tim Chadwick
1964 Morris Mini High Top Prototype
Engine: Four-cylinder transverse, 848cc
Bore/stroke: 62.9mm x 68.26mm
Valves: ohv
C/R: 8.3:1
Max power: 25kW (34bhp) at 5500rpm
Performance: 0-80kph 18.1 seconds
Max speed: 115kph
Economy: 6.9l/100km (41mpg)
Production: Numbers built: 6, Zetland, NSW, Australia (1964)
Loading ...
