Here is an interesting one for you all, we can not find reference to this Mini in any sources.

Body No: YG2S3 789
Sliding Window Doors, Wide numberplate boot lid.
Dry Suspension
Floorpans have channels ala Deluxe, but has the hole for a floor starter, and hole for the magic wand (currently has rod box, haven't checked but I would assume the hole has been cut for it).
Recessed Wipers ala 69 Mini.

This car has no build plate which makes it hard to identify. We have seen another car, exactly 40 numbers on from this, which also does not have a build plate. I believe it also has recessed wipers though, if memory serves. The YG2S3 789 is written on the radiator shroud unlike any other Mini I've seen. No question this car is currently a bitsa, but the floorpans look original.

Can anybody shed light on this car? I would have initially have thought an early 850, except the floor pans and wipers are definitely late roundnose type stuff. YG2S3 doesn't exist, but YG2S4 is a Mk2 Cooper, around 1969, and the YKG2S2 MkI Coopers received left hand parking wipers around 2/69.

Could this vehicle perhaps be a limited run of 850s in 1969 or thereabouts, possibly as fleet/government type vehicles?

Are you sure you havent missed a letter in that VIN??? Should it read YMG2S3?????

Not sure about the "789" bit, but Ive underlined the other ones that apply....

1st Prefix Letter = Origin of Manufacture.
In the case of Australia its "Y"

2nd Prefix Letter = Name (Make) <-----I think u missed this one maybe
A - Austin
G - M.G
H - Healey
K - Morris Cooper
M - Morris <-------- here
W - Wolseley


3rd Prefix Letter = (Model) Cubic Capacity

L - Up to 799cc
A - 800 to 999cc
G - 10008 to 1399cc
H - 1400 to 1999cc
B - 2000 to 2999cc
D - 3000cc up

4th Prefix letter = Body Type
N - 2 Seater Tourer
T - 4 Seater Tourer
W - Station Wagon
S - 4 Door Saloon
2S - 2 Door Saloon
X - Taxi

5th Prefix Letter = Series of Model
2, 3, etc. used to record major change. <---"3" for third series of that model

Colour
Prefix - Type of paint
1 - Enamel
2 - Lacquer
3 - Acrylic Enamel

Paint Name

Suffix - Paint Supplier
1 - Balm
2 - Lusteroid
3 - Bergers
4 - Brolite
5 - Taubmans
6 - Spartan


Hmm..... the only other thing I can think of is..... maybe it was one of those blank VIN plates (like on ebay) and the person who stamped the code into it mightve missed the "M"..... no idea other than that......

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

They were still making 850s (badged `Morris Mini Minor') for government dept's etc as late as 68 I think, which is when the wipers changed...
From `69 they dropped the `M' out of the prefix, my `matic is a YA2S5....
This number prefix doesn't show in any of the published lists either.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Email sent Anto....please follow up if you are serious about solving the mystery. Cheers, Mick

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"Show me the Mini!"

sounds like a pmg car
makka

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Anonymous moderation means the agro that is built up towards the mods isn't aimed at an individual (fewer "Makk" attacks). Less stress for mods means less moderator "retirements".

BMC like a lot of other car manufacturers would list a base model (poverty pack) They would not actualy build them unless they had an order for one.
The idea is that they can advertise a car for a cheap price to get the buyer into the dealership and then sell them a dearer car. Just like today with the cheap $13990 cars.

With the Morris 1100 they listed a cheap model (1100 Standard) without a heater, only one sunvisor, cheaper seats, no parcel tray under the dash, etc. They only built 125 of them.

The YG2S3 could be a similar thing. The low body number 789 means that it was 289th car of that model.

Yeah 1969 is the closest year we can figure, because of the wipers, and also I am fairly sure there wasn't an M, that was half of the confusion. It looks to me almost like a Mini K with sliding window doors.

Does the G mean that this would have been a 1098 motor originally then? It currently has a 998 out of a Clubman. And would the dry suspension be original? I'm just thinking that if all the utes and vans kept dry suspension then the pov pack models, especially if intended for government/fleet use would have too.

<edit>And just as a matter of interest, I have heard of pov pack Clubmans that had single central speedo and magic wand gear change!