1980 Austin Cooper Mini-Matic RHD

Coupe

998

Automatic

SAXXL2S1N20234422

Clear

Gasoline

Because of eBay's rules I had to list this as a 1980 because of the VIN (NYS Title SAXXL2S1N20234422). Make no mistake this is a 1984. Reserve is only $2,500, good luck bidding!!! 1984 Mini Mayfair RHD with the Mini-Matic transmission. The Transmission needs repair, only driving in reverse currently. The body was stripped and resprayed two years ago so the car looks fantastic. There is a rust issue on the passengers side (please review image). It has newer tires on 13" rims. One of the headrests is missing. There is a speaker in the rear but no radioThe following work has been done on this vehicle:New head gasketInstallation of fog lampsRebuilt rear suspensionNew wiringShe was a daily driver until this week when the transmission failed. Please look into finding a new tranny or replacing with a standard transmission before bidding. Here is a little info on the transmission: The Mini-Matic Dubbed by many in the motoring press as the "Mini-Matic" - the clever transmission seemed to go about its work with as much flair as the manual version - so much so that few considered the slight bump in horsepower could not explain the DeLuxe's dexterity. Two bhp was, after all, a comparatively minor power increase. The motoring press were right. But what they didn't know was that the transmission itself was a model in design efficiency. What the BMC engineers needed to do was design an automatic transmission that was as diminutive as the engine bay would allow. Simply put, underneath the Mini's bonnet there wasn't much room to spare for any additional bits and pieces. Thes design brief was simple enough. The engineers had to come up wiith a transmission that would not increase the engine dimensions. Like the manual version, the transmission needed to be housed beneath the motor, accommodating the convertor in the space previously occupied by the clutch and flywheel. In this location, the transmission needed to utilise the same sump oil which lubricated the rest of the engine. And in doing this, the design would make a vital contribution to transmission efficiency, because it would avoid duplicity of oil pumps, reservoir and filters - and the power loss which otherwise would have been incurred. In fact it was a basic reason why the additional 2 bhp.was put to such good effect and the overall performance for a four-cylinder automatic was so lively. One of the brightest decisions BMC made when determining that the Mini should go automatic, was the choice of a slot type selector. I gave it the nod over all other systems because of its operational simplicity - not overlooking the fact that it was also is one of the easiest for identifying gear positions. Gear positions down the slot from front to rear were marked R, 1, 2, 3, 4 and D. Manual shifts through positions 1, 2, 3 and 4 produced gear changes as in any normal manual transmission from the time, although they could be made much faster - logical enough in that the shift movement was in a direct fore-and-aft line - which was not typical of automatics of the time. Down-changes from position 4 back through the gear train had normal manual retardation. As in most automatics from the era, D was for drive and meshed in all four forward gears for automatic cycling. The transmission was designed without the generally incorporated free-wheeling unit. Not best practise, but to counter that a not often found feature BMC saw fit to include was over-run braking, achieved through braking bands on third and second forward gears, and on reverse. The effect was felt as road speed fell. The transmission would drop back to third, then second and finally into first. These down-changes were both audible and mechanically apparent - and took a little getting used to - each shift being accompanied by an abrupt deceleration. When accelerating away from rest the gear changes were on the "snatchy" side. But again, it was really a case of getting used to the sensation, rather than being too critical that it was different to the norm. And when you considered the size of engine, and the normally power-sapping properties of an automatic transmission, the BMC engineers had worked wonders. It was true that timed acceleration figures were slower than for the manual Mini, but the differences were not overwhelming and in traffic the automatic had no difficulty in doing well in traffic light sprints. On the Road Something many owners noticed, particularly after driving a more regular atmo car, was the Mini transmission's sensitivity to changes in both road speed and throttle openings. It was a design feature fully intended and the units' ability to swap cogs to meet speed or throttle variations ensured it could avoids a lot of the sweat and driving effort that might have been expected with such a small automatic. Maximum speeds in the gears were: first - 27 mph; second - 45 mph; third - 58 mph and in top (or fourth) - 75.3 mph. Better still, the Mini DeLuxe was equally adept in the hills. There may have been occasion to swith to manual selection of gear, but generally the unit would make the best selection for the conditions and not rob too much power when needed at the apex of a corner. Reliability was also not compromised, and after many road tests by various motoring magazines nobody could fault the setup, both engine and transmission refusing to overheat despite plenty of abuse, and not extra oil consumption. Even the fuel consumption figures remained relatively good, at around 28 mpg. In city traffic, and without a lead foot, drivers regularly achieved closer to 35 mpg.