How do we identify a genuine SS?
I've had a '76 mini since 2006 that was owned by my father since 1998. When he bought it off an elderly bloke it had 20-30,000 kms (I can't remember but I'll try to confirm) on the clock. Any way it has the SS side decals and SS badges (though the ones on the front looked to be put on another grill). BUT it has a single S on the tag. If it is a knockoff it'd have to have been done a long time ago. Is there anything else that could give it away? What sort of interior did they have and what rims etc?
Mine doesn't have the grille with the fog lights or the radio console with SS on it. The radio console isn't original though and like I said above I reckon the grille has been replaced.
Let me if you want me to take pics so you can try work it out. Cheers.

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The compliance plate and car number should have a 3 in the trim code between the S and the M. 022X2S3M09 or something like that.

It should also have 'Leyland Mini SS' on the compliance plate

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1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

I think some of the features of the SS were common to the S. Here's a link to an S accessories sales brochure that may help you identify your vehicle. I'm told by someone who worked in Leyland publicity at the time that an SS sales brochure was not produced.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=88200

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

I think there was newspaper adverts at the time, they would have a bit of a run down on what was standard.

Yes, the ID plate should say Mini SS and the trim level should say 3 but mistakes did happen.
There are some miss-stamped compliance plates, probably more than you would think, I just discovered another mistake on a plate today as I was double checking my info from earlier!

Following pictures are from the driver's handbook supplement for the SS. Original was in black and white, like these. Note the vehicle ID prefix.

Please keep us updated on what you find to identify your vehicle, whether SS or not.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

The SS only came in two colours ,Nutmeg Metallic and Omega Navy Metallic ,which were apparently left over colours from the P76 . The trim was an off white colour with Brown Dot cloth inserts for the Nutmeg and Blue Dot cloth inserts for the Omega Navy cars.

Edit : All of the extra parts on the 'SS' and 'LS' were offered as options on the Mini 'S' , so you could in effect have an optioned Mini 'S' with all the 'SS' or 'LS' bits , bar the compliance plate

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1965 Morris 850
1966 Morris Mini Minor
1967 Morris Cooper 'S'
1977 Leyland LS

Looking at my ID plate archive it appears that the prefix on the plates was 022D2S3M09.
The change from D to X happened in March 77.
This digit was a meaningless one anyway. The change to X happened on paper well before the change on the cars.

Here is a photo of mine. Never got around to replacing the red side strips with the correct gold SS side stickers.

First it definitely doesn't have the antenna on the roof and it's Scarlett O'Hara red. It does have a 3 gauge cluster and those rims in the pics look correct. But 022D2S1M09 doesn't match up to what you guys say. I've added a few dodgey interior pics.

Have you seen this?
http://bmcexperience.com.au/issue-15/mini-ss.html

There is a red one at Minisport SA. If it's a real SS there isn't much left on it that's original. http://minisport.com.au/mini-leyland-ss ... etors-1977

They didn't make the SS in 77.

I may be mistaken in my comment but that car appears to have hydrolastic releif and cover strip bolt holes in the floor which phased out in April 1973 and replaced with dry suspension. It would be nice to know the build data for the car and thus put a true identity on it.
The boot badge indicates Mini S not SS also

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John Sneddon
0408 431 807
1963 Morris Cooper
1965 Morris 850
1968 Morris Cooper S