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As has already been said, best to talk with Don to get the full history of this car.
However, I know that not everyone will talk with Don and that a lot of people will throw in their 2c worth without really knowing anything.
According to talks I've had with Don regarding this car, and according to what Don said during the dinner for the Oz50, after racing it in 1970 the original car was written-off after hitting Bib Stillwell's Escort, which spun in front of Don at, I think, Oran Park. Don then went back to Leyland and was given another body shell from Experimental Department, which had apparently been used for corrosion testing (that would be a good body to get, as it would probably have been a bit lighter!). The original car was rebuilt into this body and continued to be raced by Don up to at least the end of 1970.
When Don sold off all his Mini stuff, the car was sold to John Smidt, then at Mini Kingdom. John put the car down on his father's farm, and not much thought was given to it after that.
In 2008, after John's dad passed away, John contacted Don and suggest he take a look at the old race Mini, which was still on the property. After having a good look, Don bought the body back and commenced a restoration back to its original racing livery and condition. Don said the only panel that needed replacing was the boot floor - apparently the only part of the car not treated after Experimental had finished with the car.
Yes, it looks like a bitsa - but show me a race car that isn't. The original spec for the car was with a UK grille, but when Don rebuilt it in 1970 after the crash, he said he was unable to get another UK grille, so put an Aussie grille in it, but it still had the UK taillights (and bootlid), as it was homologated with those. The car was also homologated with the aluminium doors, bonnet and bootlid, and the 12" wheels.
As far as being a Works car, the situation in Australia was very different from in the UK. Yes, there were cars built at the factory in the Competition Department, particularly in the BMC days, but these were mainly the rally cars, including preparation of the Works cars brought over from the UK, and the Bathurst race cars. Also included were the BMC Works lightweight racer and the lightweight MG Midget racer.
However, many of the "Works" drivers, Don Holland included, were regarded as part of the official factory team, although the factory support usually came in the form of free or discounted parts (like a new body for a crashed car) and in some cases even start money at races, but the drivers were not full-time professional drivers paid by the factory as happened in the UK.
So, yes Don's car would have been considered a "Works" car by Australian standards, even though it was built by Don and not at the factory, but would have had a lot of support from the factory in parts and probably in paying for the painting in the official factory colours.
As far as I know, and I have no reason to disbelieve it, the car Don has (and I was very surprised to hear it is for sale) is the genuine car that he raced at the end of his Mini career, and that was sold to John Smidt. It has been rebuilt to the original configuration, including the UK grille and taillights, etc, and Don went to a lot of trouble to get the colour scheme and details correct.
Cheers,
Watto.
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