UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

Building a Works replica Mini comes with the additional pressure of ensuring every detail is researched and reproduced accurately, a task made very difficult by the wealth of nonstandard parts used. Thanks to the internet such a feat is a little easier than it was years ago as more photos and reference materials are made available. Still, even for the most famous Works Minis like 33 EJB and AJB 44B, most will source the more obvious items such as lamps and livery configuration and then stop there. Those who do go into greater detail will find themselves spending countless hours on research and poring over historic photos. Even then, there is the additional task of finding someone to make custom parts or manufacturing them yourself. Nevertheless, when it came to taking on a replica of one of the early, 850 Works Minis, with only a handful of historic photos and footage available, David Dyson was up for the challenge.

David is no stranger to Mini restoration, having now been involved in about a dozen Mini projects including his own cars and those of friends. Like most collectors he only ever intended to buy a few. “All the Minis I’ve restored had been off the road for some time. It’s only two of my cars I had actually been looking to buy but the rest somehow came looking for me!” The result is: “Two 997 Coopers, three Works replicas, one standard Mk1 S, one Mk3 850 and a Mk3 Cooper S replica,” that have graced David’s garage over the years.

Having amassed a large collection of all things Cooper and S, why turn his sights to an 850 in the first place? “In December 2016 I was