I thought the following documents may be useful to those with an interest in Cooper S pursuit cars supplied to NSW Police.
Whenever I make a statement about the specifications of these cars I'm very careful to quote reliable sources, either BMC or NSW Police documents, historical photos of genuine cars in service, examination of the components of actual vehicles like my reasonably unmolested MK II S, or discussions with retired Police who drove or worked on the cars back in the day. Of course many of the police I've spoken to or exchanged emails with are in their senior years and some don't have as clear a memory as others. It makes sense to me to use the above evidence as a
starting point for further debate on the specification ex-factory or possible changes that were done in the field. In other words, treat that data as fact until proven otherwise.
The first six Cooper S's for NSW Police were on the road in June 1966. Service Liaison Summary (SLS) #132 below describes the Special Production Orders that applied to these cars. Interestingly it says the reversing lights were operated by a switch on the gearbox remote control, whereas SPO41 included the switch on the front of the gearbox. Maybe they were the same thing but just badly worded. Monaco - how are the reversing lights switched on the Mark 1 car you mention?
To date I haven't sighted any evidence to suggest these cars were other than stock standard from a performance perspective but I'm very happy to change my view if evidence is forthcoming. Maybe 'the truth' is out there somewhere?
The first page of BMC's internal use SPO41 specification document includes reference to the previous SPO's that applied to NSW Police vehicles (as per the SLS). It also shows car #2372 as the first to be built to SPO41. Also below is SLS #212 that presents the modifications to BMC Dealers so they can service the cars in the field. It's basically a reduced version of the SPO41 document.
I've been working on a document for some time that details most of what I've discovered to date. I update it when new information comes to light. It's 16 pages and growing. Included are all the BMC engineering drawing references for SPO41 parts (HS4's, inlet manifold, heat shield, tacho and warning light installation, etc.), the standard Cooper S parts removed and special parts added on the production line, plus details of the accessories and Police equipment fitted after delivery to NSW Police. I'm happy to provide a copy to those with a genuine interest (some of you have it already).
I also have lots of historical press clippings from NSW newspapers, NSW Police News, articles in BMC Rosette newspaper and other material that has assisted in my research. But I'm always learning. That knowledge helps in answering questions to those Mini enthusiasts new to the topic.
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SLS 132 Nov 67.jpg
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SPO 41 page 1.jpg
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SLS 212 Oct 70 v2.jpg