I have a Clubman GT at home which is currently being rebuilt to it's former glory.
It is believed to be the oldest surviving GT in Australia. The body number tells us it was 002 off the production line. It came equiped with a Mk II S engine and gearbox as the early GT's did when BMC were using up the remains of the Cooper S gear.
What I'm curious about is this little cars history. The previous owner claims it was a BMC/Leyland works rally car here in Oz. The car does have some evidence on it that may suggest it has been used in rallies - for example it has a very old Bond rollcage (single hoop with a single bar to the rear) - it has holes in the passangers side dash which may have had a Halda bolted to it - it has two bolts in the rear floor (foot wells) where it looks like there's been harnesses attached and the underside of the car is pretty battered as most rally cars are.
Does anyone have and old info, pictures etc of Clubamn rally cars in the early 1970's??
Did BMC/Leyland actually rally GT's in the 70's??
Would there be any other evidence on the car I should look for which would tell me any more of its motoring past.
If it was a rally car I like to restore it as such and not a standard GT.

Cheers
JW

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Julie.............

Thats really interesting, wouldn't mind seeing some pics,
just make sure you dont smash this one up like all your
other cars

i wouldn't have thought that leyland would have been into
racing the GTs? but who knows, i dont know, but interesting
to find out the history, try roger foy??

I'm pretty sure they did race them - I have a vague memory of reading about Evan Green rallying one, and I'm sure the first few off the line would have been pressed into competition service, to show that the 'new' mini was as competent as the Coopers - there's a GT on ebay ATM - says its a '72, I'd be keen, but wouldn't have the first clue about how to tell if it's genuine

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I remember seeing a picture of a blue and white car on a website in the UK somewhere said to be a works clubman but I can't find it anymore.

Apparently it was developed to aid marketing more than a serious works rally entry.
I will try and find the link in my old bookmarks or something

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

yeah, i emailed him for some pics,
anyone else who bids on this will encur
my wrath

lol, i doubt it will stay at that price, but it
doesnt have b'weave interior cos its a 72
i think i want a 71 with that interior!

I'll bump it up for you buddy, just to make sure the plebs don't get too interested

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

bump it up?? i am as common as they come

Got it !! Here ya are:

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/diddydt/myhomepage/auto.html

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Thanks for that. That Clubby looks great. Now all I need is some pics of an Aussie one.

Evan Green did campaign a GT in the early 70's..........need to do some more research.

JW

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Julie.............

Jules,

Taken from - http://f2.rallysportnews.com.au/cms/A_20313/article.html

"There were often as many as three cars competing in 1275 S form for drivers like Evan Green, Barry Ferguson and others. After the original round-nosed Mini went out of production at the Zetland factory, the later Clubman car was the base for the factory rally cars before they were withdrawn from the scene."

G

Evan Green rallied a blue GT in the early 70s.

GTs were also raced in the Australian Touring Car Championship and the like.

A rally car would have had.... mudflaps, halda, extra lights, reversing light (driving light on the back), fire extingusher, tacho, roll bar, lock wired sump plug, bolted down spare wheel(s)

.....sumpguard, some had webers, flat black bonnet and everything inside, horn button & washer/wiper switch for the navigator, most probably more I can't think of.

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Chris

Everything I like is either
illegal, immoral or fattening.

We have a major feature on Works Minis in Issue 2 of The Mini Experience (available 11 March). While we have dug deep to try to find as much info as we can, it is possible that there is information out there we haven't uncovered. If so, we'd like to hear from anyone with photos or proof of any Works Clubman GT (not hear-say or vague memories please)
Now, having said that, as far as we can tell there were no Works Clubman GT rally or race Minis. Gus Staunton said the official factory-supported racing team, The Young Lions, was wound up in about 1972. He doesn't recall either of them (Lakis Manticas and John Leffler) driving Clubman Minis at the time. We have pics of Lakis in a roundnose in Leyland team colours in 1971.
As far as we can tell, only six Works-built Minis were brought out from England to rally here. First two were 1967 MK1 Cooper S, next two were a Mk2 and a Mk3 and the last two were 1275 GT (not Clubman GT - there is a big difference) The GTs were built specifically for the Heatway Rally in New Zealand, and as far as I can tell, never competed in Australia. Of these six Minis, we've tracked down five. Anybody know of the Mk3? Orig English rego was YMO 881H.
According to The Works Minis by Peter Browning, only two GTs were used as UK Works rally/race cars. They were XJB 308H (1970 World Cup Rally and Scottish Rally) and SOH 878H (1970 84-Hour Marathon)
There were also a number of locally-built rally and race Minis. None of the race cars in Australia were built by the factory, except the original lightweight driven by Bob Holden in 1967. All others were factory-supported (in a very limited way) private teams.
Of the rally cars, Bob Holden built a number (not sure exactly how many, but not a lot) for the Aussie factory team. Evan Green drove one of these, but he mainly used the UK Works Minis. By the end of the decade, Bob was rallying and racing Escorts, so his involvement with BMC/Leyland finished before the Clubman arrived.
By mid-1972 Evan Green was motoring editor on the Sydney newspaper the Sun-Herald. By 1974 Will Hagon was Leyland public relations officer, and Evan Green used a P76 in the World Cup Rally (winning the Targa Florio stage outright - but that's another story). It is unlikely therefore that Green rallied a Clubman GT, unless very briefly in 1971 - 72.
Only one Clubman GT ever raced in the Bathurst 500/1000, as a private entry. That was in 1975 and was driven by Ray Molloy and Alan Braszell, but it retired with suspension problems. (More on all the Minis at Bathurst in Issue 4 of The Mini Experience).
We did find a Clubman GT that is very curious in that some of the modifications to the body and suspension were of such a high standard that the car MAY have been built at the factory, but there is no firm evidence of this. It is also possible that there were some cars modified or built at Leyland for private individuals, but there was certainly no official factory team by 1972.
Now, as I said, there may be someone out there who can categorically state that there was a factory Clubman GT, and if so, I'd like to know so we can run something in the magazine. We would need to see photos, build sheets, sales dockets, etc to verify this.
Hope all this helps.
Watto.

"It is unlikely therefore that Green rallied a Clubman GT, unless very briefly in 1971 - 72."

Evan Green most certainly did rally a Clubman GT. I'll try to find your proof. There is a pic in one of the books somewhere.

"Only one Clubman GT ever raced in the Bathurst 500/1000, as a private entry."

I disagree here too. Have a look through the old Bathurst highlights, you'll see a Cadiz (orange) Clubman GT
and
you'll also see a Blue one in a different year (which you will see being lapped on the last lap of the race so this one certainly didn't retire with suspension problems).